BCES Conference Books (Jun 2019)
Academic Freedom and Strong State Control: Two Samples to Illustrate the Consequences
Abstract
In the latest BCES Conference Book (Education in Modern Society, BCES Conference Books, 2018) a study was published which presented Hungarian legislation on the field of education. It is clear that the legal framework serves the interests of the government. The Fundamental Law of Hungary does not guarantee the fundamental right to education but makes possible its delimitation. It secures a large playground for the majority of government and securing direct influence. One year ago, the aforementioned study asked the following question: where are these trends leading to? At that point, it seemed likely that the Hungarian government would use his power to intervene in state higher education. In the 2018 general election, the ruling party obtained an extreme majority in the parliament. It is in such a stable position that it can restrict not only the autonomy of state universities but also influences academia in general. In the spring of 2017, the world’s media reacted to what is termed “Lex CEU”. Although this law affected several foreign universities, it undoubtedly targeted the Central European University by creating legal requirements, which would make it impossible for this university to remain in Hungary. The other important academic issue targeted by the government, namely the abolition of Gender Studies programmes, affects one of the most respected Hungarian state universities (Eötvös Loránd University) in addition to CEU. This study presents these two cases, aims to understand the facts and legal background, and offers an analysis of the processes.
