In a public letter directed to the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán, the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Parliament, Sir Jim McDonald states that the list of serious incidents is growing as, in addition to the attempts to close the Central European University (CEU) and the recent actions launched against the Centre for Social Sciences (MTA TK) of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA), this summer the Hungarian ministries of Human Resources and of Justice presented a draft decree to the Hungarian Rectors' Conference (MRK) calling for the abolition of master programmes in gender studies at Hungarian universities such as are currently being offered by the Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) and CEU. These continuous efforts of the Hungarian government to close CEU and discredit gender research and education for political goals are totally unacceptable.
On behalf of our Members, Sir Jim McDonald urges the Hungarian government and the European Union to fully respect academic freedom and institutional autonomy in this member state of the European Union and to assure that academic institutions are fully respected under the Hungarian constitution and laws.
With this letter, CESAER joins many other concerned organisations including the European Parliament (EP), in its call upon the Council dated 12th September, the European University Association (EUA), with its statement dated 12th September, and the Network of University Teachers, with its petition dated 13th August.