Mathias Corvinus Collegium is the leading talent promotion institution in the Carpathian Basin. It has been operating since 1996 and offers public and free talent promotion programs from primary school to adult age.
MCC's unique talent development program is designed to complement conventional public and university education by providing high-quality training courses not just in one given field but with an interdisciplinary approach. The MCC Postgraduate Programs (Women's Public Leadership Training Program, Transylvanian School of Politics, Debate Academy, Transcarpathian Public Leadership Training Program) provide development opportunities for those who already hold a degree. Our Roma Talent Program aims to support talented Roma students and to help them develop their careers. Mathias Corvinus Collegium is also a knowledge center: in addition to the above-mentioned training courses, it runs mobility programs, offers a wide range of scholarship programs for young people, publishes books and academic papers, organizes international and national conferences and debates, and also plays a role in promoting democratic dialogue and shaping civilized public debate. MCC gives enthusiastic young people willing to act for the nation and their immediate communities the opportunity to unfold their full potential, to learn from the best Hungarian and foreign instructors, free of charge, regardless of geographical or financial situation, for the benefit of Hungary and for the well-being of the Hungarian nation as a whole.
25 years of service to the cause of Hungarian talent promotion
Twenty-five years ago, Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) began its work in the field of youth talent promotion. MCC believes that supporting young people with outstanding talents is a matter of vital public interest.
The Hungarian Parliament acknowledged the effectiveness of MCC’s work and has chosen MCC as the future base for talent promotion in the Carpathian Basin. Parliament provided resources for the realization of this project when they entrusted MCC with ten percent of the shares of Gedeon Richter Plc and ten percent of the shares of MOL. The return on shares and other budget funds will be used to develop talent-fostering activities at MCC for the benefit of all Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin. By further improving the quality of our training programs and making them available for an increasing number of young people, MCC can extend its reach throughout the region.
Due to our renewed program launched in the autumn of 2020, MCC is set to become the most significant youth talent institution in the Carpathian Basin.
MCC starts where conventional education ends
In order to support young talent, MCC provides free and high-quality training programs and manages our project’s intellectual output (book publishing, conferences, other publications, media appearances, roundtable discussions, mobility programs).
MCC offers education opportunities for all ages. MCC provides training for talented students in middle school, high school, and young adults in graduate programs, enabling them to perform even better in the conventional education system. MCC is neither a competitor nor an alternative to public education and higher education institutions; it is independent and complementary to it. MCC is not a place for mass education, but a space for personalized and small group work. While the aim of conventional public and higher education is the transfer of basic, uniform and universal knowledge, MCC provides knowledge beyond that level so that our students can acquire a more specified approach tailored to their individual interests.
MCC is also dedicated to building a strong alumni system. MCC has a designated career office, and, in addition to the free training courses, students are provided scholarships based on their academic performance. We strive to ensure that those who once were students of MCC look back later at our talent institution as their alma mater and think of their years at Mathias Corvinus Collegium with pride.
Building in the countryside and abroad
MCC gives opportunities to enthusiastic young people who desire to serve their nation and their immediate communities. These opportunities allow them to unfold their full potential, to explore the world, to get acquainted with international processes, and to learn from the best instructors, free of charge, regardless of their geographical or financial situation.
In 2021, Mathias Corvinus Collegium was present in 23 Hungarian inhabited cities across the Carpathian Basin, and this number is expected to grow to 35 in the coming years. According to our most up-to-date data, there are 4,100 young people enrolled in our various programs, and in the next five years, our goal is to enroll 10,000 students.
As part of our building projects in the countryside, MCC has undertaken the renovation of several poorly maintained but historic buildings worthy of retention. These include the Grand Hotel Aranybika in Debrecen, the Hotel Konferencia in Győr, the Avas Hotel in Miskolc, the Officers' Casino in Pécs, the children and youth camp in Révfülöp, the Bartók Béla Cultural Center in Szeged, the former Sports Hall in Szekszárd, the former dormitory on Petőfi Street in Szombathely, and the old town hall in Zalaegerszeg. Our aim is to establish talent development activities in these emblematic buildings as soon as possible in order to revitalize these sites that once were centers of the local community life.
In autumn 2021, MCC's Budapest headquarters moved from Somlói út to Tas vezér utca 3-7. The two modern-style concrete buildings that had previously housed MCC will be demolished. Over the next five years, the state-owned property will be transformed into a sustainable green center that meets modern standards and fits into the landscape.
Ideologically independent, but not value-neutral
In sum, MCC supports young people who are committed to their country, willing to contribute to their local communities, and who feel responsible for their compatriots and their environment. We help them, independently from their social or cultural background, to unlock their potential and thrive for their own benefit and, in the long run, for the benefit of all Hungarians.
Our goal is to prepare the next patriotic generation that is talented, open-minded, internationally experienced, and has good command of foreign languages. With this skill set, they will be able to represent Hungarian interests with confidence, even in the midst of global competition, and take part in domestic and international debates as well as in the decisions determining the future of the Hungarian nation. At the same time, they can contribute to enhancing public dialogue and culture, thus becoming a worthy representative of the cultural, economic and social elite of Hungary.
