Knowledge base of the Mathias Corvinus Collegium
10/20/25, 8:04 AM
author: Máté Kónya

Youth, Art & Participation: Reflections from the Ars Electronica Festival 2025

When Linz launched the Ars Electronica Festival in 1979, the city was searching for a new identity. Heavy industry was collapsing, the steel crisis hit hard, and local leaders needed an alternative vision. What began as a bold experiment - inviting pioneers of digital art and technology to Upper Austria - has since grown into a global ecosystem of media art, attracting universities, companies, NGOs, and thousands of visitors every year.
10/16/25, 3:46 PM

Beauty with Brains: Thoughts on Breaking Stereotypes and Redefining Balance

What does it mean to be a “Beauty with Brains”? It is a phrase we often used to describe women who defy long-standing stereotypes. For centuries, women were seen as weaker and given fewer opportunities.
10/16/25, 3:22 PM

Coming to Terms: The Termination of the Presidential Office in Italy and Hungary

Hungary and Italy, while both having presidential systems, have unique mechanism regarding a premature end of a presidential term. In both, the head of state has mainly ceremonial powers, but the expiry of their term is defined by strict constitutional and legal standards. This examination centers on the reasons, the procedure, and the legal effects of a resignation, underlining the structural congruence and the doctrinal inconsistencies between the two systems.
10/16/25, 10:43 AM
author: Soma Gallai

The Impact of Changing Weather Conditions and Frequent Thunderstorms on Hong Kong

Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region of China, is in a unique geographical, demographic, and economic position. Despite its tropical climate with frequent storms, it has become one of the most densely populated cities in the world. It was a trading hub during the British colonial era and later evolved into a financial hub for Asia. But how does it handle storms?
10/15/25, 8:14 AM

A Nation in a Glass: The Story of Turkish Tea

The waiter moves quickly through the crowd, balancing a round metal tray that glitters in the sunlight. On it, tulip-shaped glasses clink against each other, all filled with deep red tea, hot enough to fog the glass. It could be a ferry crossing the Bosphorus, a teahouse in Anatolia, or a bazaar in Istanbul, to sip a glass of çay is folded into the rhythm of Turkish life itself.
10/10/25, 1:43 PM

MCC Podcast | AI: Demonic Invention or Creative Partner

In this episode, my guest is Jash Dholani, the mind behind The Old Books Guy, whose insights have captivated over 100,000 readers.
10/7/25, 10:23 AM

Appointing the Executive: Legal Limits of Presidential Powers in Italy and Hungary

In countries with parliamentary systems, the heads of state are often seen as having mainly ceremonial roles. Despite this, they have important duties related to forming the government, such as appointing the Prime Minister and other ministers. While these responsibilities are mostly formal, they can impact how the government is put together and how stable it is.
10/7/25, 10:20 AM
author: Soma Gallai

Quinnipiac’s Student-Managed Portfolio

Like most universities in the United States, Quinnipiac University maintains an endowment, typically managed by professional investment firms. However, Quinnipiac has chosen to allocate a small portion of its endowment to a Student-Managed Fund, giving students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience managing real assets in a real-world investment environment.
10/7/25, 10:18 AM

MCC Podcast: Carry the Fire – How Young People's Dating Habits Have Changed

Europe has faced many kinds of challenges over the decades, of which demographic change is perhaps the most important over the long-term.
10/7/25, 9:46 AM

Switzerland and the EU: Opportunities for Small States to Influence EU Policy

Hungary’s experience as a small EU member state invites comparison with Switzerland’s unique approach to engaging the Union from the outside. Although not an EU member, Switzerland has leveraged bilateral agreements, regulatory alignment, and strategic diplomacy to exert meaningful influence, offering potential lessons for member states navigating multilateral governance from a position of relative size and power.