Dr. Levente Székely
Levente Székely began his Post-Graduate Visiting Research Fellowship in the US in September 2025, as part of the Liberty Bridge Program established by the Hungarian Foundation. During his stay at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, he will seek to deepen his understanding of young people’s perspectives on the future.
After graduating from Eötvös Loránd University with an M.A. degree in sociology, he earned his Ph.D. in sociology (summa cum laude) at Corvinus University of Budapest, where he completed his habilitation in communication and media science last year.
“My research interests focus mainly, but not exclusively, on young people and the information society. I believe that this is where the most important changes are taking place in our societies today.” – Dr. Levente Székely
Dr. Levente Székely
Levente has nearly two hundred scientific publications and over 700 independent citations (h-index: 15). He has published in several international journals and edited volumes, and his first independent book, Szürke hattyúk [Grey Swans], was published in 2020 and has generated more than 450 downloads according to Academia.edu.
Levente has led numerous empirical research projects, such as the Hungarian large sample youth survey program. The Hungarian large sample youth survey, an outstanding research program by international standards, was launched at the turn of the millennium. The survey is aimed at young people aged 15-29 living in Hungary and is conducted every four years with a sample of 8,000 people. In addition to his empirical research projects, Levente’s work also has a theoretical significance. His best-known theoretical model (the model of the new silent generation) is considered one of the three most important models for describing youth processes in Hungary.
“Many expected that the progressive trends observed in the western world would also prevail in countries like Hungary. However, research shows that young Hungarians tend to hold conservative values and their ideas for the future are characterized by the traditional family model and attachment to their homeland. I believe that the values of American youth are also changing significantly, and studying and understanding these changes will also help us understand the future.” – Dr. Levente Székely
Formerly, he was a researcher at the Information Society Research Center (ITTK) at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. During his professional career, Levente worked with several renowned market and opinion research institutes. He is currently the director of the Youth Research Institute, a habilitated associate professor at the Institute of Marketing and Communication Sciences at Corvinus University of Budapest, a mentor at the Baptist Theological Academy, and the head of the Center for Sociology at Mathias Corvinus Collegium.
Levente is addicted to texts and enjoys reading and writing. When he is not working on academic publications, such as the articles in Youth and Generation Studies, which he founded and directs, he reads novels and writes short stories.
„Last year, we conducted a comparative study on the family plans of young people in the USA and Hungary. The Hungary Foundation grant is a great opportunity to continue this research and build new professional relationships between the US and Hungary. I am extremely enthusiastic about this!” – Dr. Levente Székely
A selection of Levente’s publications:
AI Fatigue — Are We Feeling It Already?
The AI Generation? Youth at the Dawn of Singularity
The History of the Hungarian Large Sample Youth Survey
Young People in the Age of Uncertainty
The typology of multitasking activity