The University of Szeged is kicking off the new year with a Nobel-themed program featuring a quiz game and a joint celebration honoring two January-born alumni of József Attila University (JATE), the institution’s predecessor: scientist Katalin Karikó and writer László Krasznahorkai – both internationally renowned figures who have received the world’s most prestigious awards in their respective fields. The highlight of the program will be a presentation entitled “The Nobel Prize and What Lies Behind It,” to be held from 5:00 p.m. on January 20, 2026, at the Somogyi Károly City and County Library in Szeged.
From the Americas to Europe and Africa
“Science is the art of perseverance.” Guided by this motto, Katalin Karikó highlighted the experiences of her life journey for her audience at the John von Neumann University of Kecskemét. The interactive public meeting was made especially memorable by the University of Szeged’s exhibition. Photo: István Sahin-Tóth
Over the past two years, Katalin Karikó has shared the story of her path to the Nobel Prize with audiences around the world, speaking at both scientific conferences and public forums. Yet this remarkable journey began long before global recognition. It was shaped by years of sustained research, professional resilience, and a long-standing commitment to advancing biomedical science, often in the absence of immediate acknowledgment.
In 2025, Katalin Karikó, Nobel Prize-winning professor of the University of Szeged, once again met with participants of the Szent-Györgyi Academic Competition, a multidisciplinary challenge in the natural sciences that also places a strong emphasis on creativity. Preparation for the contest, the application process, and the competition itself effectively serve as training for a research career.
On the occasion of her birthday, the University of Szeged is honoring its distinguished alumna and professor with a quiz game and a special presentation dedicated to the Nobel Prize. The quiz – featuring 17 + 1 questions – is open to all members of the University community, who may participate in either Hungarian or English by responding to an online invitation. Through its questions and answers, the game highlights defining moments, influential figures, and memorable stories from Professor Karikó’s life and career, while also promoting scientific research and encouraging broader interest in science. Even after receiving the Nobel Prize, Katalin Karikó remains deeply committed to uncovering the secrets of messenger RNA. Working closely with her colleagues and mentees, she continues to pursue new therapeutic approaches for diseases that are currently incurable.
After a motivating lecture by Katalin Karikó at the Berlin Falling Walls Science Summit, participants showered the stage with red roses, applauding and cheering. Hungary’s first female Nobel Prize-winning researcher was celebrated with the enthusiasm usually reserved for film stars. Photo: István Sahin-Tóth
While Professor Karikó now accepts only a limited number of invitations, during the 2025–2026 academic year she delivered online presentations at leading universities in two African countries as well as in the United States and met audiences in four European countries. Blending personal reflections with scientific presentations, she offered rare insight into the world of laboratory research – from Rabat and Algiers to Berlin, Belgrade, Milan, Szeged, and Budapest.
As a biologist, Katalin Karikó has spoken about learning and research in lectures spanning from Szeged through Berlin to Rabat.
The Nobel Prize and what lies behind it
Through her philanthropy and professional networks, Katalin Karikó has continued to strengthen and enrich the SZTE–JATE legacy. Following the ceremony for the first JATE Award – which she established using the prize money accompanying her 2023 Nobel Prize – Professor Karikó also met in person with writer László Krasznahorkai, recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature. Their symbolic handshake drew international attention to the University in Szeged, where both scholars began their university studies in 1973 and from which they have since emerged as Nobel laureates recognized worldwide.
Among the students who began their studies in 1973 at the József Attila University in Szeged were Katalin Karikó and László Krasznahorkai, whose outstanding achievements have since been recognized with Nobel Prizes. Photo: Olivér Sin / Embassy of Sweden
Adrien Müller, Hungary’s former Ambassador to Sweden and a former law student of JATE, will deliver a lecture honoring her alma mater’s two Nobel laureates – mRNA researcher Katalin Karikó and writer László Krasznahorkai. Photo Courtesy of A.M.
Titled “The Nobel Prize and What Lies Behind It,” the presentation will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, in the upstairs reading room of the Somogyi Károly City and County Library. Recently returning from Stockholm, Adrien Müller draws on extensive first-hand experience: during her tenure as ambassador, she attended the Nobel Prize award ceremony on several occasions and, in 2023, assisted two Hungarian Nobel laureates – Katalin Karikó and Ferenc Krausz – during the award ceremonies and related events in the Swedish capital.
An additional coincidence is that the hometown of Adrien Müller, Gyula, is also the birthplace of Hungary’s most recent Nobel laureate in literature, László Krasznahorkai. As a result, Adrien Müller’s professional career and personal memories are intertwined with some of the rarest moments a Hungarian person could ever witness. At the event jointly organized by the University of Szeged and the Somogyi Károly City and County Library, members of the audience will have the opportunity to explore these stories and moments up close.
Let’s celebrate together!
At the Somogyi Károly City and County Library, the University of Szeged will evoke the world of honors received by Katalin Karikó through a roll-up exhibition complemented by personal reflections. Visitors are invited to join the series of events on January 20, 2026, and gain rare behind-the-scenes insight into the Nobel Prize.
The University of Szeged community is celebrating its Nobel Prize-winning alumni, mRNA researcher Katalin Karikó and writer László Krasznahorkai, through a series of events ranging from games and lectures to exhibitions and festive flag displays. Photo: Ádám Kovács-Jerney
The University of Szeged will also mark the January birthdays of two alumni of József Attila University – Katalin Karikó and László Krasznahorkai – with a special quiz, adding a festive note to the everyday rhythm of the month. Members of the University community are invited to take part in the intellectual challenge celebrating the Nobel laureates; at the conclusion of the quiz, the University’s Directorate for International Affairs and Public Relations will raffle prizes among participants.
The celebration of students selected through the Szeged Academic Committee’s competitive call was made even more memorable by the presence of Katalin Karikó. Photo: István Sahin-Tóth
Visitors are also encouraged to explore the University of Szeged’s permanent exhibition, “Katalin Karikó’s Journey to the Nobel Prize and Beyond,” at the József Attila Study and Information Center (TIK). Alongside Karikó’s Nobel medal and several of her other awards, the exhibition presents objects associated with other outstanding figures of the University, including Nobel laureate Albert Szent-Györgyi and poet Miklós Radnóti, who studied literature in Szeged. Discover the history of the University – and join in celebrating the Szeged universitas, a community shaped by Nobel-level achievements.
At the first JATE Award ceremony, Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó, founder of the award (center), joined members of the centenary Szeged University Choir for a group photograph. Photo: István Sahin-Tóth
Source: SZTEinfo
Photos: Ádám Kovács-Jerney, István Sahin-Tóth
