CEU prepares to move to Vienna?

After the declaration back in May that the Central European University (CEU) intends to stay in Budapest, it seems like times have changed since then. This past Friday, Michael Ignatieff, the rector of the Central European University, has informed both students and teachers of the institution that, although they would still like to remain in Budapest, if they cannot get to an agreement with the government, they will have no choice but to move to Austria – reports 444.hu.

“Should the situation in Hungary stay unresolved, we will start all our programmes on a new Vienna campus, for which the necessary permissions are being filed, with the help of the assigned American board of education (Middle State Commission on Higher Education).”

On the other hand, students and teachers have also been reassured that CEU would continue the taught programmes as well as all their scientific work no matter what. They added that all their programmes will be offered, come September 2019.

However, Ignatieff emphasised that the necessary funds are at their disposal for operating the university in Vienna, no matter which scenario might come into effect.

If the university really has to move to Vienna, the students that had started their courses in the Hungarian capital can rest assured that they will be able to finish their studies in the same city in the 2019/2020 school year. The move to Vienna will only affect new students.

Although the plans to move to Vienna are not final yet, the most important steps, such as securing a place for teaching, and the necessary accreditation, are close to being finalised.