Its seat is at the bank of the Danube in Budapest, between Széchenyi rakpart and Akadémia utca.

The history of the academy began in 1825 when Count István Széchenyi offered one year's income of his estate for the purposes of a Learned Society at a district session of the Diet in Pressburg (Pozsony, present Bratislava, seat of the Hungarian Parliament at the time), and his example was followed by other delegates.

A scientific section is a unit of the Academy organized by one or some closely related branches of science.

A scientific section follows with attention, promotes and evaluates all scientific activities conducted within its field(s) of science; takes a stand on scientific issues as well as in matters concerning science policy and research organization, submits opinion on the activities of the Academy's research institutes, and on those of university chairs and other research units that are supported by the Academy, and participates in the procedure of awarding the title of Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the post-Ph.D academic degree, the D.Sc degree in Hungary.

The last president was Károly Makk, film director, who succeeded László Dobszay (resigned on 20 April 2011[5]).