Corvinus University
The education of economics and commerce in Hungary dates back to the second half of the 18th century. The higher education level of the training began at the K. K. Joseph Polytechnikum in 1857. Out of this developed the Economic Section of the Royal József Technical University by 1914. The other predecessor of the University was the Faculty of Economics of the Royal Hungarian University of Sciences, dating from 1920. In 1934 this became the Faculty of Economics at the Royal Hungarian József Nádor University of Technology and Economics. In 1948 the government separated the Faculty of Economics from there and established the independent Hungarian University of Economic Sciences which was given a new site for teaching. Since then the lectures are held in an elegant building that once was the “palace” of the Customhouse. At that time the University had only one faculty. In the year 1952 three departments were organized: General Economics, Industry and Trade. The part-time training also began. A year later the University received its name after Karl Marx, which symbolized that the school was under direct control of the Communist Party. By the year 1955 the faculties of General Economics, Industry and Trade were established. This construction stayed for almost three and a half decades.
Karl Marx Computer lab for exchange students
In the late 60's, parallel with the introduction of market-oriented economic reforms, modern economic science played an increasing role in the Karl Marx University of Economic Sciences, and beside these other social sciences appeared. The University came to play an ever more important role in the dissemination of modern economic knowledge, in research into the real state of the Hungarian economy and Hungarian society, in the working out of proposals for market-oriented reforms and in initiating the process of democratization. In the 1980's the University played a vital part in providing the scientific underpinning for the transition from a centrally planned economy based on state ownership to a market economy based on private ownership.
With the social and economical changes that took place in Hungary in the late 80's, early 90's the University's name changed, too. From 1991 its name was Budapest University of Economic Sciences. In the year 1999, the Hungarian Parliament made a decision upon integrating the Budapest University of Economic Sciences and the College of Public Administration. The College of Public Administration was established in 1977 after a two-century-long history of educating notaries for the public sector. Due to the integration it became possible to train these experts on university level with some knowledge in public administration, in constitutional law, and in social sciences. Graduates trained for the needs of a modern administration occupy these positions after getting practice and completing their professional studies. The integration resulted a new title once again, on January 1st, 2000 the Budapest University of Economic Sciences and Public Administration was established, with 4 faculties and 54 departments.
Classrooms overlooking the center courtyard. University cafe in the lobby.
At the beginning of the 21st century the University is still obtaining the international and national approval as an institution for teaching economics, business, management, public administration and other social sciences. The specialty is the attention paid in its economics teaching and research, to view of other social sciences such as sociology, political science and economic and social history. The BUESPA has always laid a great emphasis on the modernization of its teaching. To improve the quality of teaching and research the University has brought out more than 300 new textbooks in the last decade of the 20th century. The teaching staff of the University had numerous scientific publications in several languages. The University has organized a large number of academic conferences with foreign and Hungarian participants and maintains very close teaching and academic contacts with many universities around the world. There are many courses offered in foreign languages (English, German and French) that are beneficiary in expanding the international relations. The University is acknowledged through being admitted to the membership of international organizations as the CEMS (in 1996) and the PIM (in 2001).
In September 2003, the process of integration continued at the institution as the former University of Horticulture with its 3 faculties joined BUESPA, hereby creating a multidisciplinary university of seven faculties. The future aim of the University is to benefit from the synergies resulting from this integration. In September 2004, the University's name was changed to Corvinus University.