On 7 and 8 March 2024, the Assessment Committee including internationally highly recognised researchers aligned with the institute's profile, reviewed the scientific activities of the HUN-REN Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science (HUN-REN EPSS), with its Director and research group leaders participating. During personal meetings, the committee familiarised themselves with the research activities and local research infrastructures and met with young researchers. At the end of the visit, they provided on-site feedback on their most important observations and key recommendations.
The members of the Assessment Committee evaluating HUN-REN EPSS are:
Prof. Alexander J.B. Zehnder, Visiting Professor at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, Professor Emeritus at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, Chairman of the HUN-REN Advisory Board
Dr. István Szabó, PhD, Deputy CEO for Strategy and Innovation at HUN-REN Headquarters, former Vice President for Science and International Affairs at the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office, and founder of the Innovation Section at the Hungarian Economic Association
Prof. Peter Török, DPhil, Professor at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Director of Imaging at the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Director of the NTU Optical Bio-Imaging Centre (NOBIC), and Interim Director of the Institute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science (IDMxS) (Singapore)
Sir Philip Campbell, PhD, former Editor-in-Chief of Nature and Springer Nature, member of the HUN-REN President’s Circle, fellow of the International Science Council, Honorary Fellow of Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, and Knight Bachelor of the British Empire (UK)
Prof. Dr. (h. c. mult.) Donald Bruce Dingwell, PhD, OC, ONL, FRS, FRSC, member of the Order of Merit of Germany and the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador, Officer of the Order of Canada, Vice-President of the Academia Europaea, and founding Director of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Germany)
Dr. Gabor C. Tari, PhD, geologist and geophysicist, Group Chief Geologist at OMV Upstream (Austria), and former Vice President of Geosciences at Vanco Energy, Houston, Texas
Dr. Jana Kolar, Executive Director of the Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium (CERIC-ERIC), European Innovation Council (EIC) Ambassador, former Chair of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) (Slovenia)
Prof. Dr. Zsolt Szalay, HUN-REN Chief Scientific Advisor for STEM, Head of the Department of Automotive Technologies at Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), founder and leader of the BME Automated Drive Lab research group, leader of the National Laboratory for Autonomous Systems at BME, former Head of Research and Innovation of the ZalaZONE Automotive Proving Ground
The comprehensive assessment of HUN-REN's 49 research institutes was launched in January 2024, at the initiative of President Balázs Gulyás. The aim is to provide an unbiased and candid assessment of the standing of HUN-REN's research institutes in the global competition and identify potential breakthrough points. Building on the results of the evaluation, and by incorporating international best practices and examples, a new research strategy that supports the defined objectives will be developed in collaboration with the research institutions.
