US embassy expresses concern over higher ed bill’s effect on CEU

Budapest, March 29 (MTI) – The US embassy has expressed concern over a recent bill to amend the law on higher education in order to clarify and tighten rules governing foreign higher education institutions operating in Hungary, which it says would “seriously restrict” the operation of the Central European University (CEU).

David Kostelancik, the charge d’affaires at the embassy, told MTI on Wednesday that the US is opposed to any measure that would endanger the university’s operation or independence.

He called CEU a “first-class higher-education institution” which he said enjoys an “excellent reputation” in Hungary and around the world. The university is an “important centre of educational freedom” in the region, he added.

CEU has taught and employed thousands of Hungarians, Kostelancik said. He said the university, founded and financed by American billionaire George Soros, was a “success story” of US-Hungarian relations, adding that it had strong bipartisan support in the US.

President and rector of CEU Michael Ignatieff told a press conference that CEU would not close down “under any circumstances”, adding that the university intends to continue its academic programmes. The university considers Budapest its home, and intends to stay here, he added.

He said CEU considers the amendment proposal submitted by Human Resources Minister Zoltan Balog discriminative and an attack against the university. The university also believes the amendment proposal would be harmful to educational freedom across Europe and damaging to US-Hungarian relations, Ignatieff added.

He said the government should withdraw the bill and find an alternative solution. Ignatieff said CEU was prepared to hold talks with the government, adding, at the same time, that the submission of the higher education bill had broken the trust between the university and the government.

Opposition parties slammed the government for what they say is a threat to close down the university.

The opposition Socialists said CEU is a national treasure, and the government’s “threat” to close it down is tantamount to “treason”.

The Socialists said in a statement that the Orban government “is always looking for new enemies” in order to distract attention from its “sins”, and after its attacks against NGOs and Brussels, it has now launched an attack against the CEU.

CEU is among Hungary’s top-ranking universities each year and several Hungarian leaders have been among its graduates, including ruling Fidesz government members and one of the party’s MEPs, the Socialists said.

The Socialists will stand up for CEU and call on all opposition parties and educational institutions to follow suit, the party added.

The human resources ministry said on Tuesday the measures were needed after a government probe found violations and shortfalls at the “majority” of foreign colleges and universities that offer instruction in Hungary. In the future, the law will allow universities outside of the European Union to operate in Hungary only on the basis of an international agreement, the ministry said.