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The current situation affecting the operation of the National Academy of Scientist Education (NTA) – namely, the termination of the previous funding structure and the uncertainty surrounding the establishment of new operational and funding frameworks – highlights that the training of the next generation of scientists, as well as the education and research system, is not merely a matter of principle or professional expertise, but rather a vulnerable area of national strategic importance. The situation arising in the wake of the changes announced also underscores the uncertainty surrounding the operational and funding frameworks, which directly affects the programme’s future sustainability.
For more than a decade, the National Academy of Scientist Education has been implementing a unique, multi-generational model that has provided real and tangible opportunities for thousands of young people for embarking on a scientific career. A particular value of the programme is that it creates access to high-level knowledge not only for talents from major urban centres but also for those coming from rural, small-region, and cross-border environments, thereby contributing to the promotion of genuine social mobility. In the case of a programme that has been operating successfully over a long period of time, it is particularly important to maintain operational stability and the continuity of the established professional structure.
In our view, a country’s long-term competitiveness is determined not only by economic indicators, but also by its ability to identify, support, and retain its own talent. Education and research play a key role in this process.
The continuity and stability of the operations of the National Academy of Scientist Education are therefore of paramount importance. It is our conviction that the programme contributes effectively to:
All these results and synergies become particularly valuable when the programme’s operating conditions and future framework come to be shaken.
The significance of the current situation goes beyond the issue of funding; ensuring professional autonomy, transparent operations, and a predictable institutional environment is of fundamental importance. In the lack of such prerequisites, no sustainable and internationally competitive science system can be established. Therefore, it is particularly important that these principles remain intact during any changes in structure or management and that the preservation of established professional operating models would be ensured.
Numerous members of the Hungarian Young Academy, working at various research institutes and universities across the country, have participated in the NTA programme as Szent-Györgyi Mentors. The secondary-school and college students they mentored have achieved outstanding success within the programme, as evidenced by a series of publications, award-winning presentations, and brilliant performances at the National Student Research Conference (OTDK).
In line with the mission statement of the Hungarian Young Academy, the NTA programme instills an exemplary mindset in the youngest generation and is committed to improving the status of female researchers and retaining young researchers in their careers.
The broad support of the scientific and educational community for the NTA is tangible and evident. This professional consensus highlights that preserving and strengthening an efficient system is a shared national priority. Therefore, we firmly suggest that the decision-making bodies of the country at all times take into consideration the institutionalization of the NTA, which would lay the foundation for the long-term, balanced operation of a unique organization of national significance.
Budapest, 27 April 2026
Signatories: