András Lánczi received the title of Rector Emeritus at Corvinus University
The title of Rector Emeritus may be awarded to former rectors who have played a decisive role over a long period in the development of the institution and in strengthening its academic reputation. András Lánczi, philosopher, political scientist, and university professor, former Rector of Corvinus (2016–2021), and research professor at the Institute of Social and Political Sciences, received the certificate of recognition and the commemorative medal from Rector Bruno van Pottelsberghe at the Senate meeting held on 19 May 2026.
András Lánczi has been a member of Corvinus University of Budapest — and its predecessor institutions — since 1991, and has been a full professor since 2002. Throughout his career, he has played a prominent role in the university’s academic and institutional development: he led the Department of Political Science for many years, later heading the Institute of the same name, while also contributing significantly to shaping the Faculty of Social Sciences.
His name is associated with numerous important initiatives, including the following:
- He was one of the key initiators of the establishment of the Corvinus Institute for Advanced Studies (CIAS); the research centre would not have been launched without his active involvement.
- Under his leadership, the seven previously separate doctoral schools were integrated into four more efficiently operating units, and the organisational framework of the Corvinus Doctoral Schools was also established.
- He played a significant role in the early phase of the university’s internationalisation: through the multiple degree programme developed in a consortium led by the University of Glasgow, he helped create a successful model for international cooperation.
In 2016, he was elected Rector of Corvinus University, a position he held until 2021. Since 2020, he has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Maecenas Universitatis Corvini Foundation, which maintains the university.
He always considered the support of the next generation of researchers to be important: the Scientific Students’ Associations Conference (TDK) has been close to his heart, and even as Rector, he regularly took time to evaluate submissions and actively participated in the organization of the competition.
His research and teaching interests include political philosophy, the epistemology of political science, political theology, and theoretical questions of conservatism. He has devoted particular attention to the work of Leo Strauss, a major 20th-century political thinker. He is the author, editor, and translator of numerous volumes.
He has received several prestigious awards throughout his career: in 2003, the István Bibó Award of the Hungarian Political Science Association; in 2009, the Gold Medal of Corvinus University of Budapest; in 2012, the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary; and in 2022, the Széchenyi Prize.
We would like to express our gratitude for his dedicated service to the university and extend our congratulations on being awarded the title of Rector Emeritus.