HUN-REN Leadership Meets Singapore’s NRF Chairman Heng Swee Keat to Discuss Research, Innovation and Enterprise Partnerships with Singapore 

During the discussion, President Gulyás shared more about HUN-REN’s growing collaborations with the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, including joint symposia and seed-grant initiatives that foster researcher mobility and cross-disciplinary partnerships. He also outlined Hungary’s overarching R&D direction under the John von Neumann Programme, noting its focus on advancing AI, health and longevity research, sustainability, and space science — areas that closely align with Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) Plan. 

Chairman Heng noted the developments in Hungary’s research landscape and asked about the structure and cooperation between Hungarian universities and research institutes. He also reflected on Singapore’s progress in AI, and shared about the SG100K initiative, under the National Precision Medicine programme, which creates a comprehensive, multi-ethnic database with genome, lifestyle, and health outcome data from 100,000 Singaporeans. 

The meeting further explored shared priorities in addressing ageing societies, AI and robotics in healthcare, and the future of work. Both sides recognised that HUN-REN’s Healthy Living and Singapore’s Healthy SG initiatives are closely aligned in their mission to enhance quality of life through innovation, technology, and responsible research practices. 

CEO Jakab introduced HUN-REN’s AI4Impact and AI1Science programmes, outlining the organisation’s efforts to advance AI-first methodologies that accelerate scientific discovery, develop AI service platforms for researchers, and strengthen innovation capacity across scientific communities. He also highlighted trustworthy and sustainable machine learning as a key independent research focus within HUN-REN’s AI strategy. 

Both parties also discussed the importance of nurturing young talent and facilitating researcher exchanges. Chairman Heng noted the role of the Global Young Scientists Summit in promoting youth engagement, while President Gulyás highlighted HUN-REN’s commitment to encouraging Hungarian participation and supporting young scientists’ visibility on international platforms. 

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to advancing long-term cooperation built on complementary strengths and shared strategic values, linking Europe and Asia through research excellence. Both sides reaffirmed their interest in aligning national efforts to jointly address global challenges in AI, sustainability, healthcare, and the future of work. President Gulyás also extended invitations to Chairman Heng and Singaporean partners to participate in HUN-REN’s upcoming AI Symposium in May 2026.