25 years of service for the 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 the Collegium in Transylvania
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 2022, the Mathias Corvinus Collegium was present in eight Transylvanian cities: Arad (Arad), Csíkszereda (Miercurea Ciuc), Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca), Marosvásárhely (Târgu Mures), Nagyvárad (Oradea), Sepsiszentgyörgy (Sfântu Gheorghe), Székelyudvarhely (Odorheiu Secuiesc) and Szatmárnémeti (Satu Mare). Seven of these locations (except Odorheiu Secuiesc) have their own MCC center. In all seven cities, staff and students can gather in cosy, well-equipped centers. The buildings in the city centers have been given an MCC facelift, creating a pleasant environment for learning and a variety of activities. The organisation's Transylvanian administrative center is in Kolozsvár (Cluj Napoca), the birthplace of King Matthias.
We are present in 23 locations across the Carpathian Basin, reaching 4 100 students, including more than 1 700 young people in Transylvania. Over the next five years we aim to train around 10 000 students in our various programs.
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 amid 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 the community in Transylvania and the Carpathian Basin.
