To mark the 200th anniversary of its founding, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences is planning a series of celebrations

The Hungarian Academy of Sciences has been considered the quintessence of Hungarian science for the past 200 years and remains the most reliable point of reference for society on scientific matters. The Academy’s primary mission is to make knowledge accessible to everyone and to serve as a credible source of guidance at all times. With 200 years of value-creating activity, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences has made a fundamental contribution to the accumulation of knowledge and to the cultural heritage of Hungarian society.

May 2025

The series of events related to the bicentenary will begin with an opening ceremony on 5 May 2025, including a wreath-laying at the statue of István Széchenyi, and the presentation of a sculptural work of art titled “The Boundless History”. The events will be followed by the opening ceremony of the Academy’s General Assembly, its main decision-making body, composed of Hungarian academicians and non-academician members of the Assembly. The General Assembly’s agenda will continue with the election of the new academicians and will end with a commemorative concert.

On the same day, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences opens its exhibition titled Magic Power: Knowledge. Community. Academy at the Hungarian National Museum. The motto of the exhibition is: “The Knowledge of the Community – the Community of Knowledge”. The exhibition, presented in five thematic units, explores the history of the Academy, its community-building power and its importance in shaping national identity and civic development. The more than 800 objects on display include such curiosities as Count István Széchenyi’s letter of donation to the Academy and Katalin Karikó’s Nobel Prize medal.

September 2025

In September 2025, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences will announce a new edition of its successful academic competition for high school students. To align this year’s event with the Academy’s bicentenary, the competition will focus on the Hungarian Reform Era (a significant period of 19^th-century Hungarian history). Organised within the framework of the Academy’s Alumni Programme, this inspirational event is set to promote scientific and critical thinking among high school students, raise their academic awareness and enhance their debating skills, and provide them with reliable knowledge. Following the online qualifying rounds, the live-streamed finals will take place at the Palace of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

November 2025

In November 2025, the celebrations continue with central events. On 3 November 1825, Count István Széchenyi offered one year of his estate’s income at the Pozsony Diet, then the National Assembly of Hungary, for the purpose of nurturing and advancing the Hungarian language. With this noble act he contributed to laying the foundations of the Learned Society, which was to become the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

On November 3rd, 1825 at the district session of the lower house of the Pozsony Diet, Pál Felsőbüki Nagy, a leading figure of the estate-opposition raged against the top aristocrats who were criminally disinterested in national culture or the native tongue. Still under the influence of this reproach, from the rows of those listening, „Young Count Széchenyi, Hungarian mounted captain made this recommendation: Dear Statuses and Estates! Although I am in no way great, still I am wealthy; that is why I recommend a whole year’s portion of my income to augment my national language, so that the channeling and ordering of that should depend on the nation’s diet.”

To mark this important occasion, a three-day celebration is scheduled for 3-5 November 2025. On 3 November, a memorial tablet will be unveiled in honour of Count Széchenyi at the National Council of the Slovak Republic in Bratislava, with high-level representatives from both the Slovak Republic and Hungary in attendance. The event will be followed by a scientific conference co-organised by the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the Hungarian Academic Council of Slovakia and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

On the same day, a bicentennial commemorative concert and reception will be held at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, to be followed by an international conference tentatively themed “The Changing Role of Academies in the 21st Century” on the morning of 4 November, and a high-level workshop by SAPEA entitled Upholding Integrity in Scientific Advice: “Key Principles and Challenges” in the afternoon.

The international conference will focus on rethinking the role of scientific academies in the 21st century, while participants in the workshop can discuss the role of academies in the policy-making ecosystem and examine the most effective means of validating expert opinions and positions based on scientific evidence. On 5 November, the Academia Europaea Budapest Knowledge Hub will host the scientific symposium “From Fragmentation to Integration: Building a Stronger EU Research Ecosystem”, which will explore pathways to building a stronger, more connected European research framework.

At the same time, the exhibition Sunshine After Rain – Treasures of the 200-Year-Old Academy will open at the Palace of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, alongside the permanent exhibition of the Academy’s Art Collection.

On 5 November 2025, the Hungarian Science Festival commences with a series of national and cross-border events: lectures, exhibitions, shows, film screenings and scientific forums. The motto of the Festival, “200 Years in the Service of Knowledge and Society”, takes its cue from the Academy’s bicentenary.

June 2025 - December 2026

As part of the Academy’s bicentenary calendar, the work of the eleven scientific sections of the Academy, as well as particular regions and organisations, will be showcased with each having a dedicated month featuring special programmes.

The aim of these events is to highliths the diversity of science, celebrate the significant personalities and moments of the past 200 years, and provide insight into the most exciting and valuable recent scientific discoveries. The events, hosted by the Academy, will range from scientific lectures, exhibitions and concerts to round-table discussions and film screenings, aimed not only at fellow researchers but also at the general public interested in science and culture.

A pillar for 200 years: Let’s celebrate the Hungarian Academy of Sciences’ FIRST 200 years together!