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MCC Winter Camp 2026 took place in Ótátrafüred with the participation of five hundred students, offering four days of professional, public, and cultural programs alongside a wide range of community building activities. The event once again aimed to provide students with an inspiring intellectual environment rooted in shared values, encouraging thoughtful engagement with the most pressing questions shaping Hungary and the wider world.
The camp was officially opened by MCC Director General Zoltán Szalai and Deputy Director General Péter Lánczi, who welcomed participants and outlined the institution’s mission and future direction. They stressed that education must adapt to a rapidly changing world and that MCC aims to lead this process. They also emphasized that the institution’s future depends not only on its educators but equally on its students, as the path forward must be shaped together.
The professional program opened with a panel on the situation and future prospects of the Hungarian community in Felvidék. The discussion featured László Gubík, President of the Hungarian Alliance, who noted that improving Slovak Hungarian relations alone is insufficient and that genuine reconciliation requires the effective enforcement of minority rights. The conversation addressed political representation, demographic challenges, community self respect, and the role of MCC Slovakia's programs in strengthening a committed young generation that chooses to build its future locally.
The second day focused on knowledge sharing through Holló Academy, where MCC students and instructors led lectures and workshops based on their research interests and professional fields. Topics ranged from artificial intelligence and legal dilemmas to geopolitics, natural sciences, culture, and identity, reflecting MCC’s role as an intellectual hub and the diversity of perspectives within its community.
An evening panel explored sport as a force for community building in a discussion between György Szöllősi, Editor in Chief of Nemzeti Sport, and Miklós Gór Nagy, world champion water polo player and Director of Education and Community Development at MCC. The conversation highlighted perseverance, performance, and patriotism as values that sport conveys to younger generations.
On the third day, a public affairs panel examined how the online media space is reshaping political campaigns and public discourse. Journalists and analysts András Hont, Zoltán Czeglédi, Dániel Kacsoh, and Gergő Kereki discussed the changing nature of political communication, with the session moderated by Boris Kálnoky, Head of MCC's School of Media. The panel emphasized that digital public sentiment does not necessarily reflect the true state of society.
This was followed by a cultural discussion on the interpretation of the past and the role of storytelling in shaping collective identity. Screenwriter Norbert Köbli, writer and journalist Endre Sal, and historian Zoltán Hegedűs reflected on how culture can transform history into a living heritage and serve as an active force in community building.
The day also included a panel on electoral systems, where Miklós Szánthó, Director General of the Center for Fundamental Rights, argued that Hungary’s electoral system is transparent and stable. He warned that recurring narratives about electoral fraud undermine trust in democratic institutions and highlighted the importance of legitimacy and public confidence.
The program concluded with a conversation between Zoltán Szalai and Balázs Orbán, Chairman of MCC’s Board of Trustees, on the functioning of politics, the transformation of campaigns, and the role of social media. Orbán noted that social media algorithms have become new gatekeepers of information, while emphasizing that MCC is a merit based community where students are selected according to talent and encouraged to understand broader processes and long term consequences.
On the final day, historian Mária Schmidt, Director General of the XXI Century Institute, joined Zoltán Szalai in a conversation on independence. Schmidt stressed that independence is not a permanent state but a capability that must be continuously regained in an uncertain and rapidly changing world, grounded in national identity and collective responsibility.
MCC Winter Camp remains one of the institution’s most important professional and community events. Through its panels, centers, and shared experiences, the 2026 edition once again demonstrated that MCC not only transmits knowledge but also offers a value based community and a long term vision for its students.
