Fighting new Hungarian legislation

Abattle to defend academic freedom is underway in Budapest and Canadians need to know what is at stake.

The institution under attack is Central European University, founded 25 years ago to train students in the humanities and social sciences. We are now a truly global university attracting students from 120 countries, with masters and doctoral programs regularly ranked among the world’s best. While we are a HungarianAmerican institution, accredited in the United States and in Hungary, the Canadian stake in our battle is clear enough: about 20 Canadian students attend every year, the university has a Canadian trustee, Chaviva Hosek, and the rector is also a Canadian.

New legislation, which became law in April and comes into effect in October, would only allow us to remain in Budapest if we secure a binding international agreement between U.S. authorities and the Hungarian government. Laszlo Palkovics, prefers to attack the university and its rector in the pages of the National Post.

He alleges that new legislation was required because of “irregularities and unlawful practices” committed by international universities in Hungary, including CEU. At no time, has he informed us what these offences are and he ignores the fact that his own department has informed us in writing that we are in conformity with Hungarian regulations. To claim otherwise, without a shred of evidence, is defamatory.

No justifiable grounds have been offered by the Hungarian government as to why we should be required to open a campus in the U.S. and offer programs in New York. Budapest is our home and one would have thought a nationalist Hungarian government would welcome the fact that we actually educate students from 120 countries in their capital city!

The Minister’s claim that “it is not our intention to close CEU or any other universities” is false. If CEU is not in compliance by midOctober 2017, our license to operate can be terminated and from Jan. 1, 2018, we will not be able to accept students. The objective is clear: to force us to give up our American-accredited masters and doctoral degrees and subject ourselves to the full control of the Hungarian government.

It is the government, not CEU, who has made this a political issue by ramming this legislation through Parliament. If the government wishes to conduct a vendetta against George Soros, the founder of our institution, CEU cannot stop them, but we have every right to refuse to be taken hostage.

On April 28, the European Commission found the new legislation in violation of European law. The government’s European allies have demanded that it keep CEU open, abandon the deadlines and initiate negotiations. Even now, it is not too late for the Orban government to listen to their colleagues in Europe, pay heed to the chorus of voices around the world, including in Canada, calling on them to come to their senses.

These voices of sanity include Canadian university presidents and the Canadian Association of University Teachers who have written to us expressing their support. These Canadian teachers and researchers know us for what we are: a free institution that prides itself on the rigour of our teaching and the seriousness of our scholarship. We are proud that you are standing with us. President and rector of the Central European University (CEU) Michael Ignatieff says more than 650 universities from around the world and 24 Nobel laureates have written letters of support for the school.