A draft law introducing stricter regulations for foreign higher education institutions submitted to the Hungarian Parliament by the Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog, also responsible for education affairs, was approved by the Parliament on the 4th of April. The law was based on the findings of a recent ministerial investigation procedure that was concluded with a “Report for the Government on the operation of foreign institutions of higher education in Hungary”. The report suggests that several foreign universities in Hungary fail to qualify as a nationally recognised higher education institution in their state of origin (that is, the country of registration or original accreditation) and thus are allegedly breaching the law.

The report and the draft law that followed are widely perceived as a direct attack at one of Hungary’s finest private schools, the Central European University, a joint U.S.-Hungarian institution that has received generous funding from George Soros, who also took an active part in founding the University. A number of renowned scholars, universities and academic associations have spoken out in support of the CEU, accompanied by a wide-spread support from the alumni and general public in Hungary, leading to a mass demonstration on the streets of Budapest on 2nd April. The CEU has also published a series of statements condemning the law and claiming it to be discriminatory and unfair.

According to several independent commentators, the law states that foreign institutions in Hungary will only be able to operate in the framework of a bilateral agreement between Hungary and their country of origin; it will require universities to have a campus in the country of registration, which in CEU’s case would mean that the University will have to open a campus in the U.S; it will also return work permit requirements for non-EU faculty at Hungarian campuses, a requirement that currently does not apply to the CEU. The law will also prevent American and Hungarian institutions from sharing the same name, meaning that the Central European University will have to change its world-famous name.

The law might also affect the operation of twenty seven other foreign institutions including eight UK-based universities, as they were listed in the aforementioned ministerial report as ‘under investigation’ regarding different law issues. However, the extent to which this may happen is yet unclear.

For more information please email: information@britishcouncil.hu