Gellért Campus inaugurated – – 2024-03-07 14:49:20

Corvinus University

Written by Rainer Ackermann

“The leaders of the economy and politics of the future will be trained here.” Zsolt Hernádi expressed this conviction at the inauguration of the new campus of the Corvinus University in Budapest.

“We still have a lot planned, this campus is a symbol of that,” explained the CEO of the MOL Group and chairman of the board of trustees of the university’s sponsoring foundation at the ceremony on Thursday evening. The Corvinus University is on the right track because the number of published scientific publications is increasing systematically, and more than 50 guest lecturers are now coming from abroad and with them more and more foreign students to the academy in Budapest.

Pioneer of model change

Culture Minister János Csák recalled the core idea behind the model change for universities, which is to increase their degree of freedom as much as possible. The Corvinus University was a pioneer for the model change experiment. The Orbán government is sparing no money to make Hungary a knowledge platform for high-tech industries. By 2030, around 100,000 foreign students are expected to be enrolled at Hungarian universities, replacing the current 42,000. The minister once once more criticized the EU Commission’s incomprehensible stance on the Erasmus and Horizon programs, from which Hungarian students and researchers are “unjustifiably” excluded because the Hungarian model of academic freedom is misunderstood in Brussels.

Innovation and inspiration

The university’s rector, Prof. Lajos Szabó, promised a model university of the 21st century for economics and social sciences. The Gellért campus, designed for 680 students, stands for innovation, inspiration, interaction and integration. The main building of the former administrative college on Ménesi út in the 11th district of Budapest was converted and modernized for 17 billion forints (almost 45 million euros) to a total of 14,000 m² to provide sufficient space for teaching and research. In addition to 2- or 3-bed rooms for a total of 180 students, the dormitory wing also includes six apartments for guest lecturers and a multifunctional sports center. The project has been implemented since autumn 2021 and is three-quarters financed by state or EU money.

The state-of-the-art complex offers 14,000 m² Space for teaching and research.