Over the past decade, the government has tripled funding for research and development, resulting in a doubling of researchers and developers in Hungary since 2010, State Secretary for Families at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation Zsófia Koncz stated during the Tiszalúc Youth Innovation Forum on Saturday. Koncz highlighted that this marks the third largest growth in this sector within the European Union. Additionally, the number of PhD students has nearly doubled over the past five years, with 30 per cent of them being international students, which reflects the global appeal of Hungarian higher education institutions.
Koncz also noted the government’s efforts in modernizing universities, establishing science parks, and reforming the research funding system based on excellence. She announced the launch of the Bring the Champions Home programme, led by Nobel laureate physicist Ferenc Krausz, aimed at attracting researchers back to Hungary. Physicist Gergely Endrődi has already joined the programme from Germany, and Krausz is committed to recruiting more scientists.
In her speech, Koncz also discussed the government’s reforms in vocational education, including the introduction of a scholarship programme to engage young people through cooperation with businesses. She stressed the importance of forming an alliance with the youth to ensure Hungary’s success in innovation, which plays a crucial role in a country’s economic performance.
‘Hungary aims to be among the top ten most innovative countries in the EU and the top twenty-five globally by 2030’
Koncz emphasized that Europe’s competitiveness depends on successful young people and pointed to key government programmes like the János Selye Student Lab Network, the Pannónia Scholarship Programme, and the John von Neumann Programme, Hungary’s new innovation strategy. Hungary aims to be among the top ten most innovative countries in the EU and the top twenty-five globally by 2030, Koncz added.
Tiszalúc’s independent mayor Norbert Siri highlighted that this was the second time the town hosted a forum focusing on the future of the youth, stressing the importance of dialogue and youth participation in local governance. President of the Bakcsó Hiking, Nature Conservation, Cultural and Recreational Sports Association Éva Hegedűsné Stion described the forum as part of their four-year mission to support local youth and young families with educational and recreational opportunities.
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