An alternative for affirmative action? The first five years of the Illyés Gyula Program

Abstract

In the autumn of 2021, Corvinus University of Budapest launched the Illyés Gyula Programme to support disadvantaged youth. This paper documents the Programme results, reflecting on the experiences of the Programme’s leading educators, student organization members, and participants—not to mention the legacy of Gyula Illyés. The ten-month Programme does not only teach professional skills but also develops personal skills. The approach of the Illyés Gyula Program differs from the widespread affirmative action models in two key aspects: (1) it first imparts the skills necessary for success and only then assists with university admission, and (2) the Program considers disadvantage itself rather than the participants’ ethnic background. The Program provides lessons which could help Hungarian higher education in promoting the institutional integration of equal opportunities.