With a flexible curriculum, students can choose to specialize in one of the fields (e.g., ecology, ethology or evolutionary biology), but also to follow a balanced, diverse study plan to acquire comprehensive integrative knowledge across a broad selection of topics. The study of the classical fields of ‘natural history’ is complemented by the use of up-to-date molecular and instrumental methods. The main topics of the specialization are listed below.

Ecology and Conservation Biology: in addition to classic theory and practical skills in ecology, students are introduced to the use of up-to-date molecular techniques; fieldwork is complemented by laboratory practice. The courses also cover statistical methods in ecology, the fauna and flora of the Carpathian Basin, and the local and global challenges of hydrobiology and conservation biology.

Ethology and Behavioral Ecology: students are introduced to a functional and mechanistic description of animal behavior, and have the opportunity to study behavior both in the laboratory and in the field. Further courses are offered on social learning, neuroethology, and the molecular biology of behavior.

Theoretical and Evolutionary Biology: the courses emphasize evolutionary thinking across all fields of biology. The students learn about the mechanisms and history of evolution, and are introduced to the paradigm of the major evolutionary transitions. They acquire practical skills in computer (simulation) and mathematical (dynamical systems, game theory) modelling, and in the analysis of complex data from various fields of biology (evolutionary processes, ecosystems, epidemics).

Maintaining the health of ecosystems and a liveable human environment in the face of increasing human population and anthropogenic effects is among the greatest challenges of the 21^st century. Researchers at the Department for Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology conduct long-term studies to monitor changes in the natural environment of Hungary, and perform controlled treatment experiments to predict how global warming and the expected increasing frequency of droughts and forest fires might affect natural vegetation within the country. They collaborate with experts in forestry to develop forest management practices aimed to maintain forests close to their natural state. The theoretical biology group at the same department studies fundamental problems of evolution: the origin and early evolution of life, the general laws and major transitions of evolution, the emergence of cooperation and language, and the evolutionary background of diseases. Within ecology, computer simulations are used to study the competition and coexistence of plant strategies, invasions, and the effects of climate change and habitat destruction on populations. They work with the complete toolbox of theoretical and computational biology: mathematical and computer simulations, complex data analysis, and formulating hypotheses based on literature mining.

Researchers at the Department of Ethology study how social behavior and cognition develop and function in animals and humans, with a particular emphasis on the dog, which serves as a unique model for understanding human communication, attachment, and cooperation. We investigate the behavior, brain function, and genetics of dogs, as well as those of other companion animals such as cats, miniature pigs, and horses. Using non-invasive neuroethological methods (e.g., fMRI, EEG), we explore how the dog’s brain represents sounds and words, and how this contributes to our understanding of the evolution of human language abilities. Another research group focuses on aging in dogs, examining the prevention of cognitive decline and the role of genetic factors in healthy aging. We also study social and cultural processes: how family traditions, media, and community environments shape dog-keeping practices, and how companion animals influence human well-being. In addition, our researchers investigate children’s digital device use and the development of social robots. Our goal is to produce scientific knowledge that promotes harmonious, well-being-supporting human–animal relationships and advances our understanding of brain function and social behavior.

At the Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, one line of research examines the evolution of reproductive strategies and the associated traits in hole-nesting birds, using long-term data, field experiments, molecular and morphological analyses. Another line of research studies adaptation to environmental variation (adaptive evolution, adaptive phenotypic plasticity) in several model species (from small aquatic crustaceans to reptiles). Further projects involve the assessment of the geographical range and conservation status of various taxa (from protists to orthopteran insects).

Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology

• Gergely Hegyi studies phenotypic evolution in hole-nesting birds, particularly visual signals and reproductive decisions, using the longest breeding data set and relatedness pedigree of Central Europe and the longest plumage spectrometry data sets of the planet, combined with field manipulations of reproduction and laboratory analyses of feather structures.
• Gábor Herczeg studies the emergence of stable between-individual behavioral variation (animal personality, behavioral syndrome) in fish, amphibians, lizards and birds. Using the framework and methodology applied here, he investigates the effects of global environmental change (heat waves, drought, microplastic pollution) on behavioral strategies. His further research focuses on adaptations to cave (relatively stable) and surface (variable) environments, with aquatic crustaceans as model species.
• Balázs Rosivall studies how individual quality, environmental conditions (including climate) and changes in these factors affect parental investment, offspring sex ratio, and offspring development, and what are the fitness consequences of the observed relationships. He also studies the causes and consequences of infidelity primarily in bird species.
• Gergely Szövényi's main research objects are the grasshoppers (Ordo Orthoptera). His research focuses on the Balkans, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Carpatho-Pannonian region, and covers topics in community ecology, faunistics, biogeography, taxonomy, and conservation biology.
• János Török’s main research interests lie within the fields of behavioral ecology and evolutionary ecology. For him, the most exciting questions relate to life-history evolution and sexual selection in birds. In a long-term project (started in 1982), he and his colleagues investigated the role of environmental changes in the basic population processes of hole-nesting passerines.
• Júlia Katalin Török’s specific field of expertise is the study of eukaryotic unicellular organisms (protistology), and she teaches courses in protistology and hydrobiology at the master’s level.

Department of Ethology

• Ádám Miklósi’s main research interests include dog-human interactions and ethorobotics. The study of social problem-solving skills in dogs might provide clues about the evolution of cooperation between humans and dogs. The behavior of dogs towards humans might provide a starting point for the development of behavioral skills in companion robots.
• Péter Pongrácz focuses on the behavior forms of communication between humans and their companion animals (dogs and cats). The study of vocal communication in dogs might improve our understanding of convergent evolution in complex interspecies communication systems, and might yield new insights to improve animal well-being in veterinary practice and behavioral therapy.
• Enikő Kubinyi’s main research focuses on the behavior, cognition, and aging of dogs, with particular emphasis on the emotional and social relationships between dogs and humans. Her work contributes to understanding the genetic and environmental factors that promote or hinder healthy aging in dogs, and what these processes can reveal about the mechanisms of human aging and dementia. In addition, she examines pet-keeping practices and emotional attachments from a social science perspective, exploring how modern societal changes shape the quality of both human–animal and human–human relationships.

Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology

• Tibor Kalapos is engaged in the ecology and plant ecophysiology of semiarid steppe grasslands, germination biology, the ecology of C4 photosynthesis, plant responses to smoke generated during vegetation burning, and the population biology of rare plant species.
• Ádám Kun’s research areas include evolution of cooperation, origin of life, RNA world, ribozymes, landscape ecology, spatial ecology, clonal plants, cellular automata modelling, spatially explicit models.
• Viktor Müller conducts research in theoretical immunology. He focuses on data analysis and modelling in immunology and virology, and on Darwinian medicine (evolutionary biology of diseases).
• Beáta Oborny uses computer simulations to study the survival and spreading of species. One of her areas of interest is range shifts due to climate change (e.g., invasions and the shifting of forest boundaries). Another is the investigation of plant growth strategies and modelling the competition and coexistence of these strategies.
• János Podani develops multivariate statistical methods to analyze complex biological data, e.g., in the fields of ecology, coenology and phylogenetics. He is refining the evolutionary history and classification of plants using the latest data and state-of-the-art methods.
• Tibor Standovár’s research involves forest ecology and conservation biology. He coordinates projects to monitor the condition of forest ecosystems in Hungary, including assessment of the divergence from the original natural state.
• Eörs Szathmáry is co-creator of the paradigm of major transitions in evolution. His main interests include the origin and early evolution of life, but he is also active in other diverse fields such as the evolution of language capacity, Darwinian processes in advanced nervous systems, and the possibility of extraterrestrial life.
• László Zoltán's research focuses on developing indicators and assessment systems of forest biodiversity as well as conducting forest ecological and naturalness studies. Additionally, he investigates bark ecology, evolution, and morphology of woody species, with particular attention to the driving forces shaping bark macromorphology and the ways these characteristics can be scientifically described.