Newsletter
Béla Fiser,
a personal account
My name is Béla Fiser and I am a Research Fellow and sub-unit leader at the University of Miskolc (Hungary) and Associate Professor at the Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education (Ukraine).
From October 2022, I am a Visiting Professor at the University of Lodz (Poland). I am a member of the Marie Curie Alumni Association and chair of the Hungary Chapter. I served as a secretary of the Hungary Chapter before the pandemic and joined the community in 2016 after I received my PhD in chemistry from the University of the Basque Country (Spain) where I was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Early Stage Researcher. I am a keen supporter of science communication and I believe that science is for everyone.
The 3Cs (Community, Connections, and Credibility) to focus on in the upcoming period of the Hungary Chapter.
Why did you decide to run as Chair of the Chapter?
I served as the secretary of the Hungary Chapter before the pandemic and when I learned about the elections, I felt that I had to restart my activities. I would like to work together with my fellow MCAA members to build a stronger scientific community both in Hungary and abroad.
What will be the objectives of the Chapter under your tenure?
The pandemic has seriously affected the community and trust in science has also been severely weakened. Therefore, the main objectives of the Chapter under my tenure are to rebuild the community, strengthen connections, and reinforce trust in science.
What are your plans for the development of the Chapter?
I am planning to increase the offline and online presence of the Chapter as much as possible. Hopefully, we will be able to attend various meetings and attract new members. Furthermore, a Chapter advisory board will also be created which will include former chairs and respected scientists with experience in scientific organizations. We will rely on our Advisory Board’s expertise in various aspects of the Chapter’s development.
Do you already have plans for events and activities? Can you tell us some?
For the time being, I am assessing the needs of the members and trying to gather ideas from them for different events and activities. Several concrete suggestions have been made, such as soft skill courses and team building events. Stay tuned! However, I would be more than happy to hear your suggestions as well. Feel free to contact us at hungary.chapter@mariecuriealumni.eu.
What is the role of the Chapter within the MCAA community?
The main role of the Hungary Chapter is to connect MCAA members based in Hungary. Furthermore, the Chapter also serves as a point of contact with other parts of the MCAA community.
How will you cooperate with other Chapters and Working Groups?
Fortunately, there are several Working Groups and Chapters which include members with ties to Hungary. I am planning to approach them and strengthen the cooperation between their chapters and ours. Furthermore, I would like to invite all of you who are reading this interview to contact us if you see any possibility to cooperate with our Chapter.
What would you say to members who are considering joining the Chapter?
If you think community, connections, and trust in science is important, join the Chapter and let’s work together as a team!
Béla Fiser
MCAA Hungary Chapter Chair
hungary.chapter@mariecuriealumni.eu