International students will play a significant role in CUB's renewal. Find out more about the changes coming with the transformation.
With Lajos György Szabó, Vice Rector for Education.
An original KÖZGAZDÁSZ ONLINE post.
Corvinus University of Budapest started a huge project when it decided to pioneer a model shift in the country. What is the reason for this, why is such a remodeling necessary?
If we look at national rankings, the high achievement of Corvinus is indisputable. However, this is not sufficient anymore, it is essential to be competitive on regional and global levels too. Our main competitors are the universities of the Eastern and Central European region, and there is certainly room for development for us here.
Does this mean that the transformation focuses mainly on foreign students?
Foreign students are very important as they help us maintain the global competitiveness and multiculturalism that we value here at Corvinus. Becoming more international is a strategic priority, but it is also in the best interest of the Hungarian students. Today a significant number of students at the top high schools decide to study abroad. Why wouldn’t they when they are able to get an excellent education in nearby Vienna, Prague or even London? So, we need to be successful at an international level and provide a local alternative for Hungarian students. We ought to offer internationally renowned training courses and competitive education so that students do not have to leave.
You mentioned enhanced competitiveness. How would you like to do it?
It is the mission of the renewed Corvinus to train and educate the elite of Central and Eastern Europe. Its vision is becoming the leading institution of the region in the economic and social sciences.
To achieve this, we are going to renew our educational portfolio. Besides the training in economics and business we are going to launch modern courses such as data science, behavioral science, or, what is considered to be the basis for the new version of classic education, interdisciplinary philosophy, politics and economics. We will simplify the course structure and courses will be transformed both content and methodology-wise. On the global market of higher education, the key to success is global thinking, so while maintaining constant quality control, Corvinus will keep increasing the number of English language programs, paying special attention to courses in collaboration with prominent foreign partners.
Furthermore, our goal is to strengthen the role of quantitative methodology and free arts in our educational programs. We also wish to live up to international standards with our research activities. We need to qualify for international standards both quantitatively and qualitatively, and to double the number of our Q1 and Q2 publications. We will intensify our participation in local, and, even more importantly, international research fellowships, and will found new research institutes.
Does that mean that Corvinus will be an elite institution?
Elite education does not mean that only the members of the elite will be able to study here. We want to train the elite of the future, where only talent matters, regardless of family background or financial means. We will create special programs for those who are talented but may find it difficult to get enrolled to Corvinus.
Corvinus will not become a business school. Quality elite training includes economic and social science programs. We envision a Corvinus where the business students receive an extensive economic and social science education, and the ones studying economics and social sciences will learn about the major findings of business studies.
How can this affect university autonomy?
The switch in ownership does not concern the academic autonomy of Corvinus. Life at the university will remain free. Decisions about the content of the courses, the research paths will continue to be made by the teachers and researchers of the University, based on the discussions at University forums. But, collaboration between the different teams will be better advocated and the support processes will be simpler and more efficient.
Extensive student autonomy will be maintained, the interests of the students will be represented in all cases regarding the educational and student services.
The autonomy of science and teaching, upheld by the new Constitution, will stay untouched at Corvinus. Our traditional branches of science will not change, that is, we will remain a University of economics, social sciences and business.
How are the students and staff affected by the transformation?
In order to achieve our goals, we need to reduce red tape, eradicate parallel processes, and simplify the multi-level management model. The need for change has been on the table for years, but the attempts were mostly rendered unsuccessful. This only proves that the basic idea is great, but for a full transformation we also need external intellectual and financial resources.
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