The volume Commemorative Medals and Plaques from the Collections of Eötvös Loránd University has been published.

The book covers more than 500 commemorative medals and plaques related to the history of Eötvös Loránd University, supplemented with rich visual material and detailed descriptions. The material, compiled from eight different collections, provides a comprehensive overview of a special part of the university's material heritage.

The collection grows chronologically from the end of the 18th century, and the variety in the number of pieces is also reflected in the thematic diversity. Commemorative medals from anniversaries and partner universities, commemorative medals from our professors, commemorative medals linked to university events and anniversaries, and commemorative medals related to the history of science together paint an exciting historical picture.

The publication is not only valuable from a numismatic and cultural history perspective, but also fills a gap for those interested in the university's past.

The volume was published by the ELTE University Library and Archives and edited by museologist Georgina Schlay.

Discover the rich world of ELTE commemorative medals and plaques!

Photos and text: Rita Balla

The ELTE– NFI FILMIO University Film Club screening and discussion series continues. We welcome university members from all ELTE faculties.

This musical road movie expresses the desire for freedom of young people trapped behind the Iron Curtain with the help of the best post-beat bands. It is often referred to as the socialist version of Easy Rider. In the film's fast-paced montages, the ZiL truck cuts through the roads like the motorcyclists in Easy Rider, and in socialism, truck driver (the position our protagonist aspires to) was one of the few jobs that allowed people to travel freely to the West, and the clothes and records smuggled home from there were considered great treasures. The Kangaroo authentically depicts the lives of young people at that time: their longing to escape from behind the Iron Curtain, their enthusiasm for Western fashion, generational conflicts, the housing shortage and slang.

István Varjú is a truck driver who transports materials to the construction site of the Paks nuclear power plant. One day, he picks up a stunning hitchhiker who is heading to Balatonboglár. Although they warm up to each other, Varjú does not want to break the rules and only takes the girl as far as Paks. However, he cannot get her out of his head and looks for the blonde hitchhiker everywhere, even though Zsozsó, a factory worker from Kőbánya who is madly in love with him, is waiting for him at home. Varjú's dream is to get on a truck and see the world. He is committed, but his relationship with Zsozsó changes his life. The Kangaroo was one of the big hits of the 1970s, seen by more than 1.8 million people in cinemas.

Date: 25 February 2026, 6 p.m.

Venue: ELTE University Library and Archives, community space (Budapest, V. Ferenciek tere 6., ground floor)

Excerpt from the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT6LSqOU284

Starring: László Gálffi, Éva Vándor, Erzsi Pásztor, János Csapó, Róbert Koltai, Dezső Füller

Our guests in the post-screening discussion will be Tamás Rozsonits, music journalist and former drummer of the band Moby Dick, and László Gálffi, Kossuth and Jászai Mari award-winning actor, distinguished artist and lifelong member of the Society of the Immortals. 

Due to limited seating, advance registration is required.

Registration: https://www.ajk.elte.hu/a-kenguru-zsombolyai-janos-filmje-1976.

The organisers welcome any correspondence regarding the film club at eltenfi.filmklub@elte.hu.

ELTE–NFI Film Club Facebook page

Clarivate is launching a special training series designed specifically for PhD students, aimed at providing practical knowledge that can be directly applied during doctoral studies. By the end of the training, participants will be able to support their research and publication activities with greater confidence.

The program is thematically structured and consists of five interrelated sessions, however, individual webinars may also be attended independently.

The series covers the following topics:

•    literature search strategies and analysis of publication trends,

•    journal selection and publication visibility,

•    interpretation of research impact and citation metrics,

•    management of researcher profiles and enhancement of visibility.

Participation is subject to registration. Recordings of the webinars will be made available to all registered participants.

Details of the first event:

Title: PhD Program: From Research Interest to Research Question

Date & time: 26 February, (Thursday), 10:00 AM–11:00 AM CET

By the end of this session, PhD candidates will be able to:

• describe the structure of the scholarly research ecosystem within their discipline,
• differentiate between broad research interests, thematic areas, and researchable questions,
• identify emerging and established research topics using bibliometric signals,
• formulate a preliminary research question grounded in existing literature trends.

Registration

2. PhD Program: Smart Literature Review and Staying Current

Date & time: 23 March, (Monday), 10:00 AM–11:00 AM CET

Registration

3. PhD Program: Managing References & Ethics

Date & time: 29 April, (Wednesday), 11:00 AM–12:00 PM CEST

Registration

4. PhD Program: Choosing Where to Publish - Journals, Metrics, and Integrity

Date & time: 26 May, (Tuesday), 11:00 AM–12:00 PM CEST

Registration

5. PhD Program: Building a Researcher Profile & Long-Term Strategy

Date & time: 23 June, (Tuesday), 11:00 AM–12:00 PM CEST

Registration

The ELTE University Library and Archives held four online information sessions in February 2026 on research data management. The aim of these events was to provide researchers, lecturers, and students with a comprehensive overview of the key aspects and best practices of managing, sharing, and archiving research data.

The presentations covered, among other topics, the research data lifecycle, FAIR data management principles, opportunities and benefits of sharing research data, as well as the support and services available at ELTE. The topic generated significant interest, with a total of approximately thirty participants attending the sessions.

The presentations and related materials are available in the ELTE Digital Institutional Repository (EDIT).

If you have any questions regarding research data management, please feel free to contact the staff of the Education and Research Support Department of ELTE University Library and Archives at oa@lib.elte.hu.

The object of the month – Gyula Bertalan: Historical map of Hungary

Gyula Bertalan was born on November 13, 1853, in Galambok. He completed his teacher training in Pécs and taught in Marcali from 1870. In 1875, he moved to the boys' school in Zsombolya (now Jimbolia, Romania), where he worked until the end of his life (March 19, 1906). He played a major role in the creation of the bust depicting Lajos Kossuth. The statue, created by Ede Kallós (1866–1950), was unveiled on June 29, 1905. The ceremony was attended by the elder son of the former governor, Ferenc Kossuth, and Gyula Bertalan gave a speech, while the choir of the civic school sang patriotic songs. The statue is no longer visible today, as it was blown up after the Serbian invasion in 1918.

Bertalan designed his educational game called Hungarian Historical Map in 1902. The express purpose of the teaching aid was to enable students to learn about the geography and history of Hungary through play, thereby stimulating the interest of less able young people. It was produced in two editions: a smaller version for children to use at home and a larger version for school use. The latter consists of a map that can be hung on the wall and stored in a lockable wooden cabinet, a secondary map for teaching purposes, 171 historical markers that can be stuck onto the map, a table, and a printed guide. The small booklet was titled Guide to the Use of the Historical Map of Hungary for Hungarian Youth, for School and Private Use, and was printed by Fanni Perlstein in Zsombolya.

Bertalan gave a lecture in 1903 at the teachers' conference in Nagybecskerek (today: Зрењанин [Zrenjanin], Serbia) on an educational game that had been included in the list of approved teaching aids as early as 1901, entitled Teaching the History of the Homeland in an Illustrative Manner. The lecture was a great success, and at the suggestion of István Kaufmann, the general assembly decided to order a copy for each branch association. In 1904, Chief Magistrate Lajos Dellimanics (1861–1922) ordered that all schools in Torontál County acquire the map.

The University Library's copy comes from the collection of historian and archivist Gyula Pauler (1841–1903) and was donated to the library by his son, Ákos Pauler (1876–1933), after his death. Over the following 120 years, its condition deteriorated significantly, and it was restored by Miklós Szalaváry in 2023. Today, it is kept among the protected documents of the University Library, in the Rariora Hungarica collection (reference number: Rar. Hung. 4165).

A digitized version of the document is available at: https://edit.elte.hu/xmlui/handle/10831/95822

Written by Márk Vrabély

ELTE has joined the Royal Society Open Access Membership Royal Society Open Access program for a one-year period, starting on 1st March 2026. Under this program, the Publisher provides a uniform 25% discount on Open Access Article Processing Charges (APCs) for authors affiliated with ELTE in eligible journals. The participating journals are as follows:

• Biology Letters

• Interface Focus

• Journal of the Royal Society Interface

• Notes and Records of the Royal Society

• Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences

• Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

• Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences

• Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

• Open Biology

• Royal Society Open Science