A scientific ‘golden team’ is being created
This initiative will build the ‘golden team’ of Hungarian science, said Innovation Minister Balázs Hankó. The first scientist to return to Hungary to continue his research here is theoretical particle physicist Prof Gergely Endrődi. The sciences in Europe must renew themselves in order to survive in global competition.
Autonomy strengthened
Hungary is strengthening the autonomy of the sciences with the recently established Council for Research Excellence (KKT), the scope of the National Programme for Research Excellence (NKKP) has been increased from 13 billion to 19 billion forints and the scientific funding programme has been renewed. The Minister thanked Prof. Ferenc Krausz for his contribution to the renewal of Hungarian science and the creation of the ‘golden team’ of Hungarian science through his work as Chief Advisor for Science Policy. The team also counts on physicist Péter Domokos, who is the president of the KKT. ‘We will expand this team so that we can renew the world of Hungarian and European science. Our mission is to work together for science and innovation,’ explained Hankó.
Krausz strives for knowledge centres
According to Nobel Prize winner Ferenc Krausz, there is no future without competitiveness, scientific research and technological development. The aim is to create knowledge centres around excellent researchers returning from abroad that are attractive to the next generation. The aim is to create a situation that enables young people to conduct cutting-edge research in Hungary.
Research physicist Gergely Endrődi specialises in theoretical particle physics and investigates the formation of the universe, the structure of stars and the microscopic structure of matter. He specialises in lattice field theory, a method that allows elementary particles and their interactions to be described using simulations on supercomputers. He will start work in November at the ELTE Faculty of Natural Sciences (ELTE TTK), where he once graduated and also obtained his doctorate. He later conducted research at the universities of Regensburg, Frankfurt and Bielefeld. Last year, the physicist won a research grant from the European Research Council, which is endowed with 2 million euros and can be used in any European country.
An uplifting feeling
‘For me, it is an uplifting feeling that I can bring the knowledge and experience in education and research that I have gained abroad back home with me,’ emphasised the researcher. ELTE TTK Dean Imre Kacsovics hopes that Endrődi will not only bring science back home, but also participate in the training of excellent scientists. ‘Gergely Endrődi is returning to a team that understands and knows what he is doing and can offer him valuable support.’