During her career spanning more than five decades, Erzsébet Nováky has been a pioneer in the methodological, theoretical, and practical foundations of futures studies. As a teacher and head of department, she has helped generations of students and researchers to make future-oriented thinking an integral part of university education and social decision-making. Her professional dedication, community-building power, and human dignity are exemplary for all of us. 

On her 80th birthday, we greet this outstanding figure of our university and Hungarian futures studies with gratitude and appreciation. 

The work of Professor Emerita Dr. Erzsébet Nováky 

The first university research and teaching workshop for Hungarian futurology was founded by Dr. Géza Kovács in 1968 at our university’s predecessor. Erzsébet Nováky joined this workshop as a university student majoring in mathematical planning, then as an intern, and after Géza Kovács, as its leader until her retirement. Her entire scientific and teaching career is linked to our University and the development of futures studies at the university, nationally and internationally. As part of her scientific work, she dealt with methodological issues of futures studies, as well as the theoretical and practical aspects of heuristics, interaction methods, chaos theory, reliability, creativity, and the application of action-oriented and interactive futures studies. She has achieved internationally recognized outstanding results in the study of various aspects of future orientation, the application of futures studies, planning, and modelling in the field of environmental protection, and the application of foresight in various fields, particularly in education, vocational training, innovation, entrepreneurship, and the development of specific regions. One of the noteworthy results of her work on the development and evaluation of complex domestic visions for different periods and time frames is the research project entitled Hungary 2025, commissioned by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the ex-post evaluation of which she is still working on today. 

In addition to the outstanding importance of education at our university and her duties as head of department, she has also carried out numerous scientific and educational organizational and community tasks as a member of faculty councils, the University Council, the Habilitation Committee, and the University and Scientific Doctoral Councils, as well as serving as their chair. Her teaching focused primarily on the theoretical, professional, conceptual, and methodological aspects of futures studies at the undergraduate, master’s, and PhD levels. The summer university organized for an international audience over several years within the framework of the World Futures Studies Federation brought international recognition to our university that is still remembered today. As a good teacher, creative student relations were always important to her. Se consistently sought to involve students in departmental research, which has always been a feature of futures studies education since Géza Kovács. She has always been surrounded by students. Today, her students are successful at several Hungarian universities, national research and public administration institutions, and companies in Hungary and abroad. 

She has played and continues to play a commendable role in the national and international recognition of Hungarian futures studies, partly as a member, secretary, and president of various domestic and international scientific organizations and committees, and partly through her significant publishing activities. She is an internationally recognized and welcome figure in Hungarian futures studies. 

She deserves respect for the way she has always strived to act with integrity, sincerity, and honesty in overcoming difficulties in various conflict situations, guided by the interests of the University and Hungarian futurology, as well as a fundamentally human approach. Although family losses and her health have forced her to slow down her usual pace of work, Hungarian future studies and the university and departmental community continue to rely on her experience and knowledge.  

We wish her continued strength, good health, and much joy in her personal life and profession.