The JATE Award honors individuals whose exceptional achievements and personal qualities reflect the spirit of the University of Szeged. The call for nominations for this special distinction remains open until September 8, 2025. Established from the Nobel Prize funds of Katalin Karikó, the award includes a USD 5,000 cash prize, an original artwork, and a decorative certificate, with nominations playing a pivotal role in celebrating excellence.
You, too, can help shape the legacy of the JATE Award by nominating individuals whose achievements and character embody the spirit of the University of Szeged. Nominations may be submitted via the official form on the University’s website until September 8, 2025.
Among the wide array of distinctions, the JATE Award holds a unique place, as it was founded by Katalin Karikó, Professor at the University of Szeged, using the prize money she received with her Nobel Prize – the world’s most renowned and prestigious scientific honor.
In the context of the JATE Award, the concept of “excellence” may be defined in a variety of ways – as seen in outstanding achievement in science, education, community engagement, or the demonstration of exemplary human qualities.
Who can be nominated?
Nominees may be:
- current University of Szeged (SZTE) students who hold active student status at the time of both nomination and selection;
- current SZTE lecturers or researchers who are employed full-time by the University at the time of both nomination and selection;
- former students, lecturers, or researchers of SZTE or its legal predecessor, József Attila University (JATE).
What does the JATE Award represent in value?
Each JATE Award includes a cash prize of USD 5,000, an original artwork, and a decorative certificate. The award’s symbolic value is further enhanced by the fact that the certificate is designed by distinguished visual artists, and the accompanying artwork is created to represent the ideals embodied the JATE Award. Thanks to the endowment from Katalin Karikó, a total of 99 individuals will receive the JATE Award over the next 33 years, through to 2058.
The JATE legacy
The name JATE is an acronym for József Attila Tudományegyetem (József Attila University), an official name held by the University of Szeged for a significant period in its history. Since the relocation of the university formerly based in Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár) to Szeged in 1921, the institution was known as József Attila University for roughly one-third of the past century. Between 1962 and 1999, the University operated with three faculties, becoming a hallmark of excellence in higher education, scientific research, and student life. The JATE Award draws on this legacy, ensuring JATE remains both a lasting symbol and a distinctive new honor in higher education.
The JATE Award’s symbolism
The visual artists who designed the award drew inspiration from the coat of arms of the University of Szeged, focusing on the griffin – a symbol long regarded as the guardian of knowledge, intellectual heritage, and freedom. This mythical creature, with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, carries a torch that brings the light of science and dispels the darkness of ignorance. The artists reduced the forms of both the torch and the griffin to their purest essence, then merged them within a new visual language of circularity.
“For me, the domed stone carved from Tardos red marble expresses a stable foundation – such as the role of teachers – while the concave glass element, with its transparency, represents infinite possibilities,” explained Katalin Karikó, recalling why she recognized the spirit of the JATE Award in Eszter Hanko’s design.
The inaugural JATE Award Gala will be held in conjunction with the University Day celebrations at the University of Szeged.
Further details about this distinguished honor can be found here.
Original Hungarian text by SZTEinfo
Feature image courtesy of the Directorate for International and Public Relations
