In times of epidemics and humanitarian crises, it is essential to translate scientific findings into digestible information for government policy makers who have a short time to make critical decisions. To predict how far and fast the disease would spread across Hungary and to support the epidemiological decision-making process, a multidisciplinary research team performed a large amount of scientific data analysis and mathematical and socioeconomic modeling of the COVID-19 epidemic in Hungary, including modeling the medical resources and capacities, the regional differences, gross domestic product loss, the impact of closing and reopening elementary schools, and the optimal nationwide screening strategy for various virus-spreading scenarios and R metrics. KETLAK prepared 2 extensive reports on the problems identified and suggested solutions, and presented these directly to the National Epidemiological Policy-Making Body. The findings provided crucial data for the government to address critical measures regarding health care capacity, decide on restriction maintenance, change the actual testing strategy, and take regional economic, social, and health differences into account. Hungary managed the first part of the COVID-19 pandemic with low mortality rate. In times of epidemics, the formation of multidisciplinary research groups is essential for policy makers. The establishment, research activity, and participation in decision-making of these groups, such as KETLAK, can serve as a model for other countries, researchers, and policy makers not only in managing the challenges of COVID-19, but in future pandemics as well.

This paper examines the spatial dynamics and regional distribution of the novel coronavirus epidemic in Hungary in an effort to obtain a deeper understanding of the connection between space and health. The paper also presents comprehensive epidemiologic data on the spatiotemporal spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of the epidemic waves. Following a comparison of the growth rates of infection numbers, the current study explores the geographical dimension of the three pandemic waves. The partial transformation of spatial characteristics during the three epidemic waves is among the most important results found. While geographical hotspots influenced the first wave, newly confirmed coronavirus cases in the second and third waves were due to community-based epidemic spreading. Furthermore, the western-eastern spatial relation and the core-periphery model also affected the regional distribution of new cases and deaths in the initial two waves. However, a new spatial pattern - realised by the northern-southern spatial orientation - appeared during the third wave. The outputs of this paper offer feasible suggestions for evidence-based policymaking in pandemic prevention, mitigation, and preparedness.

A kultúra területi mérhetősége és a kistérségek közművelődési jellemzőiThe regional measurability of culture and the traits of community culture FÁBIÁN ATTILA, TÓTH BALÁZS ISTVÁNKULCSSZAVAK: kultúra, közművelődés, kulturális gazdaság, faktoranalízis, klaszteranalízis, fejlettség ABSZTRAKT: A kultúra gazdasági szerepének elemzése és területfejlesztéssel való viszonyának értelmezése egyre nagyobb jelentőséggel bír napjainkban. A tanulmány a kultúra és kultúraelemzés néhány regionális vonatkozásának bemutatását követően arra a kérdésre keresi a választ, hogy miként számszerűsíthető a kultúra, valamint miként ragadható meg annak térszerkezeti hatása. Ami mérhető -vagyis amire elérhető statisztikai adatok léteznek -az valóban a kultúra teljes spektrumát öleli-e fel, avagy csak néhány szegmensre koncentrálnak az "adatbányászok", miközben számos értékes információ rejtve marad. A dolgozatban a kulturális gazdaság közművelődési alrendszerét előtérbe helyezve empirikus elemzést is közlünk a hazai kistérségekre vonatkozóan. A hazai kistérségek közművelődési helyzetét többváltozós statisztikai módszerekkel (faktorelemzés, nem hierarchikus klaszteranalízis) vizsgáljuk, továbbá korrelációelem-zéssel kísérletet teszünk a kulturális fejlettség vagy lemaradás és a kistérségek komplex fejlettsége közötti összefüggések számszaki megragadására. KEYWORDS: culture, cultural traits, cultural economy, factor analysis, cluster analysis, development ABSTRACT: Assessing the economic role of culture and interpreting it in connection with regional development are becoming increasingly important. Cultural economics as a virtually new branch of economics deals with the possible applications of economic analysis to creative and knowledge-based processes, performing arts, cultural traits, cultural heritage and industries. It is concerned with the economic organisation of the cultural sector, too.In this study the authors aim to reflect on the assessment and possible means of quantification for the cultural economy of regions. While seeking to gain an insight as to how segments of the cultural economy may be examined using information available in statistical databases both foreign (Eurostat, Eurobarometer, Compendium Information System, Urban Audit) and domestic (Hungarian Central Statistical Office)

Abstract. The present essay makes an attempt to examine the sociocultural field with a constructivist approach, which gives an opportunity to interpret the concept of "border" in a discursive way. This approach emphasises the importance of the role of the ideas and values related to the creation and the development of cross-border regions. The essay places great emphasis on security and cultural communities that are necessary for cross-border cooperation and sustainable regionalism. According to constructivism, security means the communities are in a mutual multi-level connection and people try to avoid conflicts with dialogue, cooperation and socialization. A cultural community along a border is a community created by border societies whose members mutually influence each other. Because of these two aspects, a good neighbourly relation can develop along the border, which may have beneficial effects on the economy of the whole country.

Abstract:Assessing the economic role of culture and interpreting it in connection with regional and urban development are becoming important. This paper aims to reflect on the possible means of quantification regarding the attributes of culture. Given that the authors are compelled to restrict the scope of analysis to the certain segments of culture attempts are made at investigating the properties of culture using multivariate statistical methods (factor analysis, K-means clustering, correlation) in the case of Hungarian micro-regions. After typifying the Hungarian micro-regions the paper conclude that significant differences are observed regarding the micro-regions of West and South Transdanubia, Northern Hungary and the Great Plain but there are also considerable disparities between the urban and rural areas of Hungary. Finally, the paper highlights some critical issues concerning the results and argues for an appropriate cultural policy in Hungary.