Events

On Monday, 29 April 2024, the first professional meeting of the Research Excellence Programme (REP), the Spring Workshop took place at the MATE Buda Campus with inspiring presentations and visiting the sights of the Buda campus. 

Sixty-seven research excellences from REP 2024 were invited to the event. After registration and refreshments, the event was opened by Dr. Zoltán Kovács, Programme Manager and Head of Research Strategy. After presenting the results and lessons learned from last year's pilot programme, he outlined the details of the REP 2024 programme, including its schedule with dates and venues. Dr. Anna Mária Csergő, research advisor, presented the planned topics for the future professional events of the programme (Discussion of MATE's research strategy, Presentation of the European Union's missions, Outstanding research workshops at MATE, Women in agricultural sciences, Funding opportunities, Research frontiers), and then encouraged the participants to write down their ideas on post-its, so that the REP team can tailor the professional content of the upcoming events to the common interests and development needs of researchers. Other topics discussed included support for research career development, science communication, including increasing international visibility, and possible career paths for researchers following successful completion of the REP.   

The opening ceremony was followed by a series of professional presentations, during which five researchers who have already benefited from the Research Excellence Programme 2023 pilot provided insights into their work. In the first part, Dr Sándor Keszthelyi presented on the ecology and damage of pests of winter oilseed rape and Dr Mihály Jancsó on the study of plants resistant to environmental stresses. This was followed by a coffee break with informal discussion. After this Dr. Károly Penksza Károly talked about endemic turfgrasses surviving in a changing climate and their economic importance, and Dr Árpád Ferincz spoke about the changes in the fish population of Lake Velence and the possibilities of fish farming. Closing the professional part, Dr László Zsidai talked about the effects of inequalities in the material, different additives and recycling on mechanical and wear properties during 3D printing. 

In the last part of the event, participants had the opportunity to discover some of the attractions of the Buda Campus. They could choose between a guided tour of the Buda Arboretum led by Dr. Péter Honfi or a visit of the four laboratories of the Institute of Food Science and Technology rotating in small groups. The sensory laboratory was presented by Dr. Attila Gere, the semi-industrial laboratory for distilling “pálinka” was introduced by Dr. Szilárd Kun, the semi-industrial laboratory for brewing was presented by Dr. Gabriella Kun-Farkas, and a sorting robot used in education and R&D projects was presented by Dr. Zoltán Gillay. 

After the eventful meeting, the excellent researchers of the REP 2024 will be able to continue their work with new knowledge and professional contacts.