According to a prime ministerial decree published in the Hungarian Gazette, a new United Nations (UN) institute may be established in Kőszeg, and the prime minister has asked Balázs Hankó, Minister of Culture and Innovation, and Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to prepare for its establishment.The decision to establish the planned research institute was made jointly by the Rector’s Council of the United Nations University (UNU) and the Government of Hungary, at the initiative of the Institute of Advanced Studies Kőszeg (iASK). The UNU began operating in 1975 with its headquarters in Tokyo. The institutions of the United Nations University operate as independent legal entities with full academic freedom. The institute will be the 14th member of the global research and education network and the first to be established in Hungary from the former Eastern Bloc. The best-known European UNU institutes are located in Bonn, Bologna, Bruges, Maastricht, and Helsinki.

The knowledge center in Kőszeg, which is currently being established, will address highly topical and under-researched issues: the causes of war, the new conditions for lasting peace, human security, and the interactions and hidden connections between transformative technologies (artificial intelligence, biotechnology, nanotechnology, neurotechnology). It seeks new solutions to the challenges of global transformations, geopolitical conflicts, migration, climate change, social and institutional sustainability. It strives to apply new knowledge with a focus on local social needs, involving international researchers and knowledge centers.

This success is the result of four years of preparatory work. During this time, iASK not only provided professional background and an international research network but also laid the infrastructural foundations for its operation through the KRAFT program. The scientific and professional standards of iASK, its existing multidisciplinary research portfolio, and its regional development experience provide a strong foundation and guarantees for successful implementation.

Following parliamentary approval, negotiations will be concluded in the near future and the first UN University institute in Central and Eastern Europe may be established in Kőszeg – as the 14th member of the global UNU network. In addition to its excellent infrastructure and environmental conditions, Kőszeg is a traditional school town located along the border that once separated the West and the East, in the immediate vicinity of Vienna, a UN city, and within the ring of Central European capitals. Therefore, it meets the requirements of a globally focused research and educational institution both practically and symbolically. The unfolding exchange of ideas will continue at the KRAFT conference between September 17 and 19.