Szilárd Szélpál

President, Co-Founder

Szilárd Szélpál is a multidisciplinary professional with a strong background in environmental policy, European affairs, research and innovation, and strategic policy analysis. His academic training spans agricultural engineering, food technology engineering, environmental law, environmental sciences, and philosophy, with studies at the University of Szeged, Szent István University, Paris-Sorbonne, Ghent, and Tartu.

He is currently pursuing doctoral research at Óbuda University in the field of safety and security sciences, focusing on the intersection of environmental challenges, technological change, and strategic resilience. Earlier in his career, he worked as a researcher at the University of Szeged’s Institute of Process Engineering and held several elected and appointed roles in Hungarian academic and doctoral organizations.

For ten years, Szilárd worked as an environmental expert in the European Parliament, contributing to policy work on sustainability, regulation, environmental governance, and the broader links between climate, security, research and development policy, and foreign affairs.

He has authored academic publications on sustainability, democracy, disinformation, and European competitiveness, and has edited scientific conference volumes. Through his work with PROSUM Foundation and CEA Magazine, he focuses on strengthening public dialogue, European and transatlantic cooperation, and freedom-oriented policy thinking in Central Europe.

Szilvia Kecsmár

Co-Founder, Coach and Author at CEA Magazine

Szilvia Kecsmár is an Author at CEA Magazine, as well as a Holistic Coach. She is a writer, communications professional and digital designer with a background in journalism, education and literary research.

She holds degrees from the University of Szeged in Hungary and the University of Paris – Sorbonne Paris IV in France. Her academic work has focused on 19th- and early 20th-century Hungarian women writers, and she has presented her research at several literary conferences. She has published fiction and essays in literary journals and anthologies, and her debut novel, “Egy maréknyi fűszer,” was released in 2018.

Alongside her literary and digital design work, she has a long-standing interest in personal development, Eastern thought and holistic wellbeing. She has trained in an ICF-accredited coaching program, is currently studying mindfulness meditation and naturopathy, and is a member of the Communications Team of ICF Hungary.

Dr. István Teplán

Co-Founder

Dr. István Teplán is a distinguished economic historian, sociologist, and educator, with a rich academic background spanning Hungary and the USA. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Central European University (CEU), serving as its Executive Vice President from 1992 to 2007.  Dr. Teplán’s scholarly contributions extend to international conferences and journals, with a focus on metropolitan transformation. He is a co-contributor to the book “Budapest and New York, Studies in Metropolitan Transformation 1870-1930.” In recognition of his significant contributions, Dr. István Teplán is a recipient of the Officers Cross of Merit of the Hungarian Republic.