Orban stänger universitet

Nedanstående appell damp ner i min inbox natten till måndag och jag läste den först när det var för sent att göra det enda vettiga dvs underteckna uppropet mot Orbans och Fidesz planer – beslut ska fattas idag alltså – på att stänga Central European University i Budapest. Men lägger in den här anyway, FYI.

Dear colleagues,

I am writing to you to ask you to sign a letter of support with the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. Some of you may have heard that Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz-government is planning a legislation that would make the functioning of CEU impossible in Hungary. This attack, which resembles the attempts to close down the European University at St. Petersburg, is part of a wider campaign slashing higher education in Hungary (continuing since 2011), and against institutions and NGOs linked on the Hungarian-born liberal investor and philanthropist George Soros. George Soros is the founder of CEU.

The legislation that would ban CEU in Hungary has been fast tracked (!), and will be debated already tomorrow at the Hungarian parliament. A massive demonstration is held in Budapest as we speak. I am asking for you to show your support for instance in one or more of the following ways:

1) Please consider signing this petition which will be handed to the Parliament prior to the discussion on Monday:
hungarian-national-assembly-save-the-central-european-university

2) Writing a support statement as a department, more info at:
istandwithceu

3) Circulating these calls widely in your academic and governmental networks.

CEU is an English-language postgraduate university accredited in both the United States and Hungary, and provides Masters and PhD degrees in social sciences and economics. This matter is also very personal for me – I graduated with an MA in Sociology and Social Anthropology at CEU (2012-14), and and also held a staff position at the university prior joining the University of Helsinki. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of CEU in the region and beyond, and the critical thinking and research skills it has provided thousands of students. There is absolutely no question that I would not be where I am now without CEU. If anyone has any additional questions about CEU, I am happy to answer.

Video from the CEU Rector, Michael Ignatieff, regarding global support for CEU:

More information:
istandwithceu
ceu-responds-proposed-amendments-hungarian-higher-education-law
central-european-university-fights-survival-hungary
us-linked-top-university-fears-new-rules-will-force-it-out-of-hungary

Best regards for everyone, and truly thank you for the support,

Annastiina Kallius

Doctoral reseacher
Social and Cultural Anthropology
University of Helsinki