The MATFIN Foundation, established on the initiative of 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics laureate Professor Ferenc Krausz, celebrated the end of the first academic year of its extracurricular programme and nationwide Olympiad School with a gala event held on 12 June at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME). Our short film from the event is now available to watch.

The Foundation has already become a key pillar of Hungary’s science talent development system. During the 2025/26 academic year, all but two members of Hungary’s teams competing at international olympiads in mathematics, physics, and informatics are enrolled in MATFIN’s Olympiad School programme. Building on this success, the Foundation will expand its nationwide network next year by establishing regional centres in every county of Hungary.

The ceremony opened with welcoming remarks by Dávid Bereczkei, Director of the MATFIN Foundation, who greeted the students, teachers, and representatives of government ministries, partner organisations, and professional associations. The audience was then addressed by Professor Charaf Hassan, Rector of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, and Csaba Csapodi, Ministerial Commissioner for Public Education Curriculum Development.

Following the presentation of student awards, several Hungarian organisations introduced their activities to participants. These included the Association of Hungarian Chemists, the National Association of Hungarian Biology Teachers, the Hungarian Association of Student Laboratories, the Hungarian Innovation Association, the Hungarian Astronautical Society, and the Artificial Intelligence Group.

The event concluded with a spectacular physics demonstration presented by Tamás Sarkadi, Coordinator of MATFIN's Physics Olympiad School, together with Eszter Papp and Áron Halasi, Scientific Ambassadors of the 2025/26 Hungarian Year of Science.

Cover photo: János Kummer / MATFIN Foundation