Knowledge-based society in Hungary in 2015

Abstract

Twentieth century strategic thinking in Hungary was characterized by policies assigning special importance to knowledge, the level of experts, to science, education and the role of culture in societal development. Especially since the new start following the Trianon Treaty (Editor! the peace treaty concluded at the end of World War I that established the new borders of Hungary), the cult of first-class intellectual products made in, or related to Hungary has been a central part of the Hungarian national self-image. Intellectuals, at least, have believed to find the value, the excellence of the nation for Europe and the whole world somewhere in the special importance assigned to knowledge production. This was most obvious in the science policy of education minister Klebelsberg as early as in the late 1920's. It was also apparent in the scientific-technical revolution concept of the modernization wave of the 1960's, in the utopias of the 1960-70's on the opportunities of automation and computerization, in the economic reform ideas of the late 1960's on innovation and later, from the early 1990's onwards, in the development of IT networks and in the import of information society concepts urging state involvement. Despite these concepts, the internationally comparable performance of the sectors concerned did not reach an outstanding level, radically ahead of the general development of the country, however. It did not lag behind the average development, either; it rather reflected a general, transitional position of the Hungarian society in Central-Europe and in a wider economic-social scale.