On 11th June, 2012 András Lipták, Széchenyi prize winner organic chemist, full member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, freeman of Debrecen passed away in his 77th year.
András Lipták was born in Székely, 1935. He graduated as a chemist at Kossuth Lajos University of Sciences in 1961; he started his career as an assistant lecturer. In 1966 he was appointed to be a senior lecturer. In 1967, introducing the molecular view in educating biology, he and Pál Nánási established the Department of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Science, Kossuth Lajos University of Sciences. He received the title of the candidate of chemistry in 1974; he became the doctor of chemistry in 1983. In 1984 he started lecturing as a professor; from 1988 he led the Department of Biochemistry. Between 1987 and 1989 he was the dean of the Faculty of Science; in 1989 he was elected to be the vice-rector, then in 1990 to be the Rector of Kossuth Lajos University of Sciences. He was the head of the University until 1993. He received the title of professor emeritus in 2005.
He did researches abroad several times: he went to Germany with Humboldt Scholarship in 1972 and in 1978-79; he was a visiting professor at University of Maryland, Bethesda in 1984-85. He won the Szilárd Leo Scholarship in 2000.
He became a corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1990, in 1998 a full member. Between 1996 and 1999 he was the president of Chemical Research Center; in 1995-96 he filled the position of vice-president of the Council of Doctors. In 1997 he became the president of the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund, in 2005 the president of the Debrecen Academic Committee. From 1997 he was a member of the Academia Europaea of London.
András Lipták’s main research field was carbohydrate-and immunochemistry. Besides, he was occupied with the synthesis of complex oligosaccharides and medical research. His scientific achievement includes more than 200 publications; his writings were published in well-known Hungarian and foreign journals. He is the author of the volumes Synthetic Oligosaccharides I-III, which were published in the Handbook of Oligosaccharides” (CRC Press, 1990). His scientific achievement gained more than 2000 appreciatory references.
The merits of his scientific work were awarded with the Szent-Györgyi Albert prize, Széchenyi prize, Ipolyi Arnold Development of Science prize, Pázmány Péter Higher Education prize.
He was buried in Debrecen on 27th June. Besides his family, friends and colleagues, many of his admirers attended the funeral to say goodbye.
