United Nations University May Be Added a Hungarian Center

The decision to establish the planned research institute was made jointly by the Rector's Council of the United Nations University (UNU) and the Hungarian government, at the initiative of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Kőszeg (iASK), NW Hungary.

The UNU began operating in 1975 with its headquarters in Tokyo. The institutions of the United Nations University operate as independent legal entities with complete academic freedom. The institute will be the 14th member of the global research and education network and the first to be established in Hungary from the former Eastern Bloc. The best-known European UNU institutes operate in Bonn, Bologna, Bruges, Maastricht, and Helsinki.

The Kőszeg knowledge center to be established will deal with extremely topical and under-researched issues: the causes of war, the new conditions for lasting peace, human security, and the interactions and hidden connections between transformative technologies (artificial intelligence, biotechnology, nanotechnology, neurotechnology). It seeks new solutions to the challenges of global transformations — geopolitical conflicts, migration, climate change, social and institutional sustainability. It strives to apply new knowledge with a focus on local social needs, involving international researchers and knowledge centers.

This success is the result of four years of preparatory work. During this time, iASK not only provided professional background and an international research network, but also laid the infrastructural foundations for its operation through the new urban development strategy (KRAFT) program. The scientific and professional standards of iASK, its existing multidisciplinary research portfolio, and its regional development experience provide a strong foundation and guarantees for successful implementation.

"We want to create an institution that attempts to address this complexity and build a bridge between universities, establishing a two-way cooperation structure. This is the university of the future, represented by UNU," Dr. Ferenc Miszlivetz, Director-General of iASK, said. He added at the press conference that the United Nations University is not a traditional higher education institution, but rather an institutional system that conducts research in all areas of science that can be translated into policy recommendations, in addition to offering postgraduate and PhD programs.

The Director-General also emphasized that "we are creating an international scientific environment that is highly attractive not only to the UNU but also to other foreign partners. "The fact that a United Nations University is planned to be established here is a huge success for the institute, the city of Kőszeg, and Hungary," Dr. Ferenc Miszlivetz said .

Following parliamentary approval, negotiations will be concluded in the near future and the first UN University institute in Central and Eastern Europe will be established in Kőszeg, as the 14th member of the global UNU network. With its excellent infrastructure and environmental conditions, Kőszeg is a traditional school town located along the border that once separated the West and the East, in the immediate vicinity of Vienna, the city of the United Nations, and surrounded by Central European capitals. Therefore, it meets the requirements of a globally focused research and educational institution both practically and symbolically. The unfolding exchange of ideas will continue at the KRAFT conference between September 17 and 19.