Hungarian Academy of Sciences facts for kids
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Magyar Tudományos Akadémia
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The seat of the academy on the bank of the Danube in Budapest
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| Abbreviation | MTA |
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| Formation | 3 November 1825 |
| Type | National academy |
| Headquarters | Budapest, Hungary |
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Region served
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Hungary |
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Membership (2014)
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1,363 |
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President
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Tamás Freund |
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Formerly called
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Magyar Tudós Társaság |
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences (called MTA for short, or Magyar Tudományos Akadémia in Hungarian) is a very important and respected group of scientists in Hungary. Its main building is in Budapest, right by the Danube River.
The Academy's main jobs are to encourage science, share new scientific discoveries, help with research and development, and show off Hungarian science both in Hungary and around the world.
Contents
History of the Academy
The story of the Academy started in 1825. A Hungarian nobleman, Count István Széchenyi, offered a whole year's income from his land to help create a "Learned Society." This happened during a meeting of the Diet (like a parliament) in Pressburg (which is now Bratislava). Many other important people followed his lead and also donated money.
The goal of this new society was to help the Hungarian language grow. It also aimed to study and spread knowledge about science and arts in Hungarian. The group got its current name, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, in 1845.
The Academy's beautiful central building was opened in 1865. It was designed in a style called Renaissance Revival architecture by the architect Friedrich August Stüler.
How the Academy Works: Sections
The Academy is organized into different scientific sections. Each section focuses on one or more closely related areas of science. These sections keep an eye on all the scientific work happening in their field. They also help promote and review new discoveries.
Each section gives its opinion on important scientific topics. They also help decide on science policies and how research is organized. They look at the work of research institutes and university departments that the Academy supports. Plus, they are involved in giving out special academic degrees, like the "Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences."
Today, the Academy has eleven main sections:
- Linguistics and Literary Scholarship (studying languages and books)
- Philosophy and Historical Sciences (thinking about big ideas and history)
- Mathematics (numbers and patterns)
- Agricultural Sciences (farming and food production)
- Medical Sciences (health and medicine)
- Engineering Sciences (designing and building things)
- Chemical Sciences (how things are made and react)
- Biological Sciences (living things)
- Economics and Law (money, trade, and rules)
- Earth Sciences (our planet, like geology and weather)
- Physical Sciences (energy, matter, and the universe)
Research Institutes of the Academy
Before 2019, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences had many research institutes. These institutes were places where scientists worked on new discoveries. Here are some of the important research centers:
- MTA Centre for Agricultural Research
- MTA Chemical Research Center
- MTA Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences (which includes the Konkoly Observatory)
- MTA Szeged Research Centre for Biology
- MTA Institute for Computer Science and Control
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research
- MTA Research Centre for Economic and Regional Studies
- MTA Centre for Energy Research
- MTA Research Centre for the Humanities
- MTA Research Institute for Linguistics
- MTA Rényi Institute of Mathematics
- MTA Institute of Experimental Medicine
- MTA Research Centre for Natural Sciences
- MTA Institute of Nuclear Research (called ATOMKI)
- MTA Wigner Research Centre for Physics
- MTA Centre for Social Sciences
Leaders of the Academy: Presidents
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences has had many important leaders over the years. These leaders are called Presidents. Here is a list of the people who have served as President:
| Count József Teleki | 17 November 1830 – 15 February 1855 |
| Count Emil Dessewffy | 17 April 1855 – 10 January 1866 |
| Baron József Eötvös | 18 March 1866 – 2 February 1871 |
| Baron Menyhért Lónyay | 17 May 1871 – 3 November 1884 |
| Dr. Ágoston Trefort | 28 May 1885 – 22 August 1888 |
| Baron Loránd Eötvös | 3 May 1889 – 5 October 1905 |
| Albert Berzeviczy | 27 November 1905 – 22 March 1936 |
| Archduke Joseph Habsburg | 22 March 1936 – October 1944 |
| Gyula Kornis | 7 March 1945 – 29 October 1945 |
| Gyula Moór | 29 October 1945 – 24 July 1946 |
| Zoltán Kodály | 24 July 1946 – 29 November 1949 |
| István Rusznyák | 29 November 1949 – 5 February 1970 |
| Tibor Erdey-Grúz | 5 February 1970 – 16 August 1976 |
| János Szentágothai | 26 October 1976 – 10 May 1985 |
| Iván T. Berend | 10 May 1985 – 24 May 1990 |
| Domokos Kosáry | 24 May 1990 – 9 May 1996 |
| Ferenc Glatz | 9 May 1996 – 4 May 2002 |
| Szilveszter Vizi | 5 May 2002 – 6 May 2008 |
| József Pálinkás | 6 May 2008 – 5 May 2014 |
| László Lovász | 6 May 2014 – 31 July 2020 |
| Tamás Freund | 1 August 2020 – present |
Széchenyi Academy of Literature and Arts
The Széchenyi Academy of Literature and Arts (Széchenyi Irodalmi és Művészeti Akadémia in Hungarian) was started in 1992. It is connected to the Hungarian Academy of Sciences but works independently. Some famous members of this academy include writers like György Konrád, Magda Szabó, and Péter Nádas. Also, the pianist Zoltán Kocsis and film directors Miklós Jancsó and István Szabó were members.
Images for kids
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László Lovász, who was the President of the Academy until 2020.
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Count István Széchenyi offering money to start the Learned Society.
See also
- Open access in Hungary
In Spanish: Academia Húngara de Ciencias para niños
