As Hungary's largest interdisciplinary education and research center, MCC considers it a priority to foster a generation of Hungarian social scientists who are seeking answers to the challenges facing Hungarian society, committed to scientific methods, confident in communicating their own research results and able to interpret the results of other disciplines.
The MCC Research Center Membership Program offers a unique training opportunity for MCC School graduates who see their future in science and wish to excel in their work even at international level and participate in the vibrant intellectual life at MCC.
At MCC, we believe that beyond a certain level, knowledge cannot be acquired in a linear fashion, nor can it be transferred through normal class instruction. Following the best traditions of European university culture, we envision the education of the future generation of scientists as based on discussion, community, and a mentor-mentee relationship. By providing mentoring from the MCC's outstanding center leaders and institute directors, a network of peers and a unique intellectual and physical infrastructure, we offer a year-long opportunity for our students interested in research to get a glimpse of what a career in science is like in real life.
Researchers are often accused of conducting their research in an ivory tower, being isolated from society, and working for the desk drawer. MCC's approach to science and its academic programs go against this stereotype. When scientific research is done well the goal is nothing less than to push the frontiers of human knowledge – if only by the slightest margin - further into the unknown. When scientific research is done well, the researcher is alone in the unknown, far from the colleagues who are most familiar with the subject. The MCC Research Center Membership Program aims to raise trainees’ awareness of the fact that finding a common language to present research results is a challenging task both for researchers and non-specialists. It is therefore indispensable that the new generation of scientists acquire the skills of science communication. MCC not only provides students with a space for professional immersion but, aware of its responsibility, also encourages them to organize scientific life.
How is this program different from the courses in MCC schools? There are no point-based incentives, and the minimum conditions are easy to meet. The program builds on student self-motivation, and participants are treated as adults. At any point in the year, it's easy to see how much one has put in and taken out of the program. Therefore, the Center Membership Program is open only to those MCC students who have demonstrated exemplary diligence and commitment to research. Participants in the MCC Center Membership Program are expected to be motivated and focused, to maximize their potential and to work with precision. Clear decline in attitude, failure to comply with the rules, or misuse of opportunities entails exclusion from the program.
Research Center Membership Program
Center members will not only continue to be housed at MCC’s dorms, but they will also receive a monthly stipend, cooperate closely with MCC academics, including visiting professors from abroad, participate in small-group, advanced-level courses and tutorials, enjoy not only the well-known MCC community experience, but also have access to the rich intellectual and cultural life at all MCC sites.
This one-year program (which can continue for a further year as a junior researcher) is designed for those who want to gain relevant experience in science and research before deciding whether to make a long-term commitment to a career in science.
The Center Membership Program puts an emphasis on the social activities of participants, including team-building activities, discussions, excursions and dinners.
