The information society of the 21st century imposes new challenges for education and talent support. In order to meet such challenges, innovative programmes capable of combining the various talent support efforts are needed. The full display of creativity and talent needs the support of the environment, thus successful networking is a must for talented people in a modern society. In this environment, in his capacity as secretary of the cellular biology department of the Hungarian Biology Association, Péter Csermely came up with an initiative that was unique worldwide.
In 1995, the Professor – who is currently the President of the European Council for High Ability in addition to his other positions and education activities – brought to life the Movement of Researcher Students. This extraordinary idea of relying on independent scientific work done and assumed by secondary school students has reached over five thousand students by now. The program provides top-level research opportunities for high-school students and offers various scientific, cultural and leisure possibilities for them. Students choose their mentors from the list of mentors provided by the movement and establish a work relationship with them. Students in KutDiák tend to undertake in-depth research in a smaller field of speciality that interests them. The Movement offers extra-curricular programmes to students where they can participate according to their personal motivations and implement their own ideas in the scientific field of their choice, while the examples of their peers help them enlarge their horizons. The Movement of Researcher Students offers an opportunity for students to perform scientific work even before starting their university studies, as well as opens the door for interpersonal relations and community building.
It may be joined by registering on www.kutdiak.hu or taking part in some scientific test organised by the movement. Students absolutely need higher-than-average motivation to make use of the opportunities offered by the movement beyond mere joining. One of the objectives set by the Movement of Researcher Students – as indicated by the motto ‘...where you fit in’ – is to provide their members a community in addition to scientific research possibilities.
The study (that you can find at Best Preactices), based on the results of a questionnaire survey conducted at the 2013 National Conference of Scientific Student Groups, introduces the Movement itself and its impact on later career paths of participating students. It was written by András Szenci, the former student president of the movement.
