Research in post-Communist Hungary

Abstract

Between 1949 and 1989, Hungarian researchers belonged to a Soviet East European information enclave, but were largely excluded from world scholarly communication due to inadequate financial support, insufficient researcher foreign language skills, and political restrictions on information flow. Since Hungary's 1989 departure from the Soviet bloc, changes have occurred. As of 1991, the Hungarian research community is unstable as the government has cut financial support and planned systemic changes. But Hungary is no longer isolated; it is gaining better access to the West and to its Central European neighbours, while losing some access to the former Soviet Union, and linguistic isolation is ebbing.