Orbán-university will conquer London?

The Guardian wrote that the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) will open a branch in London to “spread Hungarian leader’s populist philosophy across Europe”. The foundation behind the college said they did not plan to expand the British capital. Yet.

The Guardian calls MCC “a heavily Orbán-influenced educational institute” in their article. They added the institute is sometimes referred to as “a seminary for young Orbán-sympathising scholars and future leaders.” The British paper wrote that is how Orbán would like to cement his legacy and create a “deep state.”

MCC received a vast sum and various assets from the Hungarian government in 2020, the start of the COVID pandemic. It received GBP 1.3 billion, equivalent to the entire budget allocated to the Hungarian higher education. Furthermore, they got Ricther and MOL shares. The annual revenue only from that source was HUF 12 billion (EUR 31 million) in 2021. That sum increased to 28.4 billion (EUR 74M) in 2022 and will reach 36 billion (EUR 94.3M) this year. We can say that although the Hungarian public education system is in shambles financially (coupled with a serious teacher shortage), the fate of this institution is pretty much secured.

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As it is understood, MCC planned to expand to the UK after buying up the Modul Universität Wien in Austria in May. Moreover, they already have a partnership with the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation. “MCC finances scholarships for hundreds of students to attend top universities, some of whom will now be sent on courses in the UK”, The Guardian wrote. They said the institute financed student trips to the UK, the so-called Scruton lectures.

Sources told The Guardian that MCC would like to open an outpost in the Hungarian cultural centre at Trafalgar Square, but an MCC spokesperson denied that. He said that was not yet the case.