How to Kill a University
A sign with the name of the prestigious Central European University (Közép-európai Egyetem or CEU) still stands on the facade of a grand 19th-century villa in the center of Budapest. It was founded by the renowned George Soros in 1991, after the fall of communism, with the intention of sending a different image of his native Hungary to the world. This is an image of a country open to Europe, intellectually self-confident, and somewhat relaxed in its attitude towards the West and its bold ideas.
TL;DR
- The Central European University (CEU), founded by George Soros, was expelled from Hungary in 2017 by Viktor Orban's government through a "special" law.
- Orban's government dismantled university autonomy through "legalistic" means, replacing academic freedom with a system designed to consolidate political power and promote a "non-liberal" agenda.
- State universities were transferred to "foundations" controlled by government loyalists, effectively becoming party outposts.
- Gender studies were banned in 2018, and the government claimed the right to determine which disciplines could exist.
- The Hungarian Academy of Sciences and arts institutions were brought under state control.
- Hungary's universities have fallen significantly in academic freedom rankings, comparable to countries like Chad and Libya.
- These policies led to a significant emigration of Hungarian students and academics.
- The "Hungarian scenario" is presented as a potential warning for Serbia.
- Some US politicians, like J.D. Vance, praised Orban's measures as a conservative success against left-wing dominance in universities.