Hungary

Impact of Covid-19 on the Hungarian Academic Job Market in the Social Sciences and Humanities

Currently, Hungarian academic work is affected by the Covid-19 crisis.

Some universities are not hiring new staff for the time being. In the future, it can be anticipated that the conditions of new academic staff will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

Responses adopted by the Government and the National Funding Agency

• National Research, Development, and Innovation Office
  The calls and funds of the National Research, Development, and Innovation Office,  Széchenyi 2020 RDI, Horizon 2020 and other joint programmes continued during this period. A useful page for the updated situation of the calls is:
  https://nkfih.gov.hu/english-2017/news-and-events/calls-and-funding-news;
  https://nkfih.gov.hu/for-the-applicants/customer-services#hotline
  
  In relation to the pandemic caused by Covid-19, the projects funded by the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund were extended with a period equal to the period of the state of emergency.
  https://nkfih.gov.hu/english/news-of-the-office/notice-in-relation-to-the-pandemic

Responses adopted by the Universities

• University of Szeged
  The University of Szeged decided that no employment relationship (public service employment, regular employment, service contract, volunteer contract) may be established at the Universtiy of Szeged from 18 March 2020 until further notice. In exceptional cases, in order to ensure the basic operation of the University, or given the current state of emergency and paying close attention to the performance of its duties in relation to the virus, the Coronavirus Operative Committee may authorize the establishment of employment relationships.
  https://u-szeged.hu/news-and-events/2020/update-17th-march-2020-200318-1?objectParentFolderId=51337
  Employees facing significant difficulties or an increased risk in going to work, can be recommended  by their superiors to work remotely.
  
  
• Institute for Advanced Studies, CEU
  Even though the Central European University will be moving to Vienna next year, the Institute for Advanced studies will stay in Budapest in 2021/2022. The call for Junior and Senior Core Fellowships for 2021/2022 is open. The Institute for Advanced Study is selecting 15 fellows this year. The deadline was 1 August 2020. More information here: https://ias.ceu.edu/calls-fellowship-applications-ias-ceu