From 29 to 31 January 2024 the Assessment Committee including internationally recognised researchers, with the participation of the research centre’s and its institutes' leaders and researchers, conducted the on-site review of the scientific activities of the HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research (HUN-REN CER) and the research institutes belonging to the centre, which is an important part of the comprehensive evaluation process.
The members of the Assessment Committee evaluating HUN-REN CER 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
István Szabó PhD, Strategic Advisor to HUN-REN, former Vice President for Science and International Affairs at the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office, founder of the Innovation Section at the Hungarian Economic Association
Prof. Dr. Ricard Guerrero, Emeritus Professor of microbiology at the University of Barcelona, President of the Spanish Society for Microbiology, former Director of the Academia Europaea Barcelona Knowledge Hub (Spain)
Prof. Dr. Jörg Müller, Professor of animal ecology at the University of Würzburg, Associate Professor and Postdoctoral Lecturer at the Technische Universität (TU) München, Deputy Head of the Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany)
Prof. Dr. Tamás Székely PhD, Professor of biodiversity at the University of Bath (UK), Honorary Professor at the University of Debrecen, and a Visiting Professor at Beijing Normal University and at Sun Yat-Sen University (China)
Prof. Dr. Péter Nagy, Scientific Director and Head of the Molecular Immunology and Toxicology Department at the National Institute of Oncology in Budapest, and Acting Director of the Chemistry Coordination Institute at the University of Debrecen
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.
