Another reason to come to a Hungarian university: sustainability

Sustainability features in 50 courses, mainly in engineering and agricultural studies, of 50 Hungarian universities, the state secretary for innovation and higher education said at the Planet Budapest 2023 Sustainability Expo on Saturday.

Attending a roundtable discussion along with Katalin Czippán, member of the Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO, Balázs Hankó said the mission of universities is to be future-compatible. “If we want to shape the future at universities,” then the students should be able to act, should be able to shape the future. “Our students should be able to move the world in a good direction, and this only works if we are sustainable,” Hankó said.

In the spirit of sustainability, researchers at Hungarian universities are working on the replacement of PET bottles and paper, among other projects, the state secretary said.

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Hankó said a paradigm shift was necessary in research, where the previous view distinguishing between basic and applied research was now outdated. Currently all research responds to real social and economic challenges, he said, adding that this is why they have reorganised Hungary’s research network.

Hankó highlighted the János Neumann Programme launched this year, which focuses on green transition as one of its most important areas. Of the research and development tenders worth 35 billion forints (EUR 92m) that have just been announced, 10 billion forints will be spent on tenders promoting green transition, he said.