The primary goal of the Szeged Scientists Academy is to provide world class scientific training for students at University of Szeged and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Biological Research Centre. The Academy actively propels scientifically ambitious students towards hands-on research in the best research laboratories. The Academy is an elitist establishment having cutting edge research as reference and setting scientific excellence as the ultimate goal to be pursued for its Students and Mentors. At the same time, SzSA is not intended to support the cultivation of science on an average level or to promote studies that are part of university education. SzSA training effectively supplements university studies and the Academy wants to see the University’s recognition of the time spent in the Mentors’ laboratory as credit points.
Conceptually, education through the Academy serves long term guidance for students starting as university novices and finishing as fully independent research group leaders capable of attracting resources at the highest national and European level (e.g. Momentum grantees of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences or ERC String grantees of the EU). To this aim the Academy provides a competitive scholarship exceeding any publicly founded alternatives during career stages from undergraduate years through doctoral studies until junior/senior postdoctoral training.
The decision about getting in or dropping out of the training program of the Szeged Scientists Academy - let it be a Student or Mentor – is made by the Education Committee of the Foundation for the Future of Biomedical Sciences in Szeged. A Junior mentor is nominated by a Mentor and has to be approved by the Deputy director of university education.
Presentation of Dr. Zoltán Rakonczay, Deputy director of university education, 2014