From 5 to 7 February 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 Agricultural Research (HUN-REN CAR) 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 CAR 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. Patricia L. Conway PhD, Visiting Professor at the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, Adjunct Professor at the University of New South Wales (Australia), CEO and Founder of PC Biome Pte Ltd (Singapore)
Prof. Staffan Kjelleberg PhD, member of the Academia Europaea, Emeritus Distinguished University Professor at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, Honorary Professor at the University of New South Wales (Australia)
Prof. Ülo Niinemets, Professor of plant physiology and Chair of the Department of Crop Science and Plant Biology at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, and leader of the Center of Excellence AgroCropFuture (Estonia)
Prof. Luigi Cattivelli, Director of CREA Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics in Fiorenzuola d’Arda (Italy)
Prof. Dr. Yakov Kuzyakov, Professor and Head of the Departments of Soil Science of Temperate Zones and Agricultural Soil Science at the University of Göttingen (Germany), Visiting Researcher at the Smart Technologies Laboratory for Sustainable Urban Development at RUDN University (Russia)
Prof. Dr. Rudy Rabbinge, Professor Emeritus in sustainable development and food security at Wageningen University, Chairman of the Council for Earth and Life Sciences of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (Netherlands)
Prof. Dr. Melinda Kovács, Acting Director and Professor at the Institute of Physiology and Nutrition at the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, member of the HUN-REN Governing Board
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.
