Academic Freedom in Hungary: Emblem of Decay in Illiberal Times

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce readers to the crisis facing Hungarian higher education institutions, students, and practitioners – namely, the loss of academic freedom and the rise of anti-intellectualism as a result of an autocratic government bent on silencing faculty voices. Like its regional neighbors, Hungary is the home to some of the first and finest universities in Europe. But tragically, a far-right political wave is swallowing its democratic institutions, including its institutions of higher learning. While there have been many reports about the concern or impact of Hungary’s state policies for education, there have been very few academic studies that have examined the repercussions of these State policies.

The opening pages of this chapter provide readers a short introduction to the problem facing students and faculty in Hungarian higher education institutions – specially, higher education reform and anti-reform in the years after Hungary adopted the Bologna processes, and the past decade marked by the rise of the illiberal Fidesz government. The second part of the chapter consists of short vignettes on higher education faculty perceptions of academic freedom. The vignettes are part of larger narratives that are the result of an in-depth qualitative research study of higher education professors from one large, public Hungarian institution.

Citation

Jewell, J. (2020), "Academic Freedom in Hungary: Emblem of Decay in Illiberal Times", Sengupta, E. and Blessinger, P. (Ed.) Faculty and Student Research in Practicing Academic Freedom (Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, Vol. 31), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 85-100. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2055-364120200000031017