Since its inception, the mentorship programme has grown significantly: the first round included eight mentor-mentee pairs, the second increased to twelve, and now the third has started with sixteen pairs. 

The programme’s development over the past year is clear evidence that the knowledge taught at Corvinus stands up to the challenges of the corporate world. It also reflects the increasing synergy between Hungary’s leading economic education institution and a major regional corporation,

said Dr Lajos György Szabó, Vice-Rector for Academic Programmes at Corvinus University, at the closing ceremony of the second mentorship cycle and the launch of the third. 

This collaboration offers second- and third-year undergraduate as well as master’s students in economics or finance a unique opportunity to gain firsthand experience over four months. Mentees are immersed in the daily operations of middle and senior management at OTP Bank, gaining insight into multinational corporate culture, business operations, and banking practices. Corvinus students get a closer look at corporate structures, business etiquette, report preparation, meetings, professional training sessions, and negotiation techniques. They have the opportunity to ask questions, learn, gain experience, and expand their professional networks. 

For OTP Bank, the programme serves as an excellent platform for talent acquisition, helping to identify the needs of young professionals and create an attractive workplace environment for them. Meanwhile, mentors refine their skills in working with the younger generation, which they can also apply in managing their own teams. 

In our joint mentorship programme, generations learn from and about each other—and also about themselves,

said Gábor Galovics, Regional Manager of the Budapest Region of OTP Bank, during the event. 

For some students, the experience gained here translates directly into career opportunities: four mentees from previous programmes are now employees of OTP Bank.

The mentees completing the second round also shared how the four-month programme had influenced their career paths. Whether working on banking book interest rate risks, private banking advisory, regional planning, coordinating digitalisation operations across 11 countries, or event management, mentees reported being treated as colleagues and receiving dedicated attention to their professional development. Though their projects have concluded, they can continue to rely on the professional relationships they built with their mentors.