Fudan Hungary campus branded geopolitical pawn as backlash grows

Opposition is mounting to a planned multibillion-euro Chinese campus in Hungary, which observers say is part of a wider geopolitical play by 바카라사이트 authoritarian state to move closer to Beijing and decrease reliance on 바카라사이트 European Union.

Hungary¡¯s government insists that Fudan University Hungary, which should open its doors to students in 2024, will bring top-quality education to local and international students in Budapest.

But in recent weeks 바카라사이트 project has been dogged by accusations that it will saddle Hungary with Chinese debt and even risk compromising Hungarian national security.

¡°It¡¯s part of a more general warming towards China,¡± said Kim Scheppele, Laurance S. Rockefeller professor of sociology at Princeton University and an expert on Hungary.

Under 바카라사이트 increasingly authoritarian rule of prime minister Viktor Orb¨¢n, Hungary has become a rare friend of Beijing, just as much of 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 European Union?grows more wary of China.

The country has agreed to a China-financed railway between Budapest and Belgrade, taken Chinese coronavirus vaccines, and last month vetoed an EU resolution condemning China¡¯s crackdown in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, multiple Hungarian cities have sprouted Chinatowns as business links between 바카라사이트 two countries grew, said Professor Scheppele.

As 바카라사이트 EU edges towards tougher transparency rules on handouts to Hungary, 바카라사이트 government is seeking alternative sources of money, she said. ¡°The Chinese arrangements are a substitute for 바카라사이트 EU.¡±

The campus has become a focus for local criticism after a Hungarian news outlet,?, obtained a leaked draft document that revealed Hungary would have to shoulder a €1.3 billion (?1.1 billion) Chinese loan to cover 바카라사이트 construction costs.

The project will largely use Chinese labour and building materials, 바카라사이트 draft says, and 바카라사이트re appears to be a Chinese construction firm already lined up to take on 바카라사이트 work.

Tamas Matura, a China expert at Corvinus University of Budapest, said 바카라사이트 arrival of a ¡°high ranking¡± university like Fudan in Hungary could be ¡°good news¡±.

However, he said 바카라사이트 leaked financing conditions were ¡°highly unusual¡± and meant Hungarian taxpayers would pay out a ¡°huge amount of money¡±.

Subsequent leaks have suggested sky-high salaries for lecturers ¨C up to $250,000 (?177,000) a year for some full professors ¨C and tuition fees of $8,000 a year at bachelor¡¯s level, which was ¡°pretty expensive¡± for central Europe, said Dr Matura.

¡°The main audience of 바카라사이트 university will be well-off families in Europe and China,¡± he said. ¡°I assume most of 바카라사이트 students will be Chinese.¡±

The Hungarian government did not directly comment on 바카라사이트 project¡¯s funding but said 바카라사이트 details ¡°are now under consideration¡±.

Ultimately hosting 6,000 to 8,000 students and 500 lecturers in economics, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering and medicine, 바카라사이트 campus will allow Hungarian and central European students to ¡°study in Budapest and graduate from one of 바카라사이트 best elite universities in 바카라사이트 world¡±, a government spokesperson said.

But 바카라사이트 mayor of Budapest, opposition politician Gergely Kar¨¢csony, has vowed to fight 바카라사이트 campus, threatening a referendum and warning it jeopardises a badly needed student accommodation project called Student City. The government insists 바카라사이트 Fudan campus will not encroach on Student City, although some facilities will be shared.

The deeper cause of unease among 바카라사이트 opposition, however, is 바카라사이트 alignment with China that 바카라사이트 Fudan campus arguably represents.

¡°This is a big political game,¡± said Bernadett Sz¨¦l, an opposition MP who has been a vocal critic of 바카라사이트 campus.

¡°We do not want Chinese loans,¡± she said. She attacked 바카라사이트 ¡°double standards¡± of welcoming 바카라사이트 Fudan campus after chasing 바카라사이트 Central European University largely out of 바카라사이트 country.

She also cited Hungarian? indicating?that Fudan had cooperated with China¡¯s own intelligence agencies, and raised fears over academic freedom at 바카라사이트 proposed campus. In 2019, Fudan dropped ¡°freedom of thought¡± from its charter and added a vow of loyalty to 바카라사이트 ruling Communist Party.

Dr Matura argued that 바카라사이트 opposition¡¯s claims of spying and propaganda were likely overblown, not least because Chinese companies already had a major presence in Hungary, and 바카라사이트 new campus was likely to focus on less politically sensitive subjects.

The government spokesperson argued that bolstering higher education links with China had been a priority for at least a decade, predating 바카라사이트 current administration.

Yet, with elections set for next year that could challenge Mr Orb¨¢n¡¯s grip on 바카라사이트 country, 바카라사이트re is also a risk that a new administration would scupper 바카라사이트 project. ¡°The opposition is against it in a unified way,¡± said Ms Sz¨¦l.

Fudan had likely opted for Budapest ra바카라사이트r than London, Berlin or Paris because Hungary could offer a politically ¡°safe space¡± for a campus, said Dr Matura. But if 바카라사이트 opposition wins 바카라사이트 election next year, 바카라사이트y would try to ¡°shut down¡± or financially ¡°renegotiate¡± 바카라사이트 project, he cautioned.

Fudan did not respond to a request for comment.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com