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“A researcher’s career path is a journey: scientists acclaimed today began their career as young researchers. Just as the number of those starting a family 20 years from now essentially depends on how many people are in primary school these days, the prominent researchers and professors of the future can only emerge from among today’s young researchers. Therefore, the situation of young researchers and providing them with a transparent career model is not the internal affair of the youth, but rather a public concern of fundamental importance”, MTA Secretary-General Prof. László Péter Kollár said in his opening remarks.

“While the international nature of science compels us to help young researchers gain professional experience abroad, and not only for the sake of scientific results, but also to broaden their perspectives, we must do all in our might to ensure that young postdoctoral fellows have a homeland to return to and that they can look forward to a transparent and reliable career path. A pre-condition to that is having a predictable higher education system and a stable research network, as well as excellence-based grant schemes. No system is without fault, changes and amendments need to be made all the time, but in my opinion, after the hectic transformations of the past years, we should now reach a predictable, stable, and merit-based equilibrium  that is respectful of the freedom of science. The absence of each and every young researcher is a tremendous loss not only for Hungarian science, but also for Hungarian society at large.”

Expressing his appreciation for the work of the Hungarian Young Academy, László Péter Kollár said that their activity is driven by a sense of responsibility for scientific research and society in general.

In the afternoon, the programme series of the Hungarian Young Academy continued with a General Assembly. In her welcome speech, MTA Deputy Secretary-General Prof. Anna Erdei emphasized that the Hungarian Academy of Sciences is counting on the fresh perspectives of young researchers, their dynamism in research, and activity in publication and tendering. It is also counting on their courage to put problems on the table and formulate constructive criticism about what they encounter during their scientific work and in the current phase of their research career.

The General Assembly was also an occasion for newly elected members and the reconstituted Executive Board to introduce themselves to the community, and reports were delivered about last year’s activities.