Soros-funded university plans Vienna campus

The Central European University, which has been involved in a spat with the Hungarian government, said last week that it was in negotiations to open a campus in Vienna, writes Maxime Schlee for Politico.

Central European University (CEU) President Michael Ignatieff said even if the Vienna campus gets the go-ahead, the university’s bases in Budapest and New York State would remain open. “We are committed to resolving our long-term future in Budapest through the New York State-Government of Hungary draft agreement. We hope that the Hungarian government will sign and ratify it as soon as possible,” he said, according to a press release.

In April 2017, the Hungarian government passed a fast-tracked bill that critics described as an attack on academic independence. Under the law, the CEU, founded by the billionaire American-Hungarian financier George Soros, wouldn’t be able to grant both United States and Hungarian degrees. The government-sponsored bill passed despite significant foreign and domestic criticism, including a strongly worded statement from the US Embassy in Hungary and days of protests in Budapest. Last Monday’s announcement follows recent reports that said no agreement had been reached between the university and the Hungarian government.
Full report on the Politico site