IPSA's Statement on Academic Freedom in Hungary, regarding Central European University

The International Political Science Association (IPSA) is deeply concerned about the difficulties Central European University (CEU) has encountered in continuing its academic activity in Hungary, as a consequence of the failure of the Hungarian Government so far to sign the agreement that would allow the CEU to fulfill the requirements of the new regulation. As clearly expressed in IPSA's previous statement regarding the new Regulation on Hungarian Higher Education, the CEU is a highly respected institution that excels in many disciplines including Political Science.  We feel that the considerable and unnecessary limitations of its teaching and research activities in Hungary would be a significant loss for the international political science community as well as for our Hungarian colleagues, and the Hungarian society at large.

Not signing the agreement that would allow CEU to go on with its academic activity cannot be justified by the lack of a similar activity of this institution abroad, given its programs in New York State (USA). We deem that the refusal of the Hungarian Government to sign the agreement displays a clear disregard of academic freedom and it aims to prevent the Central European University from continuing and developing its teaching and research activity. Silencing an institution committed to the teaching of political science and its various sub-disciplines according to international standards, on many occasions in cooperation with a large number of political scientists around the world, cannot be approved.

We strongly oppose the decision by the Hungarian Government to disallow the CEU to function as it did in the past, and we request it to reconsider its decisions in order to facilitate CEU’s fulfilment of the new legal requirements so as to allow this outstanding academic institution, and its excellent faculty and students to continue their academic work.