Complexity Science Hub Vienna stands with CEU
On April 10, 2017, the President of the Republic of Hungary, Janos Ader, signed into law amendments to Hungary’s national higher education legislation which restrict the academic freedom of CEU and other international universities operating in Hungary. CEU is now continuing to pursue all legal remedies to be able to stay in Budapest. CSH is calling out for solidarity with CEU – an important scientific partner of the Hub. We are deeply worried about the scientific and private consequences for the scientists working at CEU. Four of them are External Faculty of CSH. Please show your solidarity – there are various ways summarized HERE.
Complexity Science, Network Science, and Data Science can be important instruments against the misuse of big data and help establishing transparency. The findings can be a crucial contribution to use big data positively for the good of society. This is why it is important for scientists to be able to work independently and free of political influence. There are few institutions such as CEU that can contribute to these challenges both intellectually and technically. The university now threatened by this law has an outstanding international record in this field.
“If science has to subordinate to right wing politics, the fall of civil rights is within reach. This is why I want to call out to the academic world to stand together in solidarity for the freedom of science. If we lose that – good night western culture”, warns Stefan Thurner, President of the Complexity Science Hub Vienna.
Please also refer to the interview Janos Kertesz, Professor at the Center for Network Science at CEU and Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, who is currently working at CSH as External Faculty, gave the Austrian daily DER STANDARD about the current situation at CEU and the political developments in Hungary (in German).