Distinguished Researchers to Gather in Budapest to Discuss the Vital Interconnections of Our Planet

26.02.2025

Leading experts on the dynamics and interconnectedness of Earth’s systems will take part in a two-day conference co-organised by HUN-REN and Academia Europaea in Budapest this April. The event aims to strengthen dialogue between the Earth and environmental sciences and the life sciences.

Renowned international and national researchers will participate in the scientific conference, which will be held on 24–25 April at the HUN-REN headquarters in Budapest. Co-organised by the HUN-REN Hungarian Research Network and the Academia Europaea Budapest Knowledge Hub, this interdisciplinary workshop will bring together leading scientists, experts, and stakeholders from around the world.

The event seeks to deepen interdisciplinary collaboration, create new connections, and establish a common platform to promote fundamental research, innovation, and solutions to pressing societal challenges. While the topics discussed will have global and pan-European significance, special attention will be given to the protection of the Danube Basin.

Among the distinguished speakers, Sierd Cloetingh, Senior Advisor at the HUN-REN Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science (HUN-REN EPSS) and Professor at Utrecht University, will share his expertise on Earth’s system dynamics. Pietro Sternai, Associate Professor at the University of Milan, will deliver a lecture on the interaction between geology and climate. Márta Berkesi, a researcher at HUN-REN EPSS, will explore the relationship between the deep Earth and human habitats, focusing on carbon dioxide-rich fluids. Gábor Tari, geologist at OMV, will provide insights into the current state of natural hydrogen exploration.

Tom Beer, Director of the Australian road safety engineering consultancy Safe System Solutions, will take a novel approach in examining the links between climate, wildfires, air quality, and health. Katalin Solymosi, plant biologist at ELTE and vice-director of the organizing Academia Europaea Budapest Knowledge Hub, will present the challenges of sustainable agriculture and the OneHealth concept.

Péter Hegyi, Professor from Semmelweis University and director of the Academia Europaea Budapest Knowledge Hub, will discuss the intersection of science and sustainable healthcare, reflecting on experiences in education and research. In the third and final session of the event, Balázs Gulyás, neurobiologist and President of HUN-REN, will explore the limits of healthy ageing.

The event is co-organised by the Academia Europaea Budapest Knowledge Hub, which fosters interdisciplinary scientific dialogue with a regional and European focus, promoting new collaborations and expert networks across the wider Danube region.

The detailed programme of the April event is available here.

HUN-REN aims to become one of the most effective research organisations in Europe and to contribute significantly to Hungary's social and economic success. The HUN-REN Act, effective from 1 January 2025, provides the necessary framework for HUN-REN to transform into a more responsive, collaborative, performance-oriented, and well-functioning network, ensuring the freedom of scientific research and the continuation of exploratory research, while providing multidisciplinary solutions to complex challenges affecting both national and international communities. Employees within the modernising HUN-REN can look forward to a long-term, consistent, value-driven, and performance-focused funding system, mutually reinforcing structure and operation, competitive salaries, and a predictable research career.