The strategic dimension of our vision of the future includes the initiation of challenge-driven research projects with a social mission; the expansion and renewal of social capital, which is to be made open for the general public – be it focused on our historical knowledge, culture or natural resources.
We are convinced that the future can only be shaped by building on the solid ground of our past and traditions. The coat of arms appearing in our logo was designed to represent this idea. It displays an invention and a discovery made by two internationally recognized Hungarian scientists, and the oldest extant hand-written book in Hungarian in a stylized manner. The three images symbolize the three major branches of science: mathematics and natural sciences, life sciences and the humanities and social sciences.
ELKH is named after the internationally recognized Hungarian scholar, Loránd Eötvös, inventor of the famous torsion balance (1890). In 1902, Eötvös built two facing pendulum systems together in the same instrument housing, thus creating the Eötvös “double large device” featured in the ELKH coat of arms. This served as the basis for all further pendulum types. This device was used during the Eötvös–Pekár–Fekete measurement survey, which aimed to prove the equivalence of gravitational and inertial mass to an accuracy within a margin of error of 1 in 200 million. For decades, this device has been the basic instrument for industrial structural explorations, especially in the search for crude oil.
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) was isolated by Albert Szentgyörgyi. This discovery has had a crucial impact on the world, as vitamin C is used to prevent and treat numerous diseases. This discovery was honored by the Nobel Prize in 1937. Szentgyörgyi is still the only Hungarian Nobel laureate who was awarded this scientific prize for research conducted in Hungary.
The Jókai Codex is the oldest extant hand-written book in Hungarian, which dates back to the 14th century. It is a translation of the legend of Francis of Assisi from Latin. This unique treasure of Hungarian language history was purchased from public donations. It received its name, Jókai Codex, on the centenary of the writer Mór Jókai’s birth. It was placed on eternal national deposit in the manuscript collection of the National Széchényi Library of the Hungarian National Museum.
Our logo with the coat of arms reflects the variety of the scientific knowledge accumulated in the research network over the course of more than a century. This also includes the creation, safe-guarding and renewal of scientific research traditions, such as the discoveries bringing about considerable social and economic benefits, which all contribute to the future success of Hungary.