WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Thursday in response to legislation in Hungary that would threaten the operations and functions of Central European University in Budapest:
“Since its founding in 1991 after the fall of communism, Central European University (CEU) in Budapest has become recognized as a preeminent university, drawing students from a multitude of nations. While Hungarian students have long enriched institutions of higher learning around the globe, CEU has made Hungary itself a seat of rigorous intellectual study for an increasingly interconnected world. As an institution that is also accredited in the United States, it represents the ties that bind our countries together.
“I share concern that legislation being considered in Hungary will threaten the operations and functions of CEU and, it seems, be a step down an isolationist path.
“‘Cooperation and exchanges in the field of education’ is one of the foundational elements of the Helsinki Final Act. I urge the Hungarian Government to strengthen the people-to-people ties that are the foundation of a strong bilateral relationship and ensure the normal functioning of Central European University.”