Corvinus University of Budapest – the goal is the World’s TOP 100

It is no secret that the Corvinus University of Budapest is aiming to become one of the TOP 100 universities in the world. But how realistic is that and how much time will it take to reach the magical 100th place? In this insider, we will take a look into the inner workings of Corvinus from the perspective of a former student.

The Corvinus University of Budapest is one of the most renowned higher education institutions in the country. With the goals set at the TOP 100 universities, one might be wondering, how realistic are these plans? Corvinus is among the best universities in Hungary with a relatively low number of students, at least compared to other larger universities. Although it has a Social Science Department, the main focus always was and still is on Economics and Business. In the latter field, Corvinus is still basically unrivalled in the country and it is very well-known internationally too.

The University

The university currently provides a wide range of economics and business-related and a fewer number of social science faculties. However, even the social sciences have a strong focus on economics as this is the main profile of the university. From my experience, I can safely say that education at Corvinus is more practice-oriented. While theory plays a crucial role, it is much more important that students can apply the gathered knowledge in the field. When I switched to my master’s programme at another university, I realised that the methodological, research and theoretical knowledge I received, proved to be very useful in other fields too.

Smaller faculties provide a better chance for interaction with the professors but generally speaking it is easy to get in touch with them. This provides a really good atmosphere where diligent students have a better chance for further development. There are a large number of extra-curricular activities too, like language learning, travelling and career opportunities at famous firms and students are also proactive. On the university’s website, it is stated that as of now 50 student organisations operate there. These organisations specialise in literally everything like economics, diplomacy, politics and even arts.

Corvinus also provides some faculties that are not available at other institutions in the country. Some programmes are even listed among the best in the world. So in some ways, Corvinus is already among the TOP 100.

Read also: Only one Hungarian university’s Master’s programme has made the Times TOP 100 list

The model change

Most of the problems at the university arise from the transitional period that it is currently in. There are many hindrances, and as Corvinus is trying to become a business school it is noticeable that social sciences have taken a back seat — reports hvg.hu. Eduline.hu reported that there are increasing tensions mostly because of this transformation and some tutors even left the university. The model change is a success and the first achievements are already visible — said Anthony Radev, the president of the university in an interview with Portofolio.hu. But he also acknowledged that some do not like what is happening.

Corvinus is trying to become a leading institution in Central Europe by 2030. Most of the courses are already only offered in English. Overall, it is visible that the university is developing, but the TOP 100 is still far away. Corvinus is definitely changing drastically. Whether it is for the better or the worse, we will have to wait and see. But even with all the negatives, the university has been still slowly trending upwards.