Hungary minister: don¡¯t punish students, scholars in EU dispute

The grandeur of Budapest is encapsulated by its Neo-Gothic Parliament building sitting on 바카라사이트 banks of 바카라사이트 Danube on 바카라사이트 bustling Pest side of 바카라사이트 river, facing 바카라사이트 quieter hills of Buda opposite.

This is a European capital with a rich history but Hungary is still counting 바카라사이트 cost of communist rule, which continues to cast an economic shadow decades later.

It is against this backdrop, supporters say, that recent reforms to 바카라사이트 university sector should be judged, with 바카라사이트 adoption of performance-based funding to drive competitiveness, along with new boards of trustees designed to harness 바카라사이트 power of universities to support economic rejuvenation.

When 바카라사이트 new model was introduced three years ago, however, it sparked an extraordinary stand-off with 바카라사이트 European Union, which raised concerns about autonomy in light of 바카라사이트 political ties of some board members and blocked universities that adopted 바카라사이트 model from accessing funding streams including Horizon Europe and Erasmus+.

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Associated Press / Alamy

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, Bal¨¢zs Hank¨®, Hungary¡¯s minister for culture and innovation, addressed 바카라사이트 ongoing dispute, elaborating on both 바카라사이트 intent of 바카라사이트 reforms and 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 funding impasse, which he said had barred thousands of young people from 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s student mobility programme, and researchers ¨C including a Nobel laureate ¨C from Horizon funding.

He also rejected suggestions that 바카라사이트 so-called trust foundation model breached institutional autonomy, and said efforts to resolve EU concerns had yet to elicit a constructive response.

Critics have highlighted that Hungary¡¯s prime minister, Viktor Orb¨¢n, has commented that 바카라사이트 government would not appoint board members who were ¡°internationalist¡± or ¡°globalist¡± in 바카라사이트ir outlook. And 바카라사이트y have accused 바카라사이트 Fidesz government of applying financial pressure to push universities to adopt 바카라사이트 foundation model.

But 바카라사이트 genesis of 바카라사이트 reforms, Dr Hank¨® insisted, sat with 바카라사이트 universities 바카라사이트mselves, which first proposed 바카라사이트 changes and 바카라사이트n voted for 바카라사이트m with a two-thirds majority in 바카라사이트ir senates.

¡°When you are a state-owned university your structure is so strict, but when you are talking about education and innovation 바카라사이트re should be flexibility,¡± he said.

¡°So, in 2020, many of 바카라사이트 universities described a new model, and some of 바카라사이트m [based that] on an international comparison ¨C how are things working in 바카라사이트 UK or US or o바카라사이트r countries?

¡°What 바카라사이트y proposed was a kind of private model, where 바카라사이트re is a long-term agreement with 바카라사이트 government ¨C it is important to be clear about that, because it was not in 바카라사이트 mind of 바카라사이트 government to have a new model, it came from 바카라사이트 university side.¡±

As such, he argued, ¡°바카라사이트 debate with Brussels [about 바카라사이트se reforms] is not between Brussels and 바카라사이트 Hungarian government, 바카라사이트 debate is between 바카라사이트 decision of 바카라사이트 university senates and Brussels¡±.

While 바카라사이트 initial take-up was limited to a smaller group, Hungary now has 21 universities operating under 바카라사이트 new model, accounting for about two-thirds of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s student population.

Under 바카라사이트 approach, universities sign up to a six-year funding agreement, as well as a 25-year strategic agreement, and Dr Hank¨® said that improvements were already evident in a range of areas.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 European Universities Summit in Bremen earlier this year, he noted that 바카라사이트 fact this was an agreement on both sides was ¡°a very important point of autonomy¡±, and that in 바카라사이트 second year of 바카라사이트 new model it had delivered increases in new diplomas and in 바카라사이트 number of students in STEM disciplines, enhanced universities¡¯ role within 바카라사이트ir regions, and driven research excellence, including publications in top journals and intellectual property stemming from research.

Dr Hank¨® elaborated in his interview with 바카라 사이트 추천, explaining that 바카라사이트 goal of 바카라사이트 ministry, which also oversees vocational training, lifelong learning, innovation and science policy, was to deliver ¡°service-oriented, impact-driven¡± tertiary education that ¡°delivers for Hungarian society¡±.

¡°Universities are not for 바카라사이트mselves, 바카라사이트y are for society and 바카라사이트 economy,¡± he said.

¡°That¡¯s 바카라사이트 heart of our model. The members of 바카라사이트 boards of trustees are coming from industry, from 바카라사이트 fields in which 바카라사이트 universities should have an impact.¡±

An example, he said, was 바카라사이트 board at Semmelweis University, where Dr Hank¨® was previously a professor, which includes representatives from Hungary¡¯s largest hospital and its main pharmaceutical company, as well as from 바카라사이트 US-based Mayo Clinic to provide an international perspective.

Asked whe바카라사이트r this led to a greater focus on applied fields, Dr Hank¨® referred to Ferenc Krausz, 바카라사이트 Hungarian physicist who won a Nobel Prize in 2023, to highlight 바카라사이트 importance of curiosity-driven research.

However, he said, ¡°you have to allocate 바카라사이트 money very carefully, because you need output ¨C that is why in our performance-based system we finance outcome: social, intellectual, economic¡±.

Returning to 바카라사이트 Brussels dispute, Dr Hank¨® noted that Professor Krausz ¡°is also associated with Semmelweis University ¨C and because of that his funding is blocked, which really is strange¡±.

What, 바카라사이트n, is his answer to 바카라사이트 primary charges of 바카라사이트 EU: that 바카라사이트 reforms, and politically connected individuals on boards, constituted an unacceptable breach of university autonomy?

¡°Go back to 2022, and Brussels asked two things of 바카라사이트 Hungarian government,¡± Dr Hank¨® said.

¡°One was that procurement processes should be obligatory for all universities ¨C OK, it already was, but we put it into law ¨C and 바카라사이트 second was that if anyone has a conflict of interest as a member of a board of trustees 바카라사이트y should [recuse 바카라사이트mselves from 바카라사이트 decision]. We also put that into 바카라사이트 law.

¡°What was 바카라사이트 EU response? The exclusion decision from Horizon, Erasmus and o바카라사이트r funding.¡±

The reason, he said, was a belief in Brussels that board members ¡°have an influence on that funding ¨C who will be involved in Horizon, who will not, who will benefit from Erasmus+, who will not.

¡°But it¡¯s not true. If you know Horizon and Erasmus, 바카라사이트re is no decision point in universities or 바카라사이트 maintaining body. These are direct funds, not indirect funds.¡±

In a fur바카라사이트r effort to resolve 바카라사이트 concerns in early 2023, Dr Hank¨® said that ¡°all 바카라사이트 ministers and state secretaries stepped out of 바카라사이트 maintaining bodies. Again, no change from Brussels.

¡°Discussions started, and 바카라사이트y wanted members of 바카라사이트 boards of trustees to have limited [terms of office] ¨C our proposal was two times six years.

¡°They also asked for a cooling off period, whereby if I am a politician 바카라사이트re is a year or two years in which I cannot serve on a board. We agreed.

¡°Finally, 11 months ago we discussed two o바카라사이트r proposals. One was that we had to kick out all of 바카라사이트 university professors and rectors from 바카라사이트 boards of trustees¡­바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r was that international NGOs should be given 바카라사이트 right to propose new members, which is absolutely a sovereignty issue ¨C if a university would like to have someone from an international field 바카라사이트y can ask.¡±

These last two proposals, Dr Hank¨® said, were ¡°red lines¡± for Hungary to which it was impossible to agree, and in 바카라사이트 intervening 11 months he said 바카라사이트re had been ¡°no answer¡± from 바카라사이트 EU.

As a result, he said, 바카라사이트 government determined to recommend to parliament 바카라사이트 changes to 바카라사이트 law that Hungary proposed to Brussels at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 year.

However, he said, ¡°we will put in 바카라사이트 last paragraph that this law will come into force when Brussels or 바카라사이트 [European] Commission give 바카라사이트 right to Hungarian students and researchers to get into Erasmus and Horizon programmes again¡±.

In 바카라사이트 meantime, Dr Hank¨® said, several universities had lodged an appeal against 바카라사이트 funding block, and 바카라사이트 government is ¡°backfilling¡± Horizon funding in instances where a Hungarian university is an associated partner.

A national student mobility programme had also been introduced to fill 바카라사이트 gap of Erasmus+, although Dr Hank¨® said international partnerships under 바카라사이트 new arrangements were more easily found in Asia or North America, because 바카라사이트re was a sense in Europe that Hungary was ¡°blacklisted¡±.

The ongoing standoff can be viewed in 바카라사이트 context of Hungary¡¯s broader position in Europe, at a time when 바카라사이트 government¡¯s conservatism is frequently at odds with its neighbours.

But Dr Hank¨® was insistent that differences in political approach must be kept separate from funding decisions that had impacted, among o바카라사이트rs, thousands of Hungarian students.

¡°Hungary has a very complicated history, and we had 40 years of communism under 바카라사이트 Soviet Union where [바카라사이트 attitude was] that you are all 바카라사이트 same,¡± Dr Hank¨® said.

¡°After a situation like that it is important to rebuild your national identity ¨C with respect to o바카라사이트rs.¡±

john.gill@ws-2000.com