Where you find yourself! How to introduce secondary school students to real science? The Hungarian Research Student Movement by Katalin Sulyok President of the Hungarian Research Student Associaton

Where you find yourself! History, main goals In 1995 an unprecedented initiative has been launched by Prof. Peter Csermely It provides research facilities for talented and motivated high school students below 21 Mentorship program: more than 700 scientists who involve students in their own research (118 members of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences) We publish a book containing the list of our mentors the students can choose research topic from 3000 keywords (from abortion to X-ray microanalysis)

Where you find yourself! How does it work? Student finds the movement and answers to two questions: Why does he like science? Why is he better than others? Receives the mentor list and makes contact with his mentor individually research conference 2. screen 1. screen

Where you find yourself! Talent recruitment Students can find us on the website, on posters or in media Offer each other this possibility Among high school teachers there are approx. 700 who are committed to talent recruitment, they inform the outstanding students about the Movement or lead research groups in the secondary schools

Where you find yourself! boys : girls 50% : 50% Students Mentors men : women 80% : 20%

Where you find yourself!

Where you find yourself! Annual programs All programs are free of charge for the students (try to help the underpriviliged) 1.National Conference for Research Students 2.National Summer Scientific Camp 3.Essay competition

Where you find yourself! 1. National Conference of Research Students The 6 regional conferences’ best students can participate The opening ceremony More than 120 lecturers in various sections (biochemistry, history, genetics, mathematics)

Where you find yourself! Noted scientists make the jury who evaluate the performances Student lecturer

Where you find yourself! 2. Summer Science Camp Informal discussion with the invited scientists Funny events, game

Where you find yourself! Why is it successful? It’s real science, the joy of research The students are treated as equal partners Useful experiences Social network: the future’s scientist, leaders can get to know each other in young age They can make real friends (loyal to our motto) Voluntary system, the selection is based on motivation We have no strict age limit Self-organizing system: the students can get experience about managing

Where you find yourself! Worldwide Talent-support Network Network of Youth Excellence ( Members are initiatives that ensure research possibilities for students below Full Members and numerous Partners Promoting cooperation, students exchanges among members 3 member Executive Board makes decisions and coordinate common activities Our Movement fulfils the Secretariat during this period

Where you find yourself! Where you find yourself! Our foreign relations Within the framework of the NYEX our best students can take part in foreign science camps (Croatia, Germany, Ireland etc) Every year the best Hungarian research student can participate in the Nobel-prize ceremony, Stockholm Eszter Végh with the Sweden Prince

Where you find yourself! The Research Student Foundation manages finances such as the annual budget of the Association the financial decisions are made by the 4 member student presidency maintains an office with 3 full-time coordinators international organizations (e.g. NATO, UNESCO, FEBS) and Hungarian firms support us

Where you find yourself! Our achievments The initiative gained an overwhelmingly positive response from the scientific community During the last 10 years 5000 students began scientific research due to the Movement As an acknowledgement of our initiative the movement received the Descartes Award from the EU in 2004 Our patrons are: László Sólyom, Szilveszter E. Vízi and István Hiller

Where you find yourself! Thank you for your attention!