Since 2008, the €1.2 million Hungarian scholarship fund of the EEA and Norway Grants 2004-09 has provided grants to young Hungarian academics who wish to conduct postdoctoral research at a higher educational institution in Hungary, in order to prevent a situation where young researchers leave the country for better financial prospects abroad.
The fund is set to end in spring 2011 and the final round of scholarships was offered to researchers in November during the Hungarian Festival of Science. At a ceremony taking place at the University of Miskolc on 18 November, 17 young researchers were awarded scholarships. The event was attended by Norway’s Ambassador to Hungary, Siri Ellen Sletner, Head of Department at the Ministry of National Resources, Dr. Béla Kardon, and the president of the Higher Educational Public Foundation, Dr. Csaba Pleh.
In her speech, Ambassador Sletner stressed the importance of higher education and research for a state’s welfare and economy. “At the same time, education and research also make invaluable contributions to self-understanding, culture and society's general level of knowledge. This makes universities, university colleges and research institutes key institutions in our knowledge society”, the Ambassador said.
After three calls for applications and 300 applicants, a total of 54 researchers have been awarded support.
Photo: Norway’s Ambassador to Hungary, Siri Ellen Sletner, hands over the scholarship certificate to one of the 17 scholarship winners at the award ceremony on 18 November 2010. The picture is taken by Guri Merete Smenes / NMFA.