In my capacity as President of the International Federation for Research in Women’s History, an
affiliate of the International Committee of Historical Sciences in some 40 nations, I am writing to
convey support of Central European University and express concern at proposed legislative
changes to CEU’s status in Hungary. These proposed changes would endanger the academic
freedom vital for CEU’s continued operation in Budapest and would strike a blow against the
academic freedom that enables all universities, including those in Hungary, to flourish. As
historians, we rank CEU in the forefront of promoting reflective thinking and original empirical
research in the practice of our field. Its innovative program and first-rate faculty and students is
world renown. Their presence at international conferences has enriched us all, including conveying the significance of Hungarian history and scholarship to worldwide audiences.
