The Hungarian Academy of Sciences [antikvár]

CHAPTER I. GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE HUNGÁRIÁN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 1. The legal status and main responsibilities of the Academy* The Hungárián Academy of Sciences (henceforward Academy) is the supreme scientific body of the Hungárián Peoplevs Republic. It cultivates all branches of science and scholarship through the activities of its members and research institutes; performs the function of guiding - at the national level - basic research in natural science, as well as those fields of social science research that are included in the state development plans (henceforward: social science research for short) . Taking part alsó in the guidance and coordination of the country s entire research and development endeavour, the Academy helps in elaborating and supervising national research plans and programs. The Academy is responsible for the research carried out in institutes under its direct leadership; promotes the coordination of research throughout the country; follows with attention and evaluates the progress being made in the sciences, with special regard to those fields that lay the foundations for future research efforts; works out forecasts, guidelines, and makes recommendations as to how the country1s scientific work can be best promoted. The supervision over the Academy* s activities is excercised by the Council of Ministers. Furthermore, the Council of Ministers in its supervisory capacity specifies the tasks incumbent on the Academy as coordinator of the country's research effort, and approves the Academy* s statutes passed by the General Assembly. The financial means necessary to the Academy*s operation are included as separate heading in the state budget. * To the better understanding of what follows in this volume it should be noted beforehand that the Academy has a double function, it acts as a corporate body or a learned society on the one hand, and as a national governmental authority on the other. The term "national (governmental) authority" refers - throughout the text - to such a body of nation-wide competence as e.g. a ministry (or department in certain count-, ries) or another governmental agency thus the alternatively used words "ministerial", "departmental" or "inter-departmental" should be understood in this sense.