Central European University#CEU Press

{{See also|List of Presidents and Rectors of Central European University}}

File:Inter-University Centre Dubrovnik. Chairs of the Council..jpg

CEU evolved from a series of lectures held at the {{ill|Inter-University Centre Dubrovnik|hr|Interuniverzitetski centar Dubrovnik|vertical-align=sup}}{{Cite web |title=Inter University Centre Dubrovnik |url=https://iuc.hr/index.php |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=iuc.hr}} in Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, (now Croatia). In Spring 1989, as historic change was gathering momentum in the region, the need for a new, independent, international university was being considered. The minutes of the gathering held in April 1989 record a discussion among scholars such as {{ill|Andorka Rudolf|hu|Andorka Rudolf (szociológus)|vertical-align=sup}}, {{ill|Hanák Péter|hu|Hanák Péter|vertical-align=sup}}, {{ill|Tardos Márton|hu|Tardos Márton|vertical-align=sup}}, István Teplán, Miklós Vámos and Miklós Vásárhelyi from Budapest, William Newton-Smith and Kathleen Wilkes from Oxford, {{ill|Jan Havránek|cs|Jan Havránek (historik)|vertical-align=sup}}, Michal Illner and {{ill|Jiří Kořalka|cs|Jiří Kořalka|vertical-align=sup}} from Prague, and Krzysztof Michalski and {{ill|Włodzimierz Siwiński|pl|Włodzimierz Siwiński (ekonomista)|vertical-align=sup}} from Warsaw.Central European University 1989–1999 – Ten Years in Images and Documents, {{ISBN|963 85230 4 2}}

In 1989–90, a serious attempt was undertaken to establish Central European University in the Slovak capital of Bratislava, but it fell through due to nationalist politicians' opposition.{{Cite web|url=https://dennikn.sk/548537/bratislava-mohla-mat-prestiznu-univerzitu-politici-a-nacionalisti-tento-plan-znicili/|title=Bratislava mohla mať prestížnu univerzitu. Politici a nacionalisti tento plán zničili|first=Filip|last=Struhárik|date=25 September 2016|website=Denník N}}File:Central European University Logo.svgThe university was founded in 1991 in response to the fall of the Socialist Bloc. The founding vision was to create a university dedicated to examining the contemporary challenges of "open societies" and democratization. The initial aim was to create a Western-modeled yet distinctly Central European institution that would foster inter-regional cooperation and educate a new corps of regional leaders to help usher in democratic transitions across the region. CEU was set up in Budapest, Prague, and Warsaw. The idea of a tri-city (Prague-Budapest-Warsaw) international graduate school was supported by then Czech President Václav Havel, Hungarian President Árpád Göncz and Polish historian Bronislaw Geremek, who later became Polish Foreign Minister.{{Cite web |title=Support to the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary |url=https://classics.phil.muni.cz/en/news-and-events/news/support-to-the-central-european-university-in-budapest-hungary |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=Department of Classical Studies |language=en}}

The university was originally located mostly in Prague, and held its first classes there with around 100 students from 20 countries.{{Cite web |title=A brief history of CEU {{!}} Science{{!}}Business |url=https://sciencebusiness.net/news/80218/A-brief-history-of-CEU |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=sciencebusiness.net |language=en}} Because of "political and financial conflict between its founder and [the] Czech government",{{cite web |url=http://www.praguepost.cz/archivescontent/13126-central-european-university-to-leave-prague.html |title=Central European University to Leave Prague |last=Durcanin |first=Cynthia |website=The Prague Post |date=20 January 1993 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225155451/http://www.praguepost.cz/archivescontent/13126-central-european-university-to-leave-prague.html |archive-date=25 December 2014 }} represented by then prime minister Vaclav Klaus, in January 1993 it was moved to Budapest.

File:Nádor Street 9, CEU building.jpg

In its second decade, CEU broadened its focus from regional to global, with a special emphasis on democracy promotion and human rights around the world. It has since developed a distinct academic approach, combining regional studies with an international perspective, emphasizing comparative and interdisciplinary research in order to generate new scholarship and policy initiatives, and to promote good governance and the rule of law.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ceu.hu/about/president-rector-welcome|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117085418/http://www.ceu.hu/about/president-rector-welcome|url-status=dead|title=ceu.hu – Welcome from the President and Rector|archive-date=17 January 2012}} CEU has extended its outreach and financial aid programs to certain areas of the developing world.{{cite web |url=http://ceu.bard.edu/about/ |title=CEU | About CEU & Budapest |access-date=3 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080505093748/http://ceu.bard.edu/about/ |archive-date=5 May 2008 }} Bard College: About CEU and Budapest

CEU began the region's first master's degree programs in gender studies and environmental sciences. The CEU Center for Media, Data and Society (now the newly independent Media and Journalism Research Center) is the leading center of research on media, communication, and information policy in the region. Soros was one of the largest contributors to CEU’s endowment, pledging $202 million to the university’s endowment in 2005, which was valued in 2010 at $880 million. On 14 October 2007, George Soros stepped down as chairman of CEU Board.{{Cite news |last=Foer |first=Franklin |date=2019-05-09 |title=Viktor Orbán's War on Intellect |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/06/george-soros-viktor-orban-ceu/588070/ |access-date=2024-05-28 |work=The Atlantic |language=en |issn=2151-9463}} Leon Botstein (president of Bard College, New York), who had previously served as the vice-chair of the board, was elected as new chairman for a two-year term. George Soros is a Life-CEU trustee and serves as honorary chairman of the board.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ceu.hu/news-event.jsp?nr=2467&content_type=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023204822/http://www.ceu.hu/news-event.jsp?nr=2467&content_type=1|url-status=dead|title=George Soros Steps down as Chairman of CEU Board|archive-date=23 October 2007}}

On 1 August 2009, Rector Yehuda Elkana was succeeded by human rights leader and legal scholar John Shattuck.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ceu.hu/about/president-rector-welcome/jshattuck-rector-announcement|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306042002/http://www.ceu.hu/about/president-rector-welcome/jshattuck-rector-announcement|url-status=dead|title=ceu.hu – John Shattuck Commences Term as New CEU President and Rector|archive-date=6 March 2012}} On 5 May 2016, it was announced that Michael Ignatieff would succeed Shattuck, becoming the fifth president and rector of the university.{{cite news |author= |title=Michael Ignatieff Elected 5th President and Rector of CEU |url=https://www.ceu.edu/article/2016-05-05/michael-ignatieff-elected-5th-president-and-rector-ceu |newspaper=Central European University Newsroom |date=5 May 2016 |access-date=14 May 2016 }} Ignatieff's inauguration took place at the university's new auditorium on 21 October 2017.{{Cite web |title=Inauguration of Michael Ignatieff as the Fifth President and Rector of Central European University {{!}} Central European University |url=https://www.ceu.edu/file/inauguration-michael-ignatieff-fifth-president-and-rector-central-european-university |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=www.ceu.edu}}File:A Körvasút hídja a Kerepesi út felett és a Közép-európai Egyetem épülete, 2018 Zugló.jpgOn 28 March 2017, Hungarian Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog, also responsible for education, submitted a bill to Parliament to amend Act CCIV of 2011 on National Higher Education. The bill aimed to introduce new regulations for foreign-operating universities, several of which affect CEU. Notably, such universities could only operate if the Hungarian government has an agreement with the university's other country of operation (in the case of CEU, the agreement is between the State of New York and the city of Budapest). In addition, universities operating outside of the European Union should have a campus in their other country of operation, where comparable degree programs would be offered (in 2017 it was not the case for CEU). Furthermore, both existing and new non-EU academic staff would be required to apply for work permits. This requirement is seen by critics as placing CEU at a particular disadvantage, given that it relies largely on non-EU faculty. Finally, the law would also prohibit the American and Hungarian entities from sharing the same name.{{Cite news|url=http://budapestbeacon.com/featured-articles/ceu-faces-existential-threat-proposed-legislation/45370|title=CEU faces existential threat under proposed legislation|last=Spike|first=Justin|date=29 March 2017|work=The Budapest Beacon|access-date=3 April 2017}}File:Central European University. - Frankel Leó Street, 2016 Budapest.jpgCEU issued a statement expressing its opposition to the bill, noting that "these amendments [to Act CCIV of 2011 on National Higher Education] would make it impossible for the University to continue its operations as an institution of higher education in Budapest, CEU's home for 25 years", and that "CEU is in full conformity with Hungarian law."{{Cite web|url=https://www.ceu.edu/article/2017-03-28/ceu-responds-proposed-amendments-hungarian-higher-education-law|title=CEU Responds to Proposed Amendments in Hungarian Higher Education Law|date=28 March 2017|website=Central European University|access-date=3 April 2017}}

The same day, the pro-government news website Origo.hu published an article asserting that CEU, to which it referred as "Soros University" (George Soros being its founder and main benefactor, and also known as an opponent of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party), operated unlawfully in Hungary, citing regulatory infractions. The article also referred to a report prepared by Hungary's Educational Authority, which revealed that 28 universities, including CEU, were being investigated for operating unlawfully in Hungary. CEU issued a statement in response to the article, claiming the allegations of cheating and regulatory infractions constituted defamations and libel, and threatened to sue the website if the article was not corrected.

On 29 March 2017 Ignatieff, the President and Rector of CEU, Pro-Rector for Hungarian Affairs Zsolt Enyedi and Pro-Rector for Social Sciences and Humanities Éva Fodor held a press conference. Ignatieff said, among other things, that "the legislation tabled by the Hungarian government relating to higher education is targeted and discriminatory, attacks the CEU, and is an unacceptable assault on our academic freedom", and "the academic freedom of Hungarian higher education in general". Later, Ignatieff and Enyedi met Secretary of State for Education László Palkovics. CEU issued a statement thereafter, calling "for the government to withdraw this legislation and enter into negotiations to find a solution."{{Cite web|url=https://www.ceu.edu/article/2017-03-30/ceu-statement-proposed-higher-education-legislation-following-meeting-minister|title=CEU Statement on Proposed Higher Education Legislation Following Meeting With Minister Palkovics|date=30 March 2017|website=Central European University|access-date=3 April 2017}}

On 31 March 2017, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated in an interview on public radio that the future of "Soros University" depended on US-Hungarian talks. He said that CEU was "cheating" by awarding both Hungarian and American degrees, despite not operating abroad. This was a breach of Hungarian regulations, which gave an unfair advantage to CEU over the other 21 foreign universities in Hungary. In response to those claims, CEU issued a statement rejecting the suggestion that it was cheating and in breach of Hungarian regulations. Indeed, according to CEU, no laws in effect required universities such as CEU to also operate in their countries of origin.{{Cite news|url=http://hungarytoday.hu/news/pm-orban-ceu-enjoyed-unfair-advantage-hungarian-universities-63942|title=PM Orbán: "CEU Enjoyed Unfair Advantage Over Hungarian Universities" – UPDATED: Reaction by CEU & Statement By U.S. State Department!|date=31 March 2017|work=Hungary today|access-date=3 April 2017}} However, Szilard Nemeth, vice chairman of Fidesz, was more blunt, stating that civil society groups with funding from Soros should be "swept out" of Hungary.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hungary-fidesz-soros-idUSKBN14V0P2|title=Ruling Fidesz party wants Soros-funded NGOs 'swept out' of Hungary|last=Than|first=Krisztina|date=11 January 2017|work=Reuters|access-date=3 April 2017}}

On the same day, the first Trump administration released a statement expressing concern about the proposed legislation, which would "negatively affect or even lead to the closure of Central European University (CEU) in Budapest", and urging the Hungarian government not to take "any legislative action that would compromise CEU's operations or independence."{{Cite web|url=https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/03/269343.htm|title=Government of Hungary's Proposed Legislation Impacting Central European University (CEU)|date=31 March 2017|website=United States Government, State Department|access-date=3 April 2017}}

Hungary's ombudsman for educational rights Lajos Aary-Tamas called the amendment to the Higher Education Law "discriminatory against CEU", and said that during his 17 years in office he had never received any complaint about CEU's legal status.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ceu.edu/article/2017-03-31/ombudsman-says-amendment-discriminatory-against-ceu-pesti-sracok-reports|title=Ombudsman Says Amendment Discriminatory Against CEU, Pesti Sracok Reports|date=31 March 2017|website=Central European University|access-date=3 April 2017}} Hungarian EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Tibor Navracsics, and former President of Hungary László Sólyom also expressed support.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ceu.edu/article/2017-04-02/navracsics-stands-ceu|title=Navrasics Stands by CEU|date=2 April 2017|website=Central European University|access-date=3 April 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ceu.edu/article/2017-04-03/former-president-hungary-solyom-supports-ceu|title=Former President of Hungary Solyom Supports CEU|date=3 April 2017|website=Central European University|access-date=3 April 2017}}

Academics and academic institutions from Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Russia, Romania, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries expressed support for CEU. CEU itself started a campaign of support, with the slogans #aCEUvalvagyok Central European University in Hungarian and #IstandwithCEU Central European University in English.{{Cite web |last=Dóra |first=Ónody-Molnár |date=2019-08-01 |title=A helyünkön maradunk, és harcolunk – Lovász László az MTA elleni kormányzati rohamról |url=https://168.hu/itthon/a-helyunkon-maradunk-es-harcolunk-lovasz-laszlo-az-mta-elleni-kormanyzati-rohamrol-171935 |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=168.hu |language=hu}}{{Cite web |title=Legrosszabbul a magyar diák járt – a CEU-ügy egy katolikus reálértelmiségi szemüvegén át {{!}} Válasz Online |url=https://www.valaszonline.hu/2019/07/31/szeidl-gyorgy-ceu-orban-soros-velemeny/ |access-date=2024-06-18 |language=hu}} The campaign uses social media to call on supporters to express their solidarity to CEU and write to Hungarian representatives.{{Cite web |last=168.hu |date=2019-07-25 |title=Az Orbán-kormánynak kényes ügyeket is jegeli az Alkotmánybíróság, kétezer napja nem döntöttek egy betiltott tüntetésről |url=https://168.hu/itthon/az-alkotmanybirosag-ketezer-napja-nem-dontott-a-tuntetesek-betilthatosagarol-szamos-kenyes-ugy-all-naluk-171645 |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=168.hu |language=hu}}

British author Tibor Fischer expressed his support for the legislation passed on the initiative of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government, which affects CEU as well as all other Hungarian universities."[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/20/viktor-orban-tyrant-western-media-hungarian-leader-democracy-antisemite I don't recognise Viktor Orbán as a 'tyrant']" by Tibor Fischer, The Guardian, 20 April 2017 Fischer defended Orban against "charges of antisemitism", indicating that the government "introduced Holocaust education into schools, passed a Holocaust denial law and...financed Son of Saul, a film about Auschwitz that [went on to win] an Oscar." He specified that he opposes the practice whereby the CEU, being registered in New York City,{{Cite web |title=CEU info |url=http://nonprofits.findthecompany.com/l/162706/Central-European-University |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918052436/http://nonprofits.findthecompany.com/l/162706/Central-European-University |archive-date=18 September 2017 |access-date=3 January 2018}} can issue a diploma accredited in the United States but without actually operating a campus in America within the provisions of the law as every other Hungarian campus, a situation that he named as CEU students "getting a double bubble."File:CEU protest 20170402 171630.jpg{{ill|2017 protests in Hungary|hu|Magyarországi tiltakozások 2017 tavaszán|vertical-align=sup}} were held on April 2 in the form of a walk from Budapest's Corvinus University to Parliament, passing by Eötvös Loránd University and CEU. The demonstration brought together thousands of protesters according to Reuters, with protest speeches held by both CEU and foreign academics and activists, and was broadcast live on Facebook by Hír TV.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hungary-soros-protest-idUSKBN1740OY?il=0|title=Thousands rally in Hungary in support of Soros-founded university|last=Than|first=Krisztina|date=2 April 2017|work=Reuters|access-date=3 April 2017}}

In the wake of the new Hungarian legislation, the Czech Minister of Finance Andrej Babiš proposed the CEU be moved to Prague, Czech Republic, offering particular buildings in the centre of the city that the university might use.{{Cite web|url=https://zpravy.aktualne.cz/domaci/nabidneme-ji-prazskou-invalidovnu-babis-chce-do-prahy-prilak|title=Babiš chce do Prahy přilákat Sorosovu Středoevropskou univerzitu. Nabídněme jí Invalidovnu, navrhuje|date=4 April 2017|website=Aktualne.cz|access-date=4 April 2017}}{{dead link|date=April 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}File:CEU protest 20170409 185917.jpg|left|306x306px]]On 3 April 2017, CEU submitted a legal memorandum to the Hungarian Parliament, raising substantial issues about the legality and constitutionality of the proposed amendment to Act CCIV of 2011 on national higher education, and pledged to continue to contest this law using all available legal means in Hungary and in the EU.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ceu.edu/article/2017-04-03/ceu-submits-legal-memorandum-hungarian-parliament|title=CEU Submits Legal Memorandum to Hungarian Parliament|date=3 April 2017|website=Central European University|access-date=3 April 2017}} On the same day, the Hungarian parliament decided to debate and vote on the draft bill the following day, after a request by Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén, also head of the Christian Democrats, the junior party in the government coalition. Semjén said his request was justified by "government interests to pass the law early."{{Cite news|url=http://staging.hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_HUNGARY_SOROS_UNIVERSITY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-03-29-10-31-03|title=Hungary: Parliament to rush bill targeting Soros school|last=Gorondi|first=Pablo|date=3 April 2017|agency=Associated Press|access-date=3 April 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402144634/http://staging.hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_HUNGARY_SOROS_UNIVERSITY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-03-29-10-31-03|archive-date=2 April 2017}}

According to The New York Times, "Mr. Orban has long viewed the school as a bastion of liberalism, presenting a threat to his vision of creating an 'illiberal democracy,' and his desire to shut it down was only deepened by its association with Mr. Soros, a philanthropist who was born in Hungary. [He] has spent years demonizing Mr. Soros, a Jew who survived the Nazi occupation of Hungary, accusing him of seeking to destroy European civilization by promoting illegal immigration, and often tapping into anti-Semitic tropes."{{Cite news |last=Santora |first=Marc |date=3 December 2018 |title=George Soros-Founded University Is Forced Out of Hungary |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/03/world/europe/soros-hungary-central-european-university.html |access-date=6 December 2018 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} Vox wrote that CEU "was a casualty of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's turn toward authoritarianism, his development of a quietly repressive system that I've termed 'soft fascism'. CEU, a university dedicated to liberal principles and founded by Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros, posed a threat to Orbán's ideological project. So Orbán put into place a set of characteristically sneaky regulations aimed at forcing out CEU without needing to formally ban them, eventually crushing the university's ability to operate."{{Cite news |last=Beauchamp |first=Zack |date=4 December 2018 |title=An assault on a Hungarian university shows authoritarianism in action |url=https://www.vox.com/world/2018/12/4/18123754/hungary-ceu-orban-soros-authoritarianism |access-date=6 December 2018}} The Washington Post commented that CEU had "become the prime target of Orban's campaign to dismantle Europe's multicultural, tolerant liberalism and cement a culture that is unapologetically Christian, conservative, and nationalist."{{Cite news |last=Witte |first=Griff |date=3 September 2018 |title=Amid illiberal revolution in Hungary, a university with U.S. roots fights to stay |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/amid-illiberal-revolution-in-hungary-a-university-with-us-roots-fights-to-stay/2018/09/03/7061771c-a547-11e8-a656-943eefab5daf_story.html |access-date=6 December 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en}}

File:Inauguration of the Central European University Vienna Campus - 49084685798.jpgOn 3 December 2018 the university announced it would relocate the majority of its operations to Vienna in September 2019, after the Hungarian government's refusal to sign an agreement allowing it to continue teaching its US-accredited programs in Hungary. Less than one fifth of CEU's programs, that are locally accredited, would remain in Budapest.{{Cite news |last=Walker |first=Shaun |date=3 December 2018 |title='Dark day for freedom': Soros-affiliated university quits Hungary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/03/dark-day-freedom-george-soros-affiliated-central-european-university-quits-hungary |access-date=3 December 2018 |language=en}} The university retains accreditation as a Hungarian university and has sought to continue teaching and research activity in Budapest as long as possible, with current students completing their studies in Budapest.{{cite web |title=CEU forced out of Budapest |url=https://www.ceu.edu/article/2018-12-03/ceu-forced-out-budapest-launch-us-degree-programs-vienna-september-2019 |access-date=3 December 2018 |website=ceu.com |publisher=Central European University}}File:George Soros and Michael Ignatieff at the Inauguration of the Central European University Vienna Campus on November 15, 2019 in Expedithalle, Vienna.jpg, Soros, Zeilinger and Ignatieff at CEU Vienna campus in 2019|left|282x282px]]After failing to promote a deal between the US and Hungary that would keep the CEU in Budapest, US Ambassador to Hungary, David Cornstein, an appointee of the first Trump administration, said on 30 November that the whole issue "had to do with [Orban and Soros]. It had nothing to do with academic freedom or civil liberties".{{cite web |title=The Trump administration tried to save a U.S. university by playing nice with an autocrat. It failed. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/the-trump-administration-tried-to-save-a-us-university-by-playing-nice-with-an-autocrat-it-failed/2018/11/30/f028718a-e831-11e8-8449-1ff263609a31_story.html |access-date=4 October 2019 |website=washingtonpost.com |publisher=Washingtonpost}}

This withdrawal is the result of a long legal battle between the university and Viktor Orbán's government, and is set in the wider context of contemporary Hungarian politics. This situation has sparked discourse regarding academic freedom in Hungary, and spurred widespread protests in favour of CEU.{{cite web |title=George Soros-funded CEU 'forced out' of Budapest |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/george-soros-funded-university-forced-budapest-181203143206519.html |website=www.aljazeera.com}}{{Cite web |last=Frum |first=David |date=10 April 2017 |title=Freedom Fights for Survival in Hungary |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/04/ceu-orban-hungary/521868/ |website=The Atlantic}}{{Cite web |last=Foer |first=Franklin |date=9 May 2019 |title=Viktor Orbán's War on Intellect |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/06/george-soros-viktor-orban-ceu/588070/ |access-date=2022-06-17 |website=The Atlantic}} On 6 October 2020, the European Court of Justice ruled that the "lex CEU" legislation, drawn up by the Hungarian government, was incompatible with European Union law.{{cite news |date=6 October 2020 |title=Legal Victory for Central European University Is Too Little, Too Late |work=Balkan Insight |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2020/10/06/legal-victory-for-central-european-university-is-too-little-too-late/ |access-date=7 October 2020}}{{Cite press release |url=https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2020-10/cp200125en.pdf |work=Court of Justice of the European Union |title=The conditions introduced by Hungary to enable foreign higher education institutions to carry out their activities in its territory are incompatible with EU law |date=6 October 2020}}

In June 2021, Ignatieff announced that he would be stepping down as president and rector of the university, and that Shalini Randeria would succeed him as the sixth rector and president. Randeria is the first woman to serve in this role at the university.{{cite news |author= |date=June 21, 2021 |title=Shalini Randeria Elected CEU's 6th Rector and President |work=Central European University Newsroom |location=Budapest, Hungary |url=https://www.ceu.edu/article/2021-06-21/shalini-randeria-elected-ceus-6th-rector-and-president |access-date=June 21, 2021}}

In October 2023, Russia designated the university as an 'undesirable' organization.{{cite web|url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/10/16/russia-bans-central-european-university-as-undesirable-org-a82786|title=Russia Bans Central European University as 'Undesirable' Org|work=The Moscow Times|date=October 16, 2023}}

In the context of Hamas' attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and the subsequent Gaza war, there were repeated incidents at the CEU that were classified as antisemitic by various organizations. A series of events planned in cooperation with the University of Vienna, at which BDS activists were also due to speak, was canceled by the University of Vienna,{{Cite web |title=Uni Wien zieht Reißleine und sagt "Palestine"-Vortragsreihe ab |url=https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000193723/uni-wien-zieht-reissleine-und-sagt-palestine-vortragsreihe-ab |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=DER STANDARD |language=de-AT}} nevertheless took place at the CEU. A lecture at the CEU entitled "CEU Talks: Hamas' 7 October Attack, Terrorism Strategy and State-building"{{Cite web |date=2023-11-27 |title=CEU Talks: Hamas' 7 October Attack, Terrorism Strategy and State-building |url=https://events.ceu.edu/2023-11-27/ceu-talks-hamas-7-october-attack-terrorism-strategy-and-state-building |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Central European University |language=en}} was massively disrupted by students despite the presence of Rector Shalini Randeria. In a press release, the {{ill|Austrian Union of Jewish Students|de|Jüdische österreichische Hochschüler:innen|vertical-align=sup}} and the European Union of Jewish Students accused the CEU of ignoring the threat to Jewish students and that the Rector was refusing to meet with Jewish student representatives.{{Cite web |title=Außer Kontrolle: Antisemitismus an der Central European University |url=https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20231205_OTS0014/ausser-kontrolle-antisemitismus-an-der-central-european-university |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=OTS.at |language=de}}

CEU published a statement clarifying that the university does not tolerate antisemitism or all forms of hate speech, or any form of harassment or discrimination. The statement clarified that the university has processes in place to ensure that its students can report any incidents of antisemitism as well as all other forms of ethnic or religious hate speech, which are dealt with by its internal mechanisms within the parameters set out by CEU's Code of Ethics. CEU's founding mission in defence of open societies enjoins it to protect critical discussion, and the freedom to scrutinize competing ideas. Such academic freedom includes the freedom to dissent respectfully and to expound controversial ideas within the bounds of legality and civility.{{Cite web |title=CEU Stands Against Antisemitism and Defends Academic Freedom {{!}} Central European University |url=https://www.ceu.edu/article/2023-12-05/ceu-stands-against-antisemitism-and-defends-academic-freedom |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=www.ceu.edu}}

In November 2024, Randeria resigned as a rector before the end of her term.{{Cite web |title=CEU President and Rector, Shalini Randeria, Announces She Will Step Down at End of Academic Year 2024/2025 {{!}} Central European University |url=https://www.ceu.edu/article/2024-11-11/ceu-president-and-rector-shalini-randeria-announces-she-will-step-down-end |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.ceu.edu}} According to media reports, she was pushed out by the board after intense internal criticism of her leadership.{{Cite web |title=Smogglocke über Wien: Wie gefährlich sind die hohen Feinstaubwerte? |url=https://www.falter.at/morgen/20241112/hohe-feinstaubbelastung-wie-gefaehrlich-ist-die-schlechte-luft |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.falter.at}}{{Cite web |date=2023-02-24 |title=Outcry as CEU closes refugee access programme |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/outcry-ceu-closes-refugee-access-programme |url-access=subscription |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20230224142321/https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/outcry-ceu-closes-refugee-access-programme |archivedate=2023-02-24 |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Times Higher Education |language=en}} Carsten Q. Schneider was elected CEU's Interim President and Rector, and would serve from August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026.{{Cite web |title=Carsten Q. Schneider zum Interimspräsidenten und Rektor der CEU gewählt |url=https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20250226_OTS0008/carsten-q-schneider-zum-interimspraesidenten-und-rektor-der-ceu-gewaehlt |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=OTS.at |language=de}}

As of 2024, the university is composed of 13 academic departments and 17 research centers, in addition to the Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy and International Relations.{{cite web |title=Schools and Departments |url=http://www.ceu.hu/academics/schools-departments |access-date=15 June 2016 |publisher=Central European University}}

{{Div col|colwidth=2}}

1. Department of Cognitive Science
2. Department of Economics and Business
3. Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy
4. Department of Gender Studies
5. Department of Historical Studies
6. Department of International Relations
7. Department of Legal Studies
8. Nationalism Studies Program (to be closed by the academic year of 2026)
9. Department of Network and Data Science
10. Department of Philosophy
11. Department of Political Science
12. Department of Public Policy
13. Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology
14. Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy, and International Relations{{Cite web |title=Schools and Departments {{!}} Central European University |url=https://www.ceu.edu/academics/schools-departments |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=www.ceu.edu}}

{{Div col end}}

Admission into CEU programs is highly selective. In 2021, the admission rate of the university was 13%.{{Cite web |title=Institutional Factbook: Student Admissions {{!}} Central European University |url=https://www.ceu.edu/institutional-factbook/admissions |access-date=2023-05-29 |website=www.ceu.edu}} As of 2019, 1217 students were enrolled in the university, of which 962 were international students, making the student body the fourth most international in the world.{{Cite web|url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2020|title=QS World University Rankings 2020|date=1 February 2017|website=Top Universities}} CEU offers doctoral programmes in 13 different subjects and master's programmes in 37 different subjects, in addition to 3 interdisciplinary bachelor's programmes. All programmes at CEU have a heavy research focus, and all courses are delivered in small, seminar-style classes, emphasising a low student-faculty ratio of 7 to 1.{{Cite web|date=16 July 2015|title=Central European University|url=https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/central-european-university|website=Top Universities}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ceu.edu/node/9034|title=Teaching | Central European University|website=www.ceu.edu}}

Until the 2019–2020 academic year, CEU was exclusively a postgraduate university and therefore not eligible for general world university rankings. Two new bachelor's degree programs were introduced in the 2020–2021 academic year.{{Cite web|url=http://www.iu.qs.com/university-rankings/policies-conditions/|title=QS Intelligence Unit | Policies & Conditions|access-date=10 June 2017|archive-date=7 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807215456/http://www.iu.qs.com/university-rankings/policies-conditions/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://undergraduate.ceu.edu/|title=CEU Undergraduate|website=CEU Undergraduate}}

Regardless of this limitation due to the intentionally small size and specialised nature of the university, CEU has consistently performed well in subject rankings produced by various publishers.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-29 |title=Central European University |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/central-european-university |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Times Higher Education (THE) |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=ShanghaiRanking-Univiersities |url=https://www.shanghairanking.com/institution/central-european-university |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=www.shanghairanking.com}} CEU has particular strength in disciplines such as political science, international relations, philosophy, history, and public policy, among others.{{Cite web |date=25 February 2020 |title=Politics & International Studies |url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2020/politics |website=Top Universities}}

In 2014, the university's Economics department was ranked 8th in Europe by the European Research Council (ERC), based on research excellence.{{Cite web|url=http://economics.ceu.hu/news/2014-01-10/ceu-economics-is-8-in-europe-based-on-research-excellence|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201194604/http://economics.ceu.hu/news/2014-01-10/ceu-economics-is-8-in-europe-based-on-research-excellence|url-status=dead|title=European Research Council – Economics|archive-date=1 February 2014}} Of the three European Research Council Starting Investigator Grant that came to Hungary two were awarded to CEU faculty.{{Cite web |title=Central European University – Contributions to Hungary |url=http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102969153775-285/CONTRIBUTIONS+TO+HUNGARY,+11.25.11,+01.09.12.pdf}}

CEU's Department of Legal Studies was ranked first in Central Europe by the Czech newspaper, Lidové noviny. The survey included Austrian, Czech, German, Hungarian, Polish, and Slovak universities.{{Cite web |url=http://www.lidovky.cz/nejlepsi-fakulta-ve-stredni-evrope-duj-/ln_noviny.asp?c=A110221_000115_ln_noviny_sko&klic=241450&mes=110221_0 |title = Předplatné LN |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804194215/http://www.lidovky.cz/nejlepsi-fakulta-ve-stredni-evrope-duj-/ln_noviny.asp?c=A110221_000115_ln_noviny_sko&klic=241450&mes=110221_0 |archive-date=4 August 2012 |url-status=dead}}

CEU is organized as an American-style institution, governed by a board of trustees, with a charter from the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York, for and on behalf of the New York State Education Department.{{cite web |url=https://www.ceu.edu/administration/board-of-trustees |title=Board of Trustees |website=Central European University |access-date=2022-06-17 }} In the United States, CEU is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. In Hungary, CEU is officially recognized as a privately maintained and operated university. The university was accredited by the Hungarian Accreditation Committee in 2004. In Austria, CEU is recognized as a private higher education institution, pursuant to section 7 of the Decree on Accreditation of Private Universities (PU-AkkVO). Central European University Private University (CEU PU) is accredited by the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ceu.edu/administration/accreditation|title=Accreditation | Central European University|website=www.ceu.edu}}

File:Közép Európai Egyetem (4).jpg|177x177px]]

[http://www.library.ceu.edu/ The CEU Library] has a large English-language print collection of more than 150,000 documents and over 50,000 e-journals and 200,000 e-books.

{{Main article|Blinken Open Society Archives}}

The Blinken Open Society Archives (OSA) at CEU is a Cold War research facility, holding over 7,500 linear meters of material, 11,000 hours of audiovisual recordings and 12 terabytes of data related to communist-era political, social, economic and cultural life. OSA's collection includes an extensive archive of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty transcripts and reports, along with a large collection of underground samizdat literature and materials from Central and Eastern Europe under communism. The archive also houses a growing collection of documents and audiovisual materials on international human rights and war crimes.{{cite web|url=http://www.osaarchivum.org/about-us|title=About Us – OSA Archivum|access-date=15 June 2016}}

File:Közép-európai Egyetem, Oktober 6. utca, 2017 Lipótváros.jpg

{{Main article|CEU Press}}

The CEU Press is the largest English-language publisher in Central and Eastern Europe. Since its founding in 1993, it has played an important role in publishing books on the economic, social, and political transformation of the region, including titles by Hungarians or on Hungarian themes. Four of its top-10 best-selling books worldwide are related to Hungary.

{{Main articles|Institute for Advanced Study at Central European University}}

The Institute for Advanced Study at Central European University (IAS CEU) is a research institution in Budapest, Hungary. Established in 1992 as Collegium Budapest, it was originally planned for social sciences. It was dissolved in 2011, while the activities of the Collegium have since been continued on a smaller scale by the newly founded Institute for Advanced Study at Central European University.{{Cite web |title=Wayback Machine |url=http://www.colbud.hu//apc-aa/img_upload/Press_release.pdf |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20160624013158/http://www.colbud.hu//apc-aa/img_upload/Press_release.pdf |archive-date=2016-06-24 |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=www.colbud.hu}}

Graduate students of CEU and University of Vienna could attend courses at the partner institution, and transfer their credits towards their degrees at their home institution.{{Cite web |title=CEU Cooperation |url=https://studieren.univie.ac.at/en/admission/master-programmes/ceu-cooperation/ |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=studieren.univie.ac.at |language=en}} CEU and Bard College run a joint master's program in international relations.{{Cite web |last=Relations |first=Bard Public |title=Bard and CEU to Offer New Joint International Relations MA Program Track |url=https://www.bard.edu/news/bard-and-ceu-to-offer-new-joint-international-relations-ma-program-track-2022-12-13 |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=www.bard.edu |language=en}}

CEU has partnerships and student and/or faculty exchange agreements with University of Graz, Vienna University of Economics and Business, University of Toronto, Antai College of Economics and Management, Beijing Normal University, China University of Political Science and Law, Centre international de formation européenne, École des hautes études en sciences sociales, ESSEC Business School, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Technical University of Munich, University of Hamburg, Corvinus University, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, European University Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Columbia University, Cornell University, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, among others.{{Cite web |title=Academic Cooperation Agreements {{!}} Central European University |url=https://www.ceu.edu/partnerships/academic-cooperation |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=www.ceu.edu}}

{{Further|Category:Central European University alumni}}

As of 2023, 18,667 students from 151 countries have graduated from CEU, the majority of whom went on to be employed in business, education, research, or government.{{cite web|url=https://www.ceu.edu/about/facts-figures|title=CEU Facts and Figures|publisher=Central European University|date=2023|access-date=30 May 2024}}

Among the university's alumni in law and government are the former President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili{{cite web |title=Archived- President of Georgia |url=https://www.president.gov.ge/en/President/Biography |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407025236/https://www.president.gov.ge/en/President/Biography |archive-date=2014-04-07}} as well as the first Romani woman Members of the European Parliament Lívia Járóka{{cite web |title=Archived- Lívia Járóka |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Anthropology/students/l_jaroka.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090623043620/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Anthropology/students/l_jaroka.htm |archive-date=2009-06-23}} and Monica Macovei, former Georgian Minister of Defense Tinatin Khidasheli, chairman of the Slovakian Party of the Hungarian Coalition József Berényi, Azerbaijani opposition politician Ilgar Mammadov, and former Croatian Minister of Justice Orsat Miljenic. The international spokesman of the Hungarian government, Zoltán Kovács,{{cite web|url=https://www.sn.at/politik/weltpolitik/ceu-kuendigt-teiluebersiedlung-von-budapest-nach-wien-an-61830478|title=CEU kündigt Teilübersiedlung von Budapest nach Wien an|publisher=Salzburger Nachrichten/APA|date=3 December 2018|access-date=29 June 2019}} is also an alumnus of CEU.

Central European University also has alumni who are academics in the social sciences, environmental sciences, and humanities. Jaroslav Miller, professor of history and rector at Palacký University,{{Cite news |last=Budný |first=Lubomír |date=2017-05-17 |title=Středoevropská univerzita se do Olomouce nepřestěhuje |language=cs |work=Olomoucký deník |url=https://olomoucky.denik.cz/zpravy_region/stredoevropska-univerzita-se-do-olomouce-neprestehuje-20170517.html |access-date=2023-06-17}} Előd Takáts professor and rector at Corvinus University of Budapest, political scientist Tomasz Kamusella, historian of religions Andrei Oișteanu, vice-president of the Polish Academy of the Sciences Paweł Rowiński,{{Cite web |date=2016-06-23 |title=Adam Bodnar nagrodzony przez Central European University w Budapeszcie |url=http://bip.brpo.gov.pl/pl/content/adam-bodnar-nagrodzony-przez-central-european-university-w-budapeszcie |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=bip.brpo.gov.pl |language=pl}}{{Cite web |date=2016-06-06 |title=Pawel Rowinski (ENVS '91) |url=https://alumni.ceu.edu/article/2016-06-06/pawel-rowinski-envs-91 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=Alumni Relations Office |language=en}} and Serbian political scientist Srđan Cvijić{{Cite web |title=Member President of the International Advisory Committee, Belgrade Centre for Security Policy |url=https://www.biepag.eu/member/srdjan-cvijic/ |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group |language=en}} are alumni.

The university also has alumni in the fields of art and activism, including Azerbaijani dissident Rashadat Akhundov and filmmaker Dylan Mohan Gray.{{cite web|url=https://alumni.ceu.edu/ceu-alumni-profiles|title=CEU Alumni Profiles|publisher=Central European University|date=2017|access-date=20 March 2018}}

File:Prasidenten Margvelashvili (cropped).jpg|Giorgi Margvelashvili, former President of Georgia

File:Conventia PD-L 2013 - Monica Macovei (2) (cropped).jpg|Monica Macovei, former Romanian Minister of Justice

File:O miljanic.jpg|Orsat Miljenic, former Croatian Minister of Justice

File:Livia-Jaroka-Hungary-MIP-Europaparlament-by-Leila-Paul-3.jpg|Lívia Járóka, former Vice-President of the European Parliament

File:Adam Bodnar Otwarci na Konstytucję 2 kwietnia 2017.jpg|Adam Bodnar, current Polish Minister of Justice

File:Mariana Kotzava.jpg|Mariana Kotzeva, current director of Eurostat

File:Kristina Kallas KF (cropped).jpg|Kristina Kallas, current Estonian Minister of Education

File:Gedion Timotheos.jpg|Gedion Timotheos, current Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs

{{Further|Category:Academic staff of Central European University}}

• Open access in Austria and Hungary
• Viktor Orbán, Fidesz, and Politics of Hungary
• Open Society
• George Soros

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite journal |last1=Enyedi |first1=Zsolt |title=Democratic Backsliding and Academic Freedom in Hungary |journal=Perspectives on Politics |date=2018 |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=1067–1074 |doi=10.1017/S1537592718002165|s2cid=150203242 }}

• {{oweb|https://www.ceu.edu}} – Central European University
• [https://emba.ceu.edu CEU Executive MBA]
• [https://edurank.org/uni/central-european-university/alumni/ Notable alumni of Central European University]

{{Universities and colleges in Austria}}

{{Universities in Hungary}}{{The European University of Social Sciences}}{{Europaeum}}{{George Soros}}

{{Budapest}}

{{The European Mathematical Society}}

{{Bard college}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1991 establishments in Czechoslovakia

Category:George Soros

Category:Universities and colleges established in 1991

Category:International universities and colleges

Category:Social science research institutes

Category:Research institutes of international relations

Category:Organizations listed in Russia as undesirable

Category:Karl Popper