On 23 January 2026, the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest hosted an international scientific conference titled “European Huns and the Latest Advances in Steppe Archaeology”, bringing together leading specialists in the fields of archaeology, archaeogenetics, and anthropology from the Turkic world, Hungary, and Mongolia.
The opening addresses were delivered by President of the Turkic Academy Shahin Mustafayev, President of the Center for Public Collections at the Hungarian National Museum Gábor Zsigmond, President of the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan Berik Abdigaliuly, and President of the Hungarian “Magyar-Turan” Foundation András Zsolt Bíró.
In his speech, Prof. Dr. Shahin Mustafayev emphasized the crucial importance of a comprehensive study of the history of the Huns and steppe archaeology for understanding the civilization of the Great Steppe and its contribution to world history. He highlighted Hungary’s key role as one of the centers of Turkological research, praised the long-standing collaboration between Hungarian and Turkic scholars, and stressed the need to develop independent scientific concepts for the study of steppe cultures.
"Developing and implementing our own scientific concepts is not merely a terminological issue, but a strategic step towards a holistic understanding of Eurasian history and the role of Turkic peoples in the development of human civilization," the Academy President stated.
Scientific presentations were also delivered by Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Farhad Guliyev, Director of the A. Kh. Margulan Institute of Archaeology of the Committee of Science under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan Akhan Ongaruly, Director of the National Center of Archaeology at the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan Farhod Maksudov, Director of the Institute of Archaeology at the Mongolian Academy of Sciences Gelgedorj Eregzen, Director of the Archaeogenetics Research Center at the Hungarian Research Institute Endre Neparáczki, as well as other scholars, who presented their research on the archaeology, archaeogenetics, and anthropology of the Huns and other steppe cultures.
The conference vividly demonstrated the potential of international and interdisciplinary scientific cooperation and underscored the importance of joint projects aimed at studying, preserving, and promoting the archaeological heritage of Turkic peoples.
