Every year, our college organises the Heller Farkas Professional Week, which over the years has become one of the most prestigeous events of the Corvinus University of Budapest that is organised by students (but naturally open to the public).

In the autumn of 2015 we again organise the Professional Week, where this time, we examine the importance of Hungary from the viewpoints of international economics, foreign policy and geopolitics, with the name, „our place in the world”. To the opening lecture of our event, we invited Mr. Péter Szijjártó, minister of foreign trade and policy, who has accepted our invitation.

In the 10th century, the western part of Europe tried to ask for help in prayer against the raiding Hungarians, while some 500 years later, they were praying for the Kingdom of Hungary, the last bastion of Europe. We also were the biggest gold and agricultural producers of the old continent. At the end of the 19th century, Budapest was the second biggest center of the milling industry in the world, after the American Minneapolis. In 1942, 30% of the world’s radio export was handled by Orion. By the end of the 70’s, the Ikarus factory, with its annual production of 10 000 pieces, became the biggest bus producer of Europe, and by the end of the 80’s, it got into the 5 biggest bus producres of the world and Hungarian buses commuted in 60 countries of the world. In 1989, for the collapse of the Berlin wall and the ending of the partition of Europe, the acceptance of thousands of NDK refugees by Hungary was an important milestone, the Paneuropean Picnic, and finally, the border opening of 11. September.

But how is Hungary viewed from the point of foreign- and geopolitics in 2015? What role does Hungarian economy play in our globalised world? Do we have economic entities of international importance? To summarise: Where is our place in the world? The goal of our conference is to find an answer to this question.

The program of the Professional Week:

Day 0 (02.11.2015.):
17:20-18:50 – C auditorium:
The opening ceremony of the conference – Zsolt Rostoványi, Vice Chancellor of BCE
Péter Szijjártó (minister of foreign trade and policy): “Our place in the world”

Day 1 (03.11.2015.):
The economic importance and competitiveness of Hungary from the collapse of socialism until nowadays
13:40-15:10 – Library auditorium:
László Csaba(Teacher of the Corvinus University, regular member of MTA): Pumas in Europe? Challenges and prospects of growth
15:30-17:00 – Library auditorium:
Attila Chikán (Teacher of the University, previous minister of economics): The competitiveness of Hungary and prospects of its betterment
17:20-18:50 –Library auditorium:
László Parragh (President of the Hungarian Chamber of Trade and Industry): Economics – knowledge – competitiveness

Day 2 (04.11.2015.):
Hungarian economic entities in the world
13:40-15:10 – Library auditorium:
Péter Halácsy (Founding member of Prezi): Prezi in the world
17:20-18:50 – Sóház I. auditorium:
Erik Bogsch (CEO of Richter Gedeon Nyrt.): Richter, the Hungarian multi

Day 3 (05.11.2015.):
The geopolitical and security political situation of Hungary. The international view of our homeland. The road, successes, failures and challenges of Hungarian foreign policy
13:25-13:40 – E II. auditorium:
The award giving ceremony of the freshmans competition of the Professional Week
13:40-15:10 – E II. előadó:

Foreign policy round table discussion:Tamás Magyarics (previous ambassador, university docent), Géza Jeszenszky (previous minister of foreign policy, university teacher), Péter Balázs (previous foreign minister, university teacher), moderator: Richárd Hlavay (host of inforádió)
15:20-15:30 – E II. előadó:
The draw for the main prize of the #IttAHelyem prize competition
15:30-17:00 – E II. előadó:
Ádám Tábori (press photographer): Lights and shadows of migration, in space and time – talk with pictures
17:20-18:50 – C VIII. előadó: Round table discussion on migration: Júlia Iván (legal lecturer of the Hungarian Helsinki Commitee), Péter Tálas (deacon of NKE, expert of security policies), Péter Stepper (president of Corvinus foreign and cultural matters), moderator: József Golovics (PhD student)