Ivan Szelényi, Hungarian sociologist and academic, dies at 88

Ivan Szelényi, a prominent Hungarian sociologist, died at the age of 88 after a long illness. The TÁRKI Társadalomkutatási Intézet Zrt. announced his death on its Facebook page, noting his role as a board member of the institute.

Szelényi held distinguished academic positions, including William Graham Sumner professor emeritus at Yale University, founding dean of the Social Sciences Division at New York University Abu Dhabi, and Max Weber professor emeritus. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a regular member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, former president of the Hungarian Sociological Society, and former vice‑president of the American Sociological Association. His honors included the Luckmann Distinguished Teaching Award and Hungary’s Széchenyi Prize. He authored numerous works on Hungarian society, and his final two‑volume study on the country’s last decade was published by TÁRKI.