The Foundation

A full house every Monday night, a popular TV and radio series, a permanent column in dailies and weeklies, an internet portal with thousands of downloads a day, a show known by almost half of the adult population with a high approval rating, a constant topic at social meetings - all of this is more likely achieved by either a trendy talk- or reality show, a contest, a soap opera or by political news than by a serious and informative scientific knowledge program. And yet, it has been the case in Hungary since September 2002, when Mindentudás Egyeteme /ENCOMPASS took its origins as a joint project of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Matáv Telecommunications Company (now Magyar Telekom) and its subsidiary, Axelero Internet (now T-Online).

ENCOMPASS was created under the aegis of public and private partnership with the academic supervision of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and sponsorship from the corporate social responsibility programmes of Magyar Telecommunications Company (now Magyar Telekom) and its affiliate, Axelero Internet (now T-Online). Within the collaboration Magyar Telekom provides project management and info-communication know-how, infrastructure and significant financial support. Only with this solid background was it possible to employ the prestige and network of connections of the Academy and engage in a venture with such an unpredictable outcome.

Péter György, aesthete and media consultant to former Matáv (now Magyar Telekom), played a paramount role in the establishment of Mindentudás Egyeteme. The idea originates from him, and the program first came into being after he fought his way through and urged the company to make all the necessary corporate decisions. Matáv's (now Magyar Telekom) financial generosity must be stressed, with the commitment of Matáv leaders Elek Straub, Chief Executive Officer, and Tamás Pásztory, Chief Human Resources and Legal Officer, as well as György Simó, Chief Executive Officer of Axelero Internet (now T-Online) who had a very positive, inspiring impact on the project. After the launch of the program they continuously treated it as both a private and company interest, often taking operative roles in Mindentudás Egyeteme.

The same attention and contribution is characteristic of the Academy leaders. By giving the very first lectures they took upon themselves professional risk, and as the program progressed they have become the most effective communicators within Mindentudás Egyeteme - giving us all a new lesson in the modernization of science management.

Leaders of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, E. Sylvester Vizi, President, and Norbert Kroó, Secretary-General at that time, supported the concept of Mindentudás Egyeteme within both professional and science policy avenues. Later, through a process of consultations, they helped enhance the quality of professional content and engage a wider scope of lecturers.

Kristóf Nyíri`s scientifically grounded and practically effective initiative helped to define new ways of depicting knowledge as a whole. His joint efforts with Dénes Dudits and Károly Szegő in developing the content of the program formed a starting point. This historical recount of ENCOMPASS illustrates that the program is an intersection of scientific academic content and up-to-date info-communication and media channels, through corporate management culture. The French program, L`Université de tous les savoirs was an inspiration for Mindentudás Egyeteme, but was redesigned to meet Hungarian standards (while the Hungarian name saved its French generosity and universal impetus). In the end, a different program was created with its own logic, message, fundamental concepts and organization. Foreign examples and Hungarian forerunners served only as starting points, but not as patterns to be followed.

With László Sallai, Director, Training of Matáv (now Magyar Telekom), György Fábri's greatest task was to reach a common aim of the two different institutions. Within a framework of effective project management, and by enforcing the considerations of the Academy, we were to create lectures that mediate values to the audience and are acceptable to the media. Through many pitfalls, experiments and negotiations we have reached the point where Mindentudás Egyeteme lectures held in the modern auditorium offered by the Budapest University of Technology and Economics is produced by professional staff, and operates a full production chain up to the final touches in the media.

Our most important innovation is that the foundation of the Hungarian Mindentudás Egyeteme / ENCOMPASS is the development of an internet knowledge-base. Next to this, its appearance on television serves as the most effective way of reaching our audience. While retaining the original intent to democratize knowledge, Mindentudás Egyeteme has taken on a new mission amid the valueless and amoral messages of current Hungarian media: Mindentudás Egyeteme / ENCOMPASS aims to rebuild the social status of knowledge, and to establish the scientist as a public figure in his or her own right. This is why the program is closely linked with organized science, and why it stands up for the traditional values of scientific knowledge.