Budapest, 10 November 2026 – “The MNB wishes to create a new system of partnerships with universities that prioritises real-world performance and tangible results,” stated MNB Governor Mihály Varga, after signing letters of intent on the MNB’s cooperation with institutions of higher education. He stressed that one goal of the MNB’s new management was to enhance the training of financial and economic professionals in such a way that universities, students and economic actors would all benefit.
Governor Varga explained that the MNB had started by signing a letter of intent for a cooperation framework agreement with the Corvinus University of Budapest, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, and Eötvös Lóránd University. As he had previously noted, the MNB had allocated HUF 120 million per semester for research programmes, and the preparation of seven research projects was currently underway. Included alongside traditional economic subjects were the development of advanced economic models and the creation of a database to compare AI models. The Governor highlighted that with the spread of artificial intelligence the financial sector would increasingly need data scientists, applied mathematicians and professionals from other fields, in addition to economists. Bearing this in mind, the MNB’s scholarship programme would be extended to 21 university majors instead of the previous 17. Varga explained that, in addition to the three partner institutions, the renewed scholarship programme would be joined by the University of Debrecen and the University of Pécs. From the spring semester onwards, a total of 88 master’s students could receive support for ten months, on a budget of HUF 110 million per semester. He added that the programme was intended for the top three percent of the most outstanding master’s students. Governor Varga highlighted that the financing of university programmes was funded from the MNB’s fine revenues, and as such it could be said that the funds from system errors were being used for the betterment of the future. He added that the selection of partner institutions was based on an objective, data-based methodology, with the cooperation agreements reviewed annually. Based on the experiences gained, it was possible that more institutions would be able to join in the future.
Magyar Nemzeti Bank