In exile no more, Central European University puts down new roots

The Central European University has been a bastion for democracy for three decades, but in recent years it was best known as a punchbag for 바카라사이트 increasingly illiberal regime of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orb¨¢n.

It was Mr Orb¨¢n¡¯s 2017 higher education law?that forced CEU to move most of its activities from Budapest to Vienna where, following 바카라사이트 turbulent tenure of Michael Ignatieff as president and rector, Shalini Randeria has taken 바카라사이트 helm.

Professor Randeria, a?US-born Indian researcher who started her career at CEU in 2002 as founding director?of 바카라사이트?department?of?sociology and social anthropology, said that 바카라사이트 Orb¨¢n government had created ¡°legal uncertainty and insecurity for CEU, through completely arbitrary and ad hoc decision-making¡±.

Here, she saw an ¡°uncanniness¡± in 바카라사이트 parallels between aspects of?her academic work?and 바카라사이트 troubles 바카라사이트 institution has faced.

¡°I worked for almost 30 years as an anthropologist-sociologist in India on questions of forced displacement and I¡¯ve ended up leading a university which is forcibly displaced,¡± she said.

¡°Every forced displacement comes with enormous costs,¡± she?added, referring to 바카라사이트 emotional and social?price paid?by?CEU¡¯s?staff and students?as a result of 바카라사이트 relocation,?including?having to move children to new schools,?leaving parents behind,?and having to?get acquainted with?a?new language.?¡°The question is, 바카라사이트n; can we turn this to an opportunity for ourselves?¡±

This is 바카라사이트 central challenge facing Professor Randeria, who was previously rector of Vienna¡¯s Institute for Human Sciences and professor of social anthropology and sociology at 바카라사이트 Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.

Source:?

Getty

One of 바카라사이트 most pressing tasks in 바카라사이트 coming six months is to oversee 바카라사이트 design of a new, permanent home for CEU¡¯s roughly 2,000 students on 바카라사이트 western edge of Vienna; 바카라사이트 speed of 바카라사이트 evacuation from Budapest means that 바카라사이트 university has taught out of a rented, converted office space in 바카라사이트 city centre since September 2019.

But that new?home?needs careful?refurbishment. The site?hosts?an ¡°extremely visionary¡± former?psychiatric hospital, laid out across?pavilions?in 바카라사이트 1900s,?but?which?between 1940-45?was 바카라사이트 scene of 바카라사이트 torture and killing of?789 children?as part of 바카라사이트?Nazi-led?euthanasia programme.

CEU wants its new campus to preserve 바카라사이트 hospital¡¯s architecture, continue to memorialise its victims and be carbon neutral.?¡°It's a triple project if you?like,¡±?said Professor Randeria, referring to 바카라사이트 balancing act.

¡°We have, fortunately,?two groups of faculty members working on 바카라사이트 carbon neutral campus from our environmental studies faculty and a group working on heritage and conservation and memorialisation.¡±?

At CEU¡¯s foundation in 1991 by 바카라사이트 investor and philanthropist George Soros, its intended intake was students from 바카라사이트 newly democratic?countries of?central and eastern?Europe, attracting budding scholars from across 바카라사이트 continent and those who saw it as a stepping stone to 바카라사이트 best universities in 바카라사이트 US and UK.

In 바카라사이트 past decade, Professor Randeria noted, ¡°바카라사이트 student body has diversified considerably.?Our students come?from?100 countries;?two-thirds of?our incoming students this year?are from outside 바카라사이트 European Union.¡±

Professor?Randeria?saw her own academic career, which began in Delhi as 바카라사이트 fourth generation of women in her family to graduate from university, as?a useful vantage point?from which to rethink CEU¡¯s offering to students, such as those?from 바카라사이트 Global South.?

¡°The question is how to?redesign?our own curriculum?and?to mirror this diversity of 바카라사이트 student body in 바카라사이트 faculty, [and] how to rethink some of our courses?to cater to 바카라사이트 interests and needs of this very different?cosmopolitan?student body from 바카라사이트 one that 바카라사이트 university was originally addressing,¡± she said.

As well as?serving a?global intake,?Professor?Randeria?also wants CEU¡¯s?academic?offering to?attract locals in its?new home ¡°so we can become a?global?university not only in Austria but also for Austrian students¡±.?

While she wanted to speak more with CEU¡¯s staff and students ¡°to crystallise ideas and to build a consensus¡± around 바카라사이트 final form a simultaneously global and local CEU?will take, she was certain that 바카라사이트 institution was ready for a fresh start.??

¡°We¡¯re not a university in exile; we¡¯re here to stay,¡± she said. ¡°We will build?a new?campus?in Vienna. Then one question will be 바카라사이트 academic profile of 바카라사이트 university in its new home, because it should be tailored, also, to this new location.¡±

ben.upton@ws-2000.com