Strengthening the alumni network is a key priority of the university’s Bridge Strategy. Where does the university currently stand in this area? 

Corvinus has always had an extensive alumni network. We train future leaders with a strong multidisciplinary mindset, which means our alumni include leaders from both the business and public sectors. Just one example: this year, our university has five alumni serving as ministers in the new government. Over the past 30 years, more than 50 of our alumni have served as ministers. 

However, when I started working here, I felt that somewhere along the road, most of our alumni lost touch with the university. So, the first step was to re-engage our former graduates. We established new events and an alumni award to recognize our outstanding alumni. This year, we organized our annual alumni reunion for the second time, with more than 1,000 participants. 

In parallel, last year we started an international event tour aimed at organizing events and establishing local hubs for our alumni working abroad. In Zurich, we hosted an event with 80 alumni; in Munich, with 90 alumni; in London, with 120 alumni; and in The Hague, we welcomed 50 alumni to our event. In November, we will also organize a gathering for our alumni living in Brussels and the surrounding area. 

Meanwhile, our alumni database has reached 20,000 members. We are still only at the beginning of the journey, but I believe that significant progress has been made over the past year in developing our alumni network. 

What was the main motivation behind launching the Corvinus Alumni Scholarship? 

We think that the Corvinus Alumni Scholarship is a good opportunity to give back to the university and support outstanding talent at the same time. Learn, earn, return. This is the motto of the scholarship. If you think it through, this motto applies to the career path of most people. First, we learn and develop the skills we need to build a successful career. Then, we earn through our work and continue to grow professionally. Later in our careers, we feel compelled to give back by donating or mentoring the next generation of talent. 

How can alumni make donations, and how are the funds raised used? 

The scholarship fund is financed entirely by donations from our alumni community, with the aim of supporting one or more exceptional students. Once the fund reaches HUF 1 million, a scholarship of HUF 100,000 per month can be awarded to a student for a full academic year (10 months). We have not yet reached the first HUF 1 million, but as soon as we do, we will open applications to the scholarship programme. The number of scholarships available depends on the amount raised: one scholarship can be offered for each HUF 1 million collected. Any remaining amount will be carried over and added to the fund for the following academic year. There is no minimum donation amount, so every contribution counts — even the price of a coffee can help support a student’s studies. 

All the information about the scholarship, as well as the bank account number to which donations can be transferred, can be found HERE. 

What would you say to Corvinus alumni who are considering contributing to the scholarship fund but have not yet made a donation? 

I think it is a fantastic fund because it aims to ease the financial burden of tuition fees for talented students, including those from low-income families. Caring is sharing. We care about our alumni, and we truly hope that our alumni community remains engaged in supporting our students and helping to attract talented students, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.