Request submitted to register foundation supporting the Chinese Fudan University
The innovation and technology ministry (ITM) on Friday submitted a request to authorities to register a public interest foundation to manage the assets of Fudan University, a Chinese university slated to set up a campus in Budapest.
The foundation’s board of trustees, headed by Innovation and Technology Minister László Palkovics, will prepare impact studies and plans before a referendum on the construction of the university, the ministry said.
The government is working to
bring a university ranking 31st worldwide to Budapest,
to strengthen the competitiveness of Hungarian higher education and to enable Hungarian and central European students to obtain degrees at an elite university in Budapest, the statement said. Fudan University may help Budapest to become an international knowledge hub, it said.
The government will brief parliament on the preparation and expected costs of Fudan Hungary University by the end of next year, the statement said.
Meanwhile, Gergely Karácsony, one of the PM candidates of the opposition and mayor of Budapest, said that
the project should be killed with a 1-sentence-long bill.
He cleared on Thursday that the government broke his word by building the Budapest campus of the Fudan University in the area where they planned to erect the so-called student city in Budapest. Therefore, he would like to withdraw Budapest’s approval to host the 2023 World Athletics Championships. The City Council of Budapest will decide on the issue, but the Democratic Coalition already announced they would back the idea.
The parliament – following the government’s proposition –
previously gave all needed real estate to the foundation that will operate the Chinese university for free.
The government said it would like to hold a referendum about Fudan’s Budapest campus. However, it did not say whether it will be a local one in Budapest or a national referendum.
In July, Gergely Karácsony wanted a national referendum on the issue, but the National Election Committee did not decide about it in its July session.
Source: MTI, 444.hu