The Reluctant Internationalists research group is deeply alarmed by the law passed recently by the Hungarian government that will effectively shut down the internationally renowned and acclaimed Central European University (CEU) in Budapest. CEU has been at the forefront of research on nationalism, women and gender, history of science and medicine, and transnational history. Its diverse academic community, including students and staff from all over the world, has made significant contributions to these and many other academic fields and disciplines. CEU has taken a leading role in training several generations of students whose expertise has, in turn, greatly enriched not just Hungarian life.
Members of this research group have benefitted from the unique resources offered by CEU in the region. All of us have collaborated and exchanged ideas with CEU faculty and students. We are proud to join the long list of academic institutions, Nobel laureates and individual faculty members in expressing our support for CEU and our conviction in its continuing relevance and purpose.
The bill passed by the Hungarian government, which was not consulted with any stakeholders nor debated in parliament, severely threatens the freedom of academic research, and breaches law-making procedures. Therefore, we urge President János Áder not to sign the bill and to refer it to the Constitutional Court of Hungary. Shutting down CEU would be an unimaginable loss for Hungarian cultural, political, professional and intellectual life, as well as for regional and international knowledge and research, academic freedom, and a severe loss for democracy.
The Reluctant Internationalists stand with CEU.
Dora Vargha (University of Exeter, UK)
Jessica Reinisch (Birkbeck, University of London, UK)
Ana Antic (University of Exeter, UK)
David Brydan (Birkbeck, University of London, UK)
Johanna Conterio (Flinders University, Australia)
Elidor Mehilli (Hunter College, CUNY, US)
Holly Case (Brown University, US)
Brigid O’Keeffe (Brooklyn College, CUNY, US)
Friederike Kind-Kovacs (University of Regensburg, Germany)
Francesca Piana (University of Binghamton, US)
Esther D. Kim (Birkbeck, University of London, UK)
Siobhan Morris (Birkbeck, University of London, UK)
Jessica Pearson (Macalester College, US)
If you would like to express your support, there are several ways. Please consult https://www.ceu.edu/category/istandwithceu