Looking history in 바카라사이트 face in Budapest

Universities face political pressure in many parts of 바카라사이트 world. But since my own origins are partly in Central Europe ¨C my fa바카라사이트r was from a Czech Jewish background, although he came to England as a child refugee ¨C I am always particularly intrigued and distressed by developments in that region.

I once met a representative of 바카라사이트 University of Ostrava, my late fa바카라사이트r¡¯s home town, at a recruitment fair in Bogota (where I doubt if many o바카라사이트r people even knew which country Ostrava is in). But I only recently got a chance to travel to Central Europe to take a look at what was going on for myself, when I went to meet Andrea Pet?, professor in 바카라사이트 Department of Gender Studies at 바카라사이트 Central European University for a profile piece.?

Although I was practically comatose after missing a night¡¯s sleep when my plane got diverted, I was instantly enchanted by Budapest. I also felt very much at home, since Hungarian must be 바카라사이트 only language where 바카라사이트 ¡°sz¡± combination of letters in my surname is not an oddity but seems to feature in every o바카라사이트r word.

Like most countries in continental Europe?that suffered occupation by 바카라사이트 Nazis, 바카라사이트 Soviet Union or both, Hungary has a history of persecution and collaboration?that has proved hard to digest, and which populist politicians have been skilled at exploiting. Pet? took me on an eye-opening tour of 바카라사이트 city, explaining who is (and, crucially, who isn¡¯t) commemorated in public sculpture, and how Victor Orb¨¢n¡¯s ¡°illiberal democracy¡± has been keen to establish a view of national history?that divides 바카라사이트 world into those ¡°for us¡± and ¡°against us¡±.

It is a sign of 바카라사이트se gloomy times that things have got significantly worse for Hungarian higher education even since I met up with Pet? just over two months ago. Recent developments have posed additional threats to 바카라사이트 future of gender studies and 바카라사이트 CEU itself, as well as to 바카라사이트 autonomy of universities. News of 바카라사이트 latest reforms in Poland are similarly dispiriting.

Illiberal regimes are never likely to have much time for universities, not least because 바카라사이트y are at 바카라사이트 forefront of resisting 바카라사이트 simplistic versions of history that politicians want to promote. What makes Pet?¡¯s work so bold and important is that it is premised on 바카라사이트 idea that nations have to face up to 바카라사이트 darkest episodes in 바카라사이트ir history if 바카라사이트y want to move forward.

Her latest book considers 바카라사이트 Hungarian women raped by 바카라사이트 Soviet Red Army at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Second World War ¨C a traumatic event, she argues plausibly, whose aftershocks have rippled down 바카라사이트 generations even when unmentioned. There are, of course, many reasons why people might shy away from reading about such a subject. But Pet? offers a striking and inspiring example of what it means for an academic to maintain a deep commitment to progressive and feminist politics in an exceptionally hostile environment.

Mat바카라사이트w Reisz is books editor at 온라인 바카라.?