Hungarian Academy of Sciences

The Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, MTA) is the most important and prestigious learned society of Hungary. Its seat is at the bank of the Danube in Budapest, between Széchenyi rakpart and Akadémia utca. Its main responsibilities are the cultivation of science, dissemination of scientific findings, supporting research and development, and representing Hungarian science domestically and around the world.

History
The history of the academy began in 1825 when Count István Széchenyi offered one year's income of his estate for the purposes of a Learned Society at a district session of the Diet in Pressburg (Pozsony, present Bratislava, seat of the Hungarian Parliament at the time), and his example was followed by other delegates. Its task was specified as the development of the Hungarian language and the study and propagation of the sciences and the arts in Hungarian. It received its current name in 1845.

Its central building was inaugurated in 1865, in Renaissance Revival architecture style. The architect was Friedrich August Stüler.

Sections
A scientific section is a unit of the Academy organized by one or some closely related branches of science. A scientific section follows with attention, promotes and evaluates all scientific activities conducted within its field(s) of science; takes a stand on scientific issues as well as in matters concerning science policy and research organization, submits opinion on the activities of the Academy's research institutes, and on those of university chairs and other research units that are supported by the Academy, and participates in the procedure of awarding the title of Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the post-Ph.D academic degree, the D.Sc degree in Hungary.

Today it has eleven main sections:
 * 1) Linguistics and Literary Scholarship
 * 2) Philosophy and Historical Sciences
 * 3) Mathematics
 * 4) Agricultural Sciences
 * 5) Medical Sciences
 * 6) Engineering Sciences
 * 7) Chemical Sciences
 * 8) Biological Sciences
 * 9) Economics and Law
 * 10) Earth Sciences
 * 11) Physical Sciences

Research institutes until 2019

 * MTA Centre for Agricultural Research
 * MTA Chemical Research Center
 * MTA Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences (involved with Konkoly Observatory)
 * MTA Szeged Research Centre for Biology
 * MTA Centre for Ecological Research
 * MTA Research Centre for Economic and Regional Studies
 * MTA Centre for Energy Research
 * MTA Research Centre for the Humanities
 * MTA Research Institute for Linguistics
 * MTA Rényi Institute of Mathematics
 * MTA Institute of Experimental Medicine
 * MTA Research Centre for Natural Sciences
 * MTA Institute of Nuclear Research
 * MTA Wigner Research Centre for Physics
 * MTA Centre for Social Sciences

Széchenyi Academy of Literature and Arts
The Széchenyi Academy of Literature and Arts (Széchenyi Irodalmi és Művészeti Akadémia) was created in 1992 as an academy associated yet independent from the MTA. Some of the known members are György Konrád, Magda Szabó, Péter Nádas writers, Zoltán Kocsis pianist, Miklós Jancsó, István Szabó film directors. The last president was Károly Makk, film director, who succeeded László Dobszay (resigned on 20 April 2011 ).