Hungary’s Human Resources Ministry: No university closures in the offing

Budapest, April 11 (MTI) – The government is not closing any university, the Central European University included, the human resources ministry said on Tuesday, commenting on fears that the CEU may have to close down after amendments on higher education were signed into law.

The government’s aim is to ensure that universities in Hungary operate under uniform legal standards, the ministry said in a statement.

The amended law does not contain provisions requiring the CEU to close down, the ministry said. The university can continue to operate seamlessly once an agreement is reached between Hungary and the United States, it added, underscoring the government’s good intentions and readiness for talks.

Education state secretary László Palkovics is due in Brussels on Tuesday to brief the European Commission firsthand about the content of the new higher education law amendment passed by parliament last week, it noted.

The law, signed by the president on Monday evening, tightens regulations on foreign universities operating in the country.

“It is regrettable that several politicians in Brussels have made statements on the issue before learning about the real situation,” the ministry said, adding that these politicians “relied on information provided by anti-government organisations financed from abroad”.

Palkovics is scheduled to hold talks about the amended law with EC Vice President Frans Timmermans in the afternoon.

Source: MTI