Inspirations from the Heart of Europe – The Leadership Academy in Berlin

Upon arrival, the group’s first day was spent exploring the city center with a substantial walk, taking in the major landmarks and experiencing the vibrant pulse of the German metropolis. The group visited key sites including the Berlin Wall, Alexanderplatz, the Berlin Cathedral, Museum Island, Humboldt University, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Holocaust Memorial. Thanks to insightful presentations prepared by participants, they learned intriguing details about the history and significance of these landmarks.

The second day began at the German Federal Parliament building, the Bundestag. The former Reichstag building, which was almost entirely destroyed during the tumultuous 20th century, was reconstructed after the reunification of Germany. Its glass dome has since made it one of Berlin's most iconic attractions. Inside the Parliament building, the group attended an engaging lecture on the history of the building, Germany, and the current workings of its legislature.

Following this, they visited the Collegium Hungaricum, where they discussed the institution’s history and the challenges and opportunities of promoting Hungarian culture with its director. The day concluded with a visit to MCC's partner institution, ESMT Berlin, where they were introduced to the university's master's and MBA programs and met MCC alumni studying there.

On the third day, Gábor Csepregi, advisor at our Leadership Academy, delivered a lecture on the symbolic significance of the Berlin Wall. This was followed by a cultural program: the group attended a performance from the Berlin Philharmonic's "Lunchkonzert" series. After this cultural enrichment, they visited the Futurium Museum, which presented interactive exhibits on possible future environments, technologies, and societies.

The following morning began at the Saxony State Representation in Berlin, where the lecture focused on state-level politics and federal-level advocacy. The group then visited the Hungarian Embassy in Berlin, where Ambassador Dr. Péter Györkös discussed the current state of Germany's turbulent domestic politics and its impact on Hungarian-German bilateral relations. The day ended with a visit to GLS Bank, where MCC alumnus Dániel Tubik, now a portfolio manager at the bank, introduced the group to the workings of a fully green and sustainability-focused financial institution, showing how profit-driven operations can align with sustainable principles.

On the final day, two media professionals provided insights into the workings and challenges of German journalism. René Nehring shared his decades of experience at Die Zeit and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, while Kai Diekmann, who served as editor-in-chief of Bild for 14 years, offered a unique perspective on one of Europe’s most widely read newspapers. The trip’s final professional program was a visit to the startup Blacklane, founded in 2011, which provides premium personal transportation services in over 300 cities worldwide.