Overview
The ELTE Community and Civil Development research group was established in 2024 at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) with the aim of examining community work, community development, and civil society, with particular emphasis on how civil organisations and informal communities respond to global challenges. In addition to conducting scientific research, the group aims to disseminate its findings widely, raise awareness, and promote scientific literacy. An important objective is to provide methodological support for communities and their professionals, especially in crisis situations.
The research group carries out basic and applied research funded by internal and external grants. Participants include lecturers and students from the ELTE TáTK Department of Community Studies, the Department of Social Work, the Institute of Social Studies, the Faculty of Social Sciences (master’s students of community and civil studies, PhD students of the Sociology Doctoral School), as well as national and international partners.
Major research projects and collaborations:
"Research and Development of Community-Based Creative Industry Services and Energy-Efficient Soft Technologies"
(RRF-2.3.1-21-2022-00013 – National Laboratory for Social Innovation)
Duration: 2022–2024
Topic: mapping and adapting environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, social and cultural community solutions.
Partners: ELTE Faculty of Informatics, ELTE Faculty of Science, external experts, international collaborations.
Methods: qualitative and quantitative social science research, fieldwork, drone measurements, 3D visualisations.
Additional activities: conferences, workshops, short films, publications, development of the Community Knowledge Base (https://kozossegi.tatk.elte.hu).
Research group members
Mária ARAPOVICS PhD, habil. – research leader, Department of Community Studies, ELTE Faculty of Social Sciences
Edit KOVACS – researcher, Department of Community Studies, ELTE Faculty of Social Sciences
Dávid DUDOK PhD – researcher, Department of Community Studies, ELTE Faculty of Social Sciences
Andrea GRUBER PhD – researcher, Department of Community Studies, ELTE Faculty of Social Sciences
Tünde BULYÁKI PhD – researcher, Department of Social Work, ELTE Faculty of Social Sciences
Judit SZÉCSI PhD – researcher, Department of Social Work, ELTE Faculty of Social Sciences
Adrienn GAJDOS – research assistant, PhD student
Bushra AL-HAMMADI – research assistant, PhD student
Keywords
community development, civil society, social innovation, sustainability, participation, community work, ESG
Events
Conference organisation and presentation
CoopeRation – Collaboration in the Fields of Community Work conference, 21 November 2025,
ELTE Faculty of Social Sciences
Details
Conference participations
’TINLAB Social Well-being Thematic Forum’
TINLAB Knowledge Centre, 01 July 2024
Mária Arapovics, Edit Kovács: ’Sustainability and Social Innovation: Community Working Methods and Community Practices’MTNE 2024 – ’From the History of Maros County and Târgu Mureș’
Teleki Téka, Erdélyi Múzeumi Egyesület, Târgu Mureș, 16 November 2024
Mária Arapovics: ’Selections from the 20th-century Documents of the Bethlen Gábor Freemasons' Lodge in Târgu MureșGuest Lecturers' Week, Hanze University of Applied Sciences
Groningen, Netherlands, 03 March 2025
Mária Arapovics: Good Practices of Sustainable Community ServicesInternational Conference on Technological, Educational, Social, and International Challenges in the Changing World
Széchenyi István University, Győr, 22 May 2025
Mária Arapovics: Sustainable Community Services and Practices’Social Innovation Management Thematic Forum’
Hárfa Foundation, 28 May 2025
Mária Arapovics: ’Sustainable Community Services and Innovations’11th International Conference on Social Science Methodology
Naples, 23 September 2025
Mária Arapovics – Dávid Dudok: Research on Sustainable Community-Based Services and Practices with Text-Based Data AnalysisCoopeRation – Collaboration in the Fields of Community Work conference, 21 November 2025,
ELTE Faculty of Social Sciences
Mária Arapovics, Dávid Dudok: Sustainable Community Services
Edit Kovács: Learning–Knowledge–Practice and Partnership–Collaboration panel discussions
Public materials
Webpage
Community Knowledge Base website (in Hungarian)
Videos and short films
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdoTRGGQiBk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXnUCaGWYwU
https://kozossegi.tatk.elte.hu/content/kutatasunk.t.40305?m=9372
Podcasts
FSZEK Sociological Collection Podcast, Episode 13 – guest: Mária Arapovics, community developer
Civil Radio – “Társbérlet”: Conversations on Social Innovation 10 (Community-Based Services)
Civil Radio: Establishment of the Community Studies Department at ELTE
Publications
Mária Arapovics: Sustainable Community Services and Practices, Eötvös Publishing, 2024 (print and online)
Mária Arapovics: Sustainable Community Services, Community Working Methods and Practices Societies, 2025, 15(10), 282
Contact information (leader)
Dr. Mária ARAPOVICS
Department of Community Studies
ELTE Faculty of Social Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Budapest, Hungary
Address: 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A
E-mail: arapovics.maria@tatk.elte.hu