Professor Gábor Szabó, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for the University of Szeged, opened the press conference by offering a uniquely personal perspective – as a former student of József Attila University in Szeged and now a professor of physics at SZTE. Reflecting on the significance of Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó’s generous donation and the JATE Award she established, he began by expressing his heartfelt gratitude.
Participants at the JATE Award press conference (from left): Prof. Dr. Attila Gácser and Prof. Dr. Gábor Szabó, members of the JATE Award Committee; Dr. Judit Fendler, Chancellor of SZTE; and Márton Simon Czikkely, PhD student and recipient of the first JATE Award in the student category. Photo: István Sahin-Tóth
The University in Szeged: “The world’s best unknown university”
When members of the press asked what the secret of JATE was – and what the ‘JATE brand’ means at the University of Szeged today – Professor Gábor Szabó pointed to the institution’s unusually close-knit academic community. Before the turn of the millennium, he noted, József Attila University – one of the legal predecessors of SZTE – was smaller than the largest faculty of today’s University of Szeged. That scale helped foster a distinctive institutional culture: personal, cohesive, and rooted in a strong sense of belonging, which he experienced first-hand. As a physics student, he already knew Katalin Karikó, then studying biology; both lived in the Herman Residence Hall and, as appointed student leaders, played active roles in student life, contributing to the campus community.
Professor Gábor Szabó, physicist and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for the University of Szeged, shared anecdotes about his student years at József Attila University in Szeged and the defining qualities of the JATE brand at the press conference announcing the nomination period for the 2nd JATE Award. Photo: István Sahin-Tóth
“JATE gave us something worth remembering – something we could draw on throughout our careers,” the physicist said. At the time, there was no clear word for that ‘something.’ On this side of the Iron Curtain, the notion of a ‘brand’ was hardly part of everyday vocabulary. Later, especially when speaking to international audiences, Gábor Szabó would often describe his alma mater – and later his workplace – as “the world’s best unknown university.” For him, the phrase was more than a witty label. “I emphasize this because even today, SZTE’s international reputation does not fully reflect the university’s true level of excellence,” he added.
When asked what made JATE a “good university” – and why SZTE could still be described in these terms – Professor Szabó pointed first to academic excellence. “Even then, it was clear that JATE was home to world-renowned mathematicians and chemists,” he recalled.
Another striking example of academic excellence was the library of the Bolyai Institute, home to the journal Acta Scientiarum Mathematicarum, which has been published since 1922, following the relocation of the Hungarian university from Cluj to Szeged. Even during the socialist era, the journal was held in such high international regard that partner institutions effectively ‘paid’ for it in foreign currency – through exchanges of prestigious journals and books – first with JATE and later with SZTE.
A simpler way to nominate
The nomination period for the second JATE Award opened on April 16, 2026, and will run until September 8, 2026. Details of the process were presented at a press conference by Professor Attila Gácser, head of SZTE’s Institute of Biology and a member of the JATE Award Committee.
This year, the nomination process has been further simplified. Candidates may be nominated by members of the University of Szeged and its predecessor institution, JATE – including current and former students, faculty members, and researchers.
“Last year, more than 200 nominations were submitted for 115 candidates,” Professor Gácser said. This year, the JATE Award Committee once again invites thoughtful, well-prepared nominations that clearly present the achievements and merits of the nominees.
JATE Award Committee member Prof. Dr. Attila Gácser noted that he had discussed the details of the nomination process by phone with the award’s founder and committee chair, Nobel laureate Prof. Dr. Katalin Karikó of SZTE, shortly before the press conference announcing the opening of nominations for the second JATE Award. Photo: István Sahin-Tóth
Professor Gácser also emphasized that the JATE Award is open to the international community. In 2025, nominations were received from abroad, including submissions in English. “This year, we would be delighted to receive even more,” he said. (Information about the award is also available in English on the JATE Award page of the SZTE website.)
The prestigious award is presented in three categories. The student category is open to nominees who hold active student status at the university both at the time of nomination and at the time the decision is made. Faculty members and researchers may also be nominated, provided they are full-time employees of SZTE at both stages of the process. The alumni category recognizes former students, faculty members, and researchers of SZTE or its predecessor institution, JATE.
Across all three categories, nominations should clearly present the nominee’s achievements and personal merits – whether outstanding scientific performance, service to the community, or qualities that reflect the spirit of the University of Szeged.
The nomination period for the second JATE Award closes at midnight on September 8, 2026. The Award Committee will then review and evaluate the nominations, and the recipients will be announced on October 12, 2026, Professor Gácser said in closing.
In each of the three categories, the JATE Award includes a monetary prize of USD 5,000, a unique artwork capturing the spirit of the award, and a decorative certificate of honor (inscribed in Hungarian).
The phone call: A moment that can open doors
Márton Simon Czikkely, researcher and physician, PhD student, and one of the first recipients of the JATE Award, recalled the anticipation and shared excitement surrounding last year’s nomination period.
“I can already feel the excitement building again,” he said. “I am looking forward to the energy that comes with the JATE Award nomination period – and to October, when the recipients are announced. There is something truly special about seeing an entire university community preparing together: institute heads and groups of students discussing whom to nominate, what they have heard about the award, and what the nomination process means.”
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Márton Simon Czikkely, recipient of the first JATE Award in the student category, noted that the first sign someone may be under consideration for the award – founded from Katalin Karikó’s Nobel Prize funds – is when they are discreetly asked for the personal details required for the nomination form. Photo: István Sahin-Tóth
For Czikkely, receiving the award became unforgettable in a deeply personal way. “It was a fantastic feeling and an unforgettable experience to be among the first recipients. So my first piece of advice is this: in early October, make sure to answer phone calls from the United States,” he said, drawing smiles from the audience. He recalled that he had initially ignored an unknown international call, only to take a closer look, notice that the number was from Philadelphia, and answer when it rang again. “When I realized it was Katalin Karikó calling, I was stunned. I did not even know what to say or how to express my gratitude that she considered me worthy of the JATE Award. Several of my colleagues witnessed my confusion.”
That personal call from the Nobel laureate – followed by further conversations and mentoring advice – gave the young researcher a clear sense of what Professor Karikó’s dedicated support for the JATE Award and its recipients truly means.
That support has already opened remarkable doors for Márton Czikkely. “It is thanks to Katalin Karikó and the JATE Award that I was included in Forbes magazine’s ‘30 Successful Hungarians Under 30’ list in February 2026,” he said. “That is the kind of extraordinary opportunity the award can create. For students and early-career researchers, this matters enormously, because at the beginning of a scientific career, recommendations can make all the difference.”
“Scientific achievement matters, but in the case of the JATE Award, it is only the starting point,” said Márton Simon Czikkely. “What matters just as much is social responsibility and a commitment to community building – the qualities at the heart of the JATE brand.”
The young researcher noted that the COVID-19 pandemic weakened many communities, making this mission even more meaningful. Professor Karikó, he added, has made it almost a personal priority for awardees to connect with one another, build relationships, and support each other.
With the JATE Award, a new tradition is taking shape in Szeged – often referred to as the “capital of science.” The foundation of this tradition lies in Katalin Karikó’s decision to donate the more than USD 500,000 monetary prize associated with her 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to her alma mater, establishing an award that carries both personal significance and long-term promise. In 2026, the next JATE Award recipients will be presented this special recognition on November 14 at the JATE Award Gala, held as part of SZTE’s Day of the University celebrations.
Original Hungarian article by Ilona Újszászi
Photos by István Sahin-Tóth
