This year, we held our traditional opening event at an unusual location, in strict compliance with pandemic regulations, i.e. outdoors, at the T9 Bastion of the Buda Castle. After the opening greetings of the leadership, we awarded the former heads of our specializations in the University Program. At the event, Dr. Bálint Molnár, Dr. Gábor Papp, Bence Partos, Dr. Adam Szucs, Dr. Peter Káplár and Alexandra Pleier received special MCC honours recognizing their outstanding work in recent years. At the opening of the year, nearly sixty new students of our University Program also introduced themselves to us in a few sentences, sharing their motivations, and why they chose Mathias Corvinus Collegium. We closed the evening with informal conversations, for which the pleasant atmosphere was provided by live jazz music.