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Eine von der Orban-Regierung geplante Gesetzesreform würde den Betrieb der von dem Milliardär George Soros gegründeten Central European University in Budapest unmöglich machen. Vor allem österreichische Medien berichten."Die Verachtung, die Ungarns rechtspopulistischer Regierungschef Viktor Orbán für den amerikanischen Milliardär und Philanthropen George Soros empfindet, kommt aus tiefstem Herzen. Denn das Lebenswerk des gebürtigen Budapesters, die Open Society Foundation (OSF), propagiert eine Geistigkeit, die die Antithese zu Orbáns Politik- und Machtverständnis bildet. Sie hat sich der Förderung von Toleranz, Weltoffenheit, rationalem Diskurs, offener Kritik verschrieben. Nun soll es nach Orbáns Willen dem Kernstück der Soros-Institutionen in Europa, der Zentraleuropäischen Universität (Central European University), an den Kragen gehen. Wie aus dem Nichts brachte Sozialminister Zoltán Balog am Dienstagabend eine Novelle des Hochschulunterrichtsgesetzes im Parlament ein. Diese formuliert formal-bürokratische Bedingungen für das Betreiben von Hochschuleinrichtungen, die die CEU nicht erfüllt" (Standard).Immerhin schreibt die SZ etwas zu Orbans Plänen:http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/ungarn-orbns-naechstes-ziel-1.3441904Ich dokumentiere die englischsprachige Pressemitteilung der CEU aus der Archives-L:"Budapest, March 28, 2017 – Central European University (CEU) expresses its opposition toproposed amendments to Act CCIV of 2011 on National Higher Education, tabled inHungarian Parliament today. After careful legal study, CEU has concluded that theseamendments would make it impossible for the University to continue its operations as aninstitution of higher education in Budapest, CEU's home for 25 years. CEU is in fullconformity with Hungarian law. The proposed legislation targets CEU directly and istherefore discriminatory and unacceptable. CEU calls on the government to scrap thelegislation and enter into dialogue to find a solution that allows CEU to continue inBudapest as a free and independent international graduate university.“Any legislative change that would force CEU to cease operation in Budapest would damageHungarian academic life and negatively impact the government of Hungary's relations withits neighbors, its EU partners and with the United States,” said CEU President and RectorMichael Ignatieff. “I call on the government to enter into negotiations with us to find asatisfactory way forward that allows CEU to continue in Budapest and to maintain theacademic freedoms essential to its operation.”The 2004 joint declaration between the Hungarian government and the State of New Yorkconfirmed the parties' joint agreement to support CEU's goal of achieving Hungarianaccreditation, while at the same time maintaining its status as an accredited Americanuniversity. Following the 2004 joint declaration, a special law namely Act LXI of 2004 onState Recognition of Közép-európai Egyetem, established Közép-európai Egyetem (KEE);literally translated, this means “Central European University.” KEE was established as theHungarian entity which then allowed for Hungarian accreditation of 10 graduate anddoctoral level programs at the University. CEU/KEE is one higher education institution withone campus in Budapest. The dual identity of CEU/KEE enables the University to complywith both Hungarian and U.S. laws and award both Hungarian and U.S.-accredited degrees.This is a common model. CEU is one of many American-accredited internationaluniversities that do not operate any academic programs within the U.S.In addition, the amendments would require CEU to open an additional campus in the stateof New York. Forcing CEU to do so would have no educational benefit and would incurneedless financial and human resource costs.The section of the amendment that most clearly illustrates discrimination against CEU isthe provision that prevents Hungarian universities (in this case, KEE) from deliveringprograms or issuing degrees from non-European universities on behalf of CEU. Existinglegislation allows for university programs and degrees from OECD countries (including theU.S.) to function through joint Hungarian entities, as CEU/KEE currently does. Hungary itselfhas been a member of OECD since 1996, and as such, should not discriminate againstother OECD countries.Another clear example of discrimination in the proposed amendment is the elimination ofa good-faith waiver that currently allows academic staff from non-EU countries to work atthe KEE entity without requiring a work permit. The change would create additional andunnecessary barriers to hiring and recruitment. Given that CEU relies particularly much onprofessors from outside of the EU, the new regulation would place the university in adisadvantageous position.The proposed amendment also forbids the American entity CEU to continue its programunder the current name of “Central European University” unless “Közép-európai Egyetem”(KEE), the Hungarian entity, changes its name. This would require both entities to changethe names that were established a quarter of a century ago.CEU celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2016. It has no other desire than to remain inBudapest. It is deeply embedded in Hungarian academic life, collaborating with otherinstitutions of academic excellence in Hungary from ELTE to the Hungarian Academy ofSciences, sharing research projects, teaching, knowledge, and enabling student exchanges.Of the nearly 1,800 students CEU educates each year, Hungarians make up the largestgroup. The majority of CEU staff and nearly half the faculty are Hungarian. CEU contributesto the Hungarian economy through tax, social security, and health insurance contributionsas well as payments to local suppliers.CEU is a private and independent institution. Many of our degree programs in the socialsciences and humanities rank in the world’s top 200, and many in the top 100, some in thetop 50. CEU faculty are remarkably successful in earning research grant funding from theEuropean Union and other grant-making organizations in competitive tenders held acrossEurope or across the globe. From 2011-2016, CEU received €6,955,221 in ERC grants. For2017-2022, the University will receive €14,988,163 in ERC grants. CEU has a reputationwhich should make Hungarians proud. We employ Hungarian professors; we haverecruited many notable Hungarian scholars back home from posts overseas; our largestcomponent in our student body consists of Hungarian students.We are proud of our reputation, proud of our contribution to Hungarian academic life forthe past 25 years and we will defend our achievements vigorously against anyone whoseeks to defame our work in the eyes of the Hungarian people. The combined entities ofCEU/KEE, which deliver 8 master's and 2 doctoral degree programs accredited in Hungary,is deeply embedded in Hungarian academic life and society. It employs over 600Hungarians and enrolls, on average, 400 Hungarian students per year – the largest nationalgroup among our students. These are just a few of CEU's rich contributions to Hungaryand to the world. Any legislation that would make it difficult for CEU to operate in Hungarywould destroy this fabric of cooperation with Hungarian institutions and the Hungarianpublic and would damage Hungary's long-held reputation as a center of innovation,academic excellence and scientific inquiry."