Modifications to the Hungarian Higher Education Act and CEU's Objections
March 28, 2017 |
Legislation on the modification of the Higher Education Law tabled; CEU protests | CEU Press Release-ENG CEU Press Release-HU Summary of legislative changes and their impact |
March 29, 2017 |
CEU Community Forum held | See video |
| CEU Press Conference held | See video | |
| CEU Rector meets Secretary of State Laszlo Palkovics | CEU Press Release-ENG CEU Press Release-HU |
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March 29- onwards |
Letters from concerned individuals, inside and outside Hungary, sent to Minister for Human Capacities, Zoltan Balog (by April 3, over 1,000 are submitted) urging Minister Balog to withdraw the legislation | IstandwithCEU webpage – statements of support #aCEUvalvagyok |
| Support pours in both from within Hungary and internationally | IstandwithCEU webpage – individual statements of support | |
March 31, 2017 |
Prime Minister Viktor Orban claims CEU has cheated; CEU rejects claims | CEU Press Release-ENG CEU Press Release-HU |
| Hungarian Accreditation Agency issues statement claiming that KEE is lawfully accredited in Hungary | CEU Press Release-ENG CEU Press Release-HU |
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April 2, 2017 |
Protest in support of academic freedom in Hungary and CEU is organized by supporters of CEU with approximately 10,000 participants | CEU Press Release-ENG |
April 3, 2017 |
CEU submits legal memorandum to members of parliament arguing against proposed legislation | CEU Release of Memorandum |
| Lajos Kosa, leader of the Fidesz parliamentary group accuses CEU of being a phantom university; CEU rejects this | CEU Press Release-HU | |
April 4, 2017 |
Petition protesting legislative amendment is submitted to Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly with over 30,000 signatures from 134 countries | CEU Press Release-ENG |
| Hungarian Parliament accepts the modification of the Higher Education Law; CEU condemns passage | CEU Press Release-HU |
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| CEU Press Conference after vote | See video | |
| CEU Community Forum held | See video | |
| Human chain protest held after Parliamentary decision organized by supporters of CEU and drawing a crowd of approximately 5,000 | ||
April 5, 2017 |
CEU sends memorandum to the Hungarian President, Dr. Janos Ader, urging him to refer the legislation to the Constitutional Court | CEU Press Release-HU Summary of Memo-ENG Short Summary of Memo-ENG |
| Speaker of the Parliament signs bill and sends to President Ader for signature [President Ader must react within 5 days (by April 10)] | ||
April 6, 2017 |
CEU President and Rector Michael Ignatieff meeting high-level US officials | CEU Press Release-ENG |
April 9, 2017 |
The day before Hungarian President Janos Ader signed into law the discriminatory amendments to Hungarian higher education law that threaten to shut down CEU, an estimated 80,000 people take to the streets of Budapest to protest | |
April 10, 2017 |
Hungarian President Janos Ader signs the amendments to Hungary’s national higher education legislation; it becomes law. CEU strongly disagrees and commits to pursuing all legal remedies | CEU Press Release-Eng |
| U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Hoyt Yee visited CEU to speak with CEU President and Rector Michael Ignatieff and students from CEU, ELTE, Andrassy University Budapest and Corvinus University | CEU Press Release-Eng | |
April 11, 2017 |
Mark C. Toner, Acting Spokesperson of U.S. Department of State urges the Government of Hungary to suspend implementation of the higher education law affecting Central European University | CEU Press Release-Eng |
April 12, 2017 |
European Commission’s College of Commissioners discusses Hungary’s Higher Education law, agrees to conduct a thorough legal assessment and decide on next steps in its next infringement cycle | Press Release |
| CEU calls on Hungarian Government to initiate direct talks | Statement | |
April 13, 2017 |
Community Forum Held ahead of Easter Weekend | See video |
April 15-16,, 2017 |
Hungarian Prime Minister gives Easter interviews attacking CEU | Magyar Ildok Kossuth Radio |
April 16-onwards |
Support continues to pour in; Hungarian authors make the 24th Budapest book festival into a demonstration of solidarity, and other Hungarian intellectuals, business people, and sports figures, including several who are or have been aligned with Hungary’s ruling party, Fidesz, speak out in favor of CEU and in defense of democratic freedoms | |
April 20, 2017 |
Bipartisan group of 11 senior U.S. Senators calls on Hungary to take action to ensure CEU can remain in Budapest | CEU Press Release-Eng |
April 25, 2017 |
CEU Rector Michael Ignatieff meets with Ministers of European Parliament | Video |
April 26, 2017 |
European Commission concludes the law is not compatible with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and takes legal action against Hungary; announcing infringement proceedings [Hungarian government has one month to respond (by May 27)] “…the law is not compatible with the fundamental international market freedoms, notably the freedom to provide services and the freedom of establishment but also with the right of academic freedom, the right to education and the freedom to conduct a business as provided by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, as well as with the Union's legal obligations under international trade law.” |
EC Statement CEU Statement |
| European Parliament debates the situation in Hungary in dialogue with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban | Videos 15:25 - 17:06 | |
| CEU refutes Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s statement to the European Parliament | CEU Statement | |
April 27, 2017 |
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe calls on Hungary to stop implementation of the National Higher Education Act amendments | PACE Statement |
April 29, 2017 |
European People’s Party (EPP) summons Hungarian PM Orban to leadership; requires Hungary to comply with EC infringement conditions. “The EPP Presidency sent a clear message to Prime Minister Orbán and his party, Fidesz, that we will not accept that any basic freedoms are restricted or rule of law is disregarded. This includes academic freedom and the autonomy of universities. The EPP wants the CEU to remain open, deadlines suspended and dialogue with the US to begin.” |
EPP Statement |
May 3, 2017 |
CEU refutes the Hungarian government’s claim that it does not want to close down any Hungarian university and again calls for negotiations |
CEU Press Release EN/HU |
May 5, 2017 |
CEU refutes false allegations in a speculative article regarding the University’s research funding, employment, and taxes |
CEU Press Release EN/HU |
May 9, 2017 |
Hungarian Academy of Sciences issues resolution in support of CEU |
CEU Alert EN/HU |
May 17, 2017 |
On the same day that an Inter-Ministerial Working Group appointed by the Hungarian government tells CEU that it will not negotiate with the University, European Parliament passes a resolution calling for repeal of lex CEU. The EP further calls on the government “to immediately suspend all deadlines in the act amending the National Higher Education Act, to start immediate dialogue with the relevant US authorities in order to guarantee the future operations of the CEU issuing US-accredited degrees and to make a public commitment that the university can remain in Budapest as a free institution.” |
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May 18, 2017 |
The Hungarian government responds to the EP’s vote by saying that Hungary will not yield to political pressure |
HG Statement |
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CEU refutes inaccurate and defamatory statements made at the Hungarian government’s regular press conference regarding CEU’s position |
CEU Press Release EN/HU | |
May 21, 2017 |
Thousands again marched in Budapest and across Hungary in support of CEU in Budapest, civil society in Hungary, and Hungary in Europe |
CEU Press Release |
May 23, 2017 |
US Department of State again urges Hungary to “suspend implementation of its amended higher education law, which places discriminatory, onerous requirements on U.S.-accredited institutions in Hungary and threatens academic freedom and independence.” |
USG Statement |
May 24, 2017 |
The Hungarian government responds to the US Dept. of State’s May 23 statement, saying it “falls short of an official diplomatic reply” and denying academic freedom is under threat in Hungary |
HG Statement |
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New York Governor Cuomo announces his readiness to enter into discussions with the Hungarian government. “This legislation directly contradicts the 2004 Joint Declaration with the State of New York, which supported CEU's goal of achieving Hungarian accreditation while maintaining its status as an accredited American institution. The Government of Hungary has stated publicly that it can only discuss the future of CEU in Hungary with relevant US authorities, which in this case is the State of New York.” |
NY Gov Statement | |
May 25, 2017 |
Hungarian government responds to the European Commission’s infringement proceedings, says it found no issues with lex CEU and will not comply with the requests of the Commission to repeal or modify the law |
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May 30, 2017 |
Community Forum and Press Conference. CEU President and Rector Michael Ignatieff announces that CEU will stay in Budapest in 2017-18, while hoping that the current negotiations will rapidly lead to a long-term solution that allows CEU to remain in Budapest |
CEU Press Release EN/HU |
May 31, 2017 |
The Hungarian Constitutional Court sets up an ad-hoc working group to examine lex CEU | |
September 8, 2017 |
CEU signs memorandum of understanding with Bard College specifying the educational activities that CEU will conduct in New York |
CEU Press Release |
October 13, 2017 |
The Hungarian government |
CEU Press Release CEU's CEU Response To Justice Minister's Statement |
December 7, 2017 |
The European Commission refers Hungary to the European Court of Justice over lex CEU |
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February 2, 2018 |
European Commission sues Hungary over lex CEU |
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February 28, 2018 |
CEU's Hungarian legal entity (Kozep-europai Egyetem) is reaccredited by the Hungarian Accreditation Committee (MAB) following a review |
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March 12, 2018 |
CEU starts talks to establish a satellite campus in Vienna |
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April 13, 2018 |
Senior Hungarian officials visit CEU’s academic site at Bard College |
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June 26, 2018 |
CEU Trustees authorize opening recruitment in Budapest for 2019 |
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June 28, 2018 |
CEU welcomes U.S. Ambassador Cornstein to campus |
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August 16, 2018 |
CEU Condemns Attacks against Gender Studies Programs in Hungary |
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October 25, 2018 |
CEU to Open Vienna Campus for U.S. Degrees in 2019; University Determined to Uphold Academic Freedom |
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November 13, 2018 |
CEU Welcomes Support of Bipartisan Transatlantic Working Group |
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December 3, 2018 |
CEU Forced Out of Budapest: To Launch U.S. Degree Programs in Vienna in September 2019 |
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March 5, 2019 |
CEU Welcomes the Advocate General's Opinion Regarding Lex CEU |
CEU Press Release EN |
March 22, 2019 |
CEU Announces New Vienna Campus |
CEU Press Release EN |
March 31, 2019 |
CEU's Board of Trustees Endorses Steinhof site for CEU Vienna Campus |
CEU Press Release EN |
June 25, 2019 |
CEU “says goodbye” to its spiritual home, awards Open Society Prize to Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz |
CEU Press Release EN |
July 13, 2019 |
CEU Receives Austrian Accreditation |
CEU Press Release EN |
November 17, 2019 |
CEU Vienna: Official Inauguration Marks a “Momentous Day” for the University |
CEU Press Release EN |
September 25, 2020 |
CEU Opens Academic Year in Vienna, Welcomes First Cohort of Undergraduate Students |
CEU Press Release EN |
October 6, 2020 |
“Landmark Judgment” - Lex CEU Struck Down by European Court of Justice |
CEU Press Release EN |
August 1, 2021 |
Shalini Randeria appointed first woman and person from Global South as CEU's 6th President and Rector |
CEU Press Release EN |
