The well-educated mind is and has been the basis of a nation’s rise

March 14, 2009
„In sharp contrast to the excellence with which intellectuals proved their aptness in 1848, today’s political elite seems to have failed the test at a time when one should fight shoulder-to-shoulder facing a new crisis” – said Ferenc Glatz in Hévíz in his festive speech. Recalling the events of 1848 he posed a number of questions: Do we remember the people who launched a new civic country in the crowd in March 1848 in the shadow of the outstanding political figures of the period? Was the key for the Hungarian nation’s success the cooperation and shared vision of politicians? The former statesmen set their eyes on Europe and agreed that a vast array of well-educated minds is needed to achieve the nation’s rise. Are today’s leaders capable of this attitude?

Food production must not be opposed to environmental protection

March 11, 2009
„Our aim is to work together” was the title of the interview with Ferenc Glatz published in the March issue of the periodicalKertészet és Szőlészet (Gardening and Vine-growing). Glatz outlined his views as President of the Hungarian National Rural Network on the potential role and tasks of the European and Hungarian network and the revaluation of rural areas.

The praise of caring for each other and being conscious of our environment

March 6, 2009
The establishment of the Village Development Award named after Bertalan Kemény, inventor of the institution of ’village caretakers’ was initiated by the mayor of Alsómocsolád, László Dicső, a founding member of the Dialogue for the Countryside Association. Ferenc Glatz is head of the award committee that decided on the candidates worthy of approval in its session on February 18. The awards were presented on March 6, 2009 in Alsómocsolád. In course of the awarding ceremony Ferenc Glatz spoke highly of the institution of village caretakers and referred to the more and more prominent role of small local communities both in preventing migration from villages and in safeguarding moral values.

Natural history – new book series

March 1, 2009
The first two volumes of the series Natural history (initiated and edited by Ferenc Glatz) were published by the Institute of History of HAS. The two books are “Magyarország környezettörténete az újkorig” (Hungary’s Environmental History until the Modern Ages) by Lajos Rácz and “A levegő megismerésének története” (The History of Our Knowledge about the Air) by Ernő Mészáros. In his introductory study defining the guiding principles of the series Glatz outlines the aim of pursuing this new field of research, i.e. natural history, and the new type of professional skills required.

„We work for the country”

February 21, 2009
The Reform Alliance established by the participation of representatives of the Hungarian economic and scientific life, outlined its proposals for easing the impact of the world economic crisis in a press conference. The programmes of the Reform Alliance were elaborated by three working groups, led by Prof László Békesi and Prof Attila Chikán and Péter Oszkó, president and director general of Deloitte Zrt. The proposals were discussed with participation of ministers of finances and economics of governments ruling before 2002 and governors of the central bank. The proposals were approved by managing directors and members of the Reform Alliance, including former and present presidents of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. In his comments Ferenc Glatz underlined the principle that the alliance works neither for the government nor for the opposition but for the country. As a potential result of the work of the Reform Alliance with regard to political culture he pointed out that the currently applied technique of making economic promises and groundless allotments could be eliminated from the rhetoric of political elections.

À la Carte – the responsibility of spoken words

February 19, 2009
In the weekly TV-series À la Carte, broadcasted by the Hungarian Television, six well-known personalities of Hungarian public life are invited to gather around a dinner table with delicious dishes and good wine in order to discuss a topical issue. On February 19 the guests of the programme were besides Ferenc Glatz, member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the actress Erika Pápai, the author Réka Divinyi, Father Imre Kozma, head of the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service, Attila Simon, General Director of the Herend Porcelain Manufacturing Ltd., and László Lukács, lead singer of the Hungarian rock band Tankcsapda. The six guests of this week’s programme exchanged their views on outspokenness, the power of spoken words and the responsibility of the speaker, emphasising the role of the media and politicians in drawing attention to positive examples.

Sustainable development in rural areas

February 18, 2009
Ferenc Glatz met Erzsébet Schmuck, the secretary of the Hungarian National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD) in the building of the Hungarian Parliament. The aim of the meeting was to define the possible areas of cooperation between NCSD and the Hungarian National Rural Network, to draft a respective agreement of cooperation, and to appoint the representatives of the partners. The two organizations plan to organize a joint conference to be held in the second half of the year entitled ’Sustainability and Regionality’.

Joint Civilian initiatives for improvement

February 18, 2009
The weekly magazine Magyar Mezőgazdaság (Hungarian Agriculture) published an interview with Ferenc Glatz. The article outlines the aims and the actual tasks of the recently established Hungarian National Rural Network. Ferenc Glatz, the President of the network, emphasized the need for a complex rural policy programme to be adopted by the Hungarian state. He pointed out that a high-level environmental protection cannot be achieved without the refinement of agriculture.

Cooperation with the General Assembly of Bács-Kiskun County

February 17, 2009
In the course of a meeting held in Kecskemét, Gábor Bányai, President of the General Assembly of Bács-Kiskun County, informed Ferenc Glatz on the current issues of concern within the county, drawing special attention to the present state of the Sand Ridge region and the functions, as well as the potential tasks assigned to the small regions. Ferenc Glatz proposed various fields of cooperation between the General Assembly of the county and the Hungarian National Rural Network – within the framework of this cooperation a conference is scheduled for April on the current situation of desolate farms and the living conditions and prospects of the people living in them. Bálint Csatári, the Vice-President of the HNRN, would oversee and coordinate the professional programme of the conference.

Talentum Award for young researchers

February 13, 2009
This year’s Talentum Awards were given to talented young people with outstanding achievements in the fields of natural, life and social sciences and the art of dancing in the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Ferenc Glatz, former President of HAS presented the awards (involving 20 000 euros for laureates) to physicist Illés Farkas, biochemist Mihály Kovács, psychologist-linguist Ágnes Lukács and ballet dancer Levente Bajári. In his opening speech, Ferenc Glatz referred to the fact that in times of crisis, when everybody is searching for the way out, we must realise that education and research have always been the best investment. The Talentum Award helps to keep young talents on their path in making a career as researchers, and aims to prevent that the unfavourable situation of the national and European budget deters them from science.

 

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