To: Dr. László Kövér, Speaker of the National Assembly

CC: orbanviktor@orbanviktor.hu, erkeztetok@me.gov.hu, Support_for_CEU@ceu.edu

Re: Letter of support for CEU from the Median Research Centre, Bucharest

 

April 4, 2017

Dear Dr. László Kövér,

 

We learnt with concern that the Hungarian government’s recently proposed amendment to the 2011 Act on National Higher Education would likely terminate the presence of the Central European University (CEU) as we now know it in Budapest and in Hungary. This measure would deprive the Hungarian society and the entire Central and Eastern European region of one of its most successful and acclaimed higher education institutions, which brings a wide range of benefits to the entire region, but above all to Hungary, at no cost to the public. We share the Hungarian government’s legitimate concern with quality assurance in higher education. Yet some of the measures under consideration would only undermine an outstanding institution and appear to serve no other objective.

Through its educational programmes, conferences, and the scholarship produced by its faculty members, CEU has had a key role in raising the level of academic research in the entire region. The remarkable outpour of support for CEU seen in the last few days testifies to the university’s wonderful achievements, and highlights the terrible damage that this new legislation is about to inflict on the Hungarian scientific community and Hungary’s future generations.

Since its foundation in 2003, the Median Research Centre has employed several CEU graduates and our researchers have collaborated with CEU faculty and students in numerous research projects that contributed to a better understanding of contemporary Romanian politics and society. Like many other academic institutions and think tanks in the region, we feel particularly indebted to the CEU for the role it has played in the past 25 years in advancing academic excellence and helping young social scientists from this part of the world produce high quality research.

We respectfully urge the Members of the Hungarian Parliament to weigh the above considerations carefully, respect academic freedom, and help the CEU to continue its operation in Hungary.

 

 

Median Research Centre, Bucharest, Romania

Marina Popescu, founding president

Roxana Bodea, executive director

Mihail Chiru, research director

Borbála Kovács, board member

Gabor Tóka, board member

 

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