Participants of the Corvinus talent support programme at the gates of the selected universities 

At a press event on the progress of the programme on the 10^th of February, the rector of the university, Előd Takáts said that Corvinus’ social responsibility project fills the gap in mentoring disadvantaged young people who wish to learn.  

On the 10^th of February, the participants of the programme talked about their next planned career steps and their impressions of the Corvinus Illyés Gyula talent support programme at a press conference at Corvinus University of Budapest. The University’s Illyés Gyula programme provides young people with intensive ten-month personalised training, mentoring, study grant, housing, transport and free study tools to help them succeed in this year’s admissions. 

From what was said, it was clear that Corvinus is not the only target of the eight motivated young people who will be given a second chance to succeed in higher education this year. Talented people from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to apply for degree programme in engineering, law, economics and psychology, depending on their interests. Participants said that for them, the programme is a new start, a source of security and motivation. It gave them the boost and faith they need to prepare for the admission test with confidence. 

The programme not only provided us with academic preparation or financial support, but also with ‘motherly’ support and friendships. I was thrown in at the deep end, but now I’m really confident that I’m good enough to be a university student. I now believe that I have good opportunities as a Roma. I have gained strength and self-confidence, and I particularly enjoy the international environment for language learning, said Mária Horváth, one of the participants in the programme, at the press conference.  

Corvinus University’s mission is to find and educate the most talented students, regardless of their social background, to become the elite of the future. The Illyés Gyula programme is an initiative that fills a gap and shows a moral path for the whole of Hungarian higher education in terms of social responsibility, Előd Takáts, the rector of Corvinus, said at the event. He added: Thanks to the Corvinus admission rules to be applied from 2024, a participant who does not get into the university of their choice this year will have a better chance of getting into Corvinus next year, because they will receive 100 per cent of the institutional points. 

Krisztina Megyeri, associate professor and one of the mentor teachers of the Illyés Gyula programme, stressed: the programme is not merely about catching up academically, but about starting a whole new life path with comprehensive mentoring and a strong emphasis on follow-up Step zero is first about finding the right career path for their capabilities, opening up their opportunities – what they are good at, what their skills and interests are – and then about overcoming the obstacles on the way, and developing the right subject knowledge. The leader emphasised: Peer helpers, especially the volunteers of the student organisation Studium Generale, are a great help to achieve this. 

Corvinus’ Illyés Gyula programme offers an intensive talent support programme for graduate youngsters whose parents or foster parents do not have diplomas and who have not yet been admitted to any higher education institution. Applications for the next academic year of the programme are expected from May this year.