Central European University
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Central European University (CEU; Template:Langx, Template:Langx) is a private research university in Vienna. The university offers graduate and undergraduate programs in the social sciences and humanities, which are accredited in Austria and the United States.<ref name=":2" /> The university also has a non-degree research and civic engagement presence in Budapest. It is a member of The European University of Social Sciences and Europaeum.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="civica.eu">Template:Cite web</ref>
CEU was founded in 1991 by Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist George Soros, who provided it with a $250 million endowment in 2001,<ref name="The Chronicle of Higher Education">Template:Cite web</ref> making the university one of the wealthiest in Europe, especially on a per-student basis. The university is considered elite and prestigious.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":5">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref>
The university was founded in Central Europe because of a perceived need for an independent and international university for the region, in light of the Revolutions of 1989 and concomitant democratisation.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref> A central tenet of the university's mission is the promotion of Austrian-British philosopher Karl Popper's idea of open society,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a result of its close association with the Open Society Foundations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
Early years (1989–1993)
CEU evolved from a series of lectures held at the Template:Ill<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 Template:Ill, Template:Ill, Template:Ill, István Teplán, Miklós Vámos and Miklós Vásárhelyi from Budapest, William Newton-Smith and Kathleen Wilkes from Oxford, Template:Ill, Michal Illner and Template:Ill from Prague, and Krzysztof Michalski and Template:Ill from Warsaw.<ref>Central European University 1989–1999 – Ten Years in Images and Documents, Template:ISBN</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The 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.<ref name="auto" />
Template:Multiple image 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The university was originally located mostly in Prague, and held its first classes there with around 100 students from 20 countries.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> Because of "political and financial conflict between its founder and [the] Czech government",<ref name="pp1">Template:Cite web</ref> represented by then prime minister Vaclav Klaus, in January 1993 it was moved to Budapest.<ref name="pp1" /> The university's presence in Prague ended in 1997.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Budapest (1993–2017)
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> CEU has extended its outreach and financial aid programs to certain areas of the developing world.<ref name="ceu.bard.edu">Template:Cite web Bard College: About CEU and Budapest</ref>
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.<ref name=":3" /> On 14 October 2007, George Soros stepped down as chairman of CEU Board.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 1 August 2009, Rector Yehuda Elkana was succeeded by human rights leader and legal scholar John Shattuck.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May 2016, Michael Ignatieff was chosen to succeed Shattuck;<ref name="IgnatieffRector">Template:Cite web</ref> he took office on 21 October 2017, becoming the fifth president and rector of the university.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Relocation (2017-2019)
On 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 proposed new regulations for foreign-operating universities, several of which would affect CEU. Notably, such universities could only operate if the Hungarian government had an agreement with the university's other country of operation. (CEU's operating agreement was between the State of New York and the city of Budapest). In addition, a university operating outside of the European Union should have a campus in its other country of operation, where comparable degree programs would be offered (in 2017 it was not the case for CEU). Furthermore, both current and new non-EU academic staff would be required to apply for work permits. This requirement was seen by critics as placing CEU at a particular disadvantage, given that it relied largely on non-EU faculty. Finally, the law would also prohibit the American and Hungarian entities from sharing the same name.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>
CEU opposed 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."<ref name="ceu.edu">Template:Cite web</ref>
The same day, the pro-government news website Origo.hu asserted that CEU, which it referred to 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. Origo 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.<ref name=":0" /> CEU responded that the allegations of cheating and regulatory infractions constituted defamations and libel, and threatened to sue Origo if the article was not corrected.<ref name="ceu.edu"/>
On 29 March 2017, President and Rector-elect Ignatieff, Pro-Rector for Hungarian Affairs Zsolt Enyedi and, Pro-Rector for Social Sciences and Humanities Éva Fodor said 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 then called "for the government to withdraw this legislation and enter into negotiations to find a solution."<ref name=ceu1>Template:Cite web</ref>
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. CEU responded that it was not cheating nor in breach of Hungarian regulations. Indeed, according to CEU, no laws in effect required universities such as CEU also to operate in their countries of origin.<ref name=ht1>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On the same day, the first Trump administration expressed 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."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hungarian EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Tibor Navracsics (a Hungarian), and former President of Hungary László Sólyom also expressed support.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The campaign used social media to call on supporters to express their solidarity with CEU and write to Hungarian representatives.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
British author Tibor Fischer supported the legislation.<ref name="gua">"I don't recognise Viktor Orbán as a 'tyrant'" by Tibor Fischer, The Guardian, 20 April 2017</ref> 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."<ref name="gua" /> He specified that he opposes the practice whereby the CEU, being registered in New York City,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 described as CEU students "getting a double bubble."<ref name="gua" />
Template:Ill 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, with protest speeches by both CEU and foreign academics and activists, and was broadcast live on Facebook by Hír TV.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
On 3 April 2017, CEU submitted a legal memorandum to the Hungarian parliament, raising substantial issues about the legality and constitutionality of the proposed legislation, and pledged to continue to it using all available legal means in Hungary and in the EU.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The New York Times wrote "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."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Vienna (2019–present)
On 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.<ref name="Guardian 2018">Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="CEU forced out of Budapest">Template:Cite web</ref>
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".<ref name="WaPo 2019-10-04">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Guardian 2018" /><ref name="aljazeera.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="theatlantic.com">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="bi">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
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.<ref name="randeria_rector">Template:Cite news</ref>
In October 2023, Russia designated the university as an 'undesirable' organization.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> nevertheless took place at the CEU. A lecture at the CEU entitled "CEU Talks: Hamas' 7 October Attack, Terrorism Strategy and State-building"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was massively disrupted by students despite the presence of Rector Shalini Randeria. In a press release, the Template:Ill 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In November 2024, Randeria resigned as a rector before the end of her term.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to media reports, she was pushed out by the board after intense internal criticism of her leadership.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Carsten Q. Schneider was elected CEU's Interim President and Rector, and would serve from August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Organization
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.<ref name="depts">Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col
- Department of Cognitive Science
- Department of Economics and Business
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy
- Department of Gender Studies
- Department of Historical Studies
- Department of International Relations
- Department of Legal Studies
- Nationalism Studies Program (to be closed by the academic year of 2026)
- Department of Network and Data Science
- Department of Philosophy
- Department of Political Science
- Department of Public Policy
- Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology
- Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy, and International Relations<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Academics
Admission
In 2025/26, the acceptance rate of the university was 41.9%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="topuniversities.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Rankings
| Politics | 32 |
| Philosophy | 37 |
| Sociology | 74 |
| History | 51–100 |
| Social Policy and Administration | 51–100 |
| Anthropology | 101–150 |
| Law and Legal Studies | 101–150 |
| Economics and Econometrics | 151–200 |
| Social Sciences and Management | 215 |
| Arts and Humanities | 221 |
| Business and Management Studies | 451–500 |
The university is considered elite and prestigious.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name=":1" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> CEU has particular strength in disciplines such as political science, international relations, philosophy, history, and public policy, among others.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1" />
In 2014, the university's Economics department was ranked 8th in Europe by the European Research Council (ERC), based on research excellence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Of the three European Research Council Starting Investigator Grant that came to Hungary two were awarded to CEU faculty.<ref name="bare_url">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Accreditation
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="ceu.bard.edu"/> 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.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref>
Facilities
Library
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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.
Archives
Template:Main 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Press
Template:Main 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.<ref name="bare_url" />
Institute for Advanced Study
Template:Main 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
International relations
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> CEU and Bard College run a joint master's program in international relations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Alumni and faculty
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.<ref name=alumni_num>Template:Cite web</ref>
Among the university's alumni in law and government are the former President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili<ref name="Archived- President of Georgia">Template:Cite web</ref> as well as the first Romani woman Members of the European Parliament Lívia Járóka<ref name="Archived- Lívia Járóka">Template:Cite web</ref> 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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Serbian political scientist Srđan Cvijić<ref name=srdan>Template:Cite web</ref> are alumni.
The university also has alumni in the fields of art and activism, including Azerbaijani dissident Rashadat Akhundov and filmmaker Dylan Mohan Gray.<ref name=alumni_prof>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Notable Central European University alumni
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Orsat Miljenic, former Croatian Minister of Justice
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Adam Bodnar, current Polish Minister of Justice
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Mariana Kotzeva, current director of Eurostat
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Gedion Timotheos, current Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs
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Academic staff
See also
Notes
Further reading
External links
- Template:Official website – Central European University
- CEU Executive MBA
- Notable alumni of Central European University
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- Central European University
- 1991 establishments in Czechoslovakia
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- Karl Popper