George Soros’s university says it is being forced out of Hungary
The institution's legal status has been in limbo for more than a year since changes to a higher-education law
The Central European University (CEU), founded by George Soros, said on Monday it had been forced out of Hungary in “an arbitrary eviction” that violated academic freedom, and it confirmed plans to enrol new students in neighbouring Austria in 2019. The university’s statement is the culmination of a years-long struggle between Hungarian-born but US-based Soros, who promotes liberal causes through his charities, and the nationalist, anti-immigrant government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban. “CEU has been forced out,” said CEU president and rector Michael Ignatieff in a statement. “This is unprecedented. A US institution has been driven out of a country that is a Nato ally. A European institution has been ousted from a member state of the EU. “Arbitrary eviction of a reputable university is a flagrant violation of academic freedom. It is a dark day for Europe and a dark day for Hungary,” the statement added. CEU’s legal status has been in limbo for more than a year since changes to a h...
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