John O’ Brien  

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Landline +3202-786-1980 

Email john.obrien@mcc.hu For Immediate Release   November 1st 2022

Brussels, Belgium: 

MCC Brussels, a new think tank and educational enterprise launched today,  promises to be a new forum for European debate and to shake up the discussion on the big issues that face the continent. An initiative of MCC  (Mathias Corvinus Collegium) , the leading Hungarian knowledge centre and  talent institution, the forum comes at a time of unprecedented political  polarization, promoting discussion on relevant public issues and providing a  home for genuine policy deliberation and in-depth exploration of the issues of  our time. 

Central to the group's mission is to bring young students to the focal point of  European policy discussions in Brussels. The Centre will offer a challenging  and stimulating environment for visiting young students to acquaint  themselves with Brussels' policy and decision-making processes. It will  provide short educational courses and seminars on matters pertaining to  European thought and European Union policymaking with the goal of teaching  students how to think rather than what to think. 

Professor Frank Furedi, Executive Director of MCC Brussels, said “The  global pandemic and the war in Ukraine have exposed as outdated the old  assumptions on how the world works or should work and call on us to learn  from history and one another. Issues we once thought settled are now open 

to question and Europeans need to embrace a spirit of open and honest  discussion, inquiry, and debate to grapple with the hot-button issues of the  day. Questions related to the environment, peace, the economy, energy, education, migration, and social harmony all call for the most rigorous debate  and discernment so we can forge a way forward for the European continent. The new forum is committed to asking the hard questions and working with 

people of goodwill from all persuasions to find solutions to our most pressing problems.” 

Balázs Orbán, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of MCC, said of the launch  “I am delighted that MCC decided to invest in our shared future for a better  Europe by providing an opportunity for intellectuals and experts to debate and  assess the conceptual and normative status of European policy making.  Drawing on MCC’s outstanding pool of expertise, it will attempt to acquaint  European policymakers with its distinct approach toward the political,  socioeconomic, and cultural issues of our time. As neighbors, we need to talk  and listen. This is the only antidote to the specter of political polarization that  haunts politics today.” 

Zoltán Szalai, Director General of MCC, said, “Too often lip service is paid to  the importance of youth. From our work at MCC for more than twenty-five years, we have seen firsthand that youth are committed to putting in the work  to build a strong society. At MCC we want to create a space in which they can  grow, learn, and experiment. We will provide the very best in education and  expertise, creating a unique intergenerational educational experience right in  the heart of Brussels. This is the sort of work that helps us create a better  future for generations to come.” 

Professor. Dr. Werner J. Patzelt, research director for MCC Brussels, said, “What will it mean to be European in the coming years? In a world that will be  increasingly defined by multi-polarity and a shift from the occident, this  question is of key interest to all countries in the EU. We need to start a broad  conversation, with the public at its heart, about the future of Europe, and of  the EU, and how Europe relates to questions of subsidiarity. Researching these  issues, and feeding the results into public and political discourses, is the  important mission of MCC Brussels." 

The offices of MCC Brussels will be located at Spaces City Centre (13 Rue  des Poissonniers, Brussels 1000) and the lecture room is at Regus Schuman  (6 Schuman roundabout). 

The inaugural event to launch will be a mini-conference entitled “Towards  European Renewal”. It will be held in Brusells on November 15th 2022, from  13.00 to 18.00 followed by a brief reception. Preregistration is required and  more details will be released next week. Three sessions will grapple with the  economic and social challenges that society faces now to answer the question 

“Where is Europe going in an age of global disorder?” Speakers include Nigel  Biggar, Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of  Oxford; Thomas Fazi, leading Italian political economist and author; Dr.

Monika Gabriela Bartoszewicz, Polish Academic and Associate Professor at the  Arctic University of Norway; and the founding team for the MCC Brussels. -Statement Ends 

About MCC Brussels 

At a time of unprecedented political polarization, MCC Brussels, will serve as  a forum for European debate and is committed to providing a home for  genuine policy deliberation and in-depth exploration of the issues of our time. It will provide an opportunity for intellectuals and experts to debate and assess  the conceptual and normative status of European policymaking. Drawing on  MCC’s outstanding pool of expertise, it will attempt to influence European  policymakers with its distinct approach toward the political, socio-economic,  and cultural issues of our time. 

The Centre will offer a challenging and stimulating environment for visiting  young students to acquaint themselves with the policy and decision-making  process in Brussels. It will provide short educational courses and seminars on  matters pertaining to European thought and EU policymaking. 

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