British Philosophical Association

[email protected] www.bpa.ac.uk

Thursday, 6 April 2017

Mr. Zoltán Balog Minister of Human Capacities 1054 Budapest, Akadémia utca 3. Hungary

Dear Minister Balog,

I am writing on behalf of the British Philosophical Association to express our strong support for Central European University and to voice our concern at the legislative changes to CEU’s status in Hungary. The BPA believe that these changes are not in Hungary’s interests, will endanger the academic freedom vital for CEU’s continued operation in Budapest and will strike a blow against the academic freedom that enables all universities, including those in Hungary, to fourish.

The government’s proposed legislation to alter CEU’s statute of operation will be disastrous to Hungary’s international academic stature. The philosophy department is home to world class scholars, attracts visiting philosophers from all over the world to spend time in Hungary, and has produced PhD students who have gone on to work at leading universities in Hungary, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the US and the UK. CEU’s philosophy department is a valued member of the international academic community and its presence in Hungary has certainly added to the reputation of Hungarian academic life on the international stage.

We respectfully urge the government to revise the legislation and enter consultation with CEU, bearing in mind the damage such legislation will do to Hungary’s well- founded international academic reputation.

Yours sincerely,

Prof. Robert Stern

CC: Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary; Offce of the Prime Minister; Central European University

President: Director: Treasurer: Prof. Robert Stern Dr Joe Morrison Prof. Stella Sandford Philosophy Philosophy Humanities University of Sheffield Queen’s University Belfast Kingston University Sheffield Belfast Kingston upon Thames S3 7QB BT7 1PN Surrey KT1 2EE [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Dr. Nikk Effngham Head of Department of Philosophy, University of Birmingham

Professor Fabian Freyenhagen, Head of School, School of Philosophy and Art History, University of Essex

Professor Matt Nudds, Head of Philosophy Department, Chair of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Warwick

Professor Stella Sandford Head of Department of Philosophy, Kingston University

Professor Helen Beebee Head of Department of Philosophy, University of Manchester, UK

Professor Hallvard Lillehammer Assistant Dean, Department of Philosophy, Birkbeck, University of London

Professor Peter Osborne Director, Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy, Kingston University London

Dr Russell Re Manning On behalf of Religions, Philosophies and Ethics, Bath Spa University

Professor Tim Thornton, Professor of Philosophy and Mental Health, School of Nursing, University of Central Lancashire

Dr Daniel Whiting Head of Philosophy, University of Southampton

Dr Brendan Larvor Reader in Philosophy and Head of Philosophy, University of Hertfordshire

Dr Manuel Dries Head of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The Open University

Dr Meena Dhanda SFHEA Course Leader Philosophy, University of Wolverhampton Dr Alison Ainley Head of Humanities and Social Sciences, Principal Lecturer Philosophy, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge

Professor Havi Carel Head of Department of Philosophy, University of Bristol

Professor Don Ross Head, Philosophy Department, University College Cork, Ireland

Dr. Ullrich M. Haase DEA SFHEA, Head of Philosophy, Manchester Metropolitan University

Professor Bill Brewer Susan Stebbing Professor of Philosophy, Head of the Department of Philosophy, King’s College London

Professor Fiona Macpherson, FRSE Head of Philosophy and Director of Research in Philosophy, Director of the Centre for the Study of Perceptual Experience, Deputy Head of School of Humanities, University of Glasgow

Professor James Harris Head of Philosophy, University of St Andrews

Professor Miklos Redei Head of Department, Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientifc Method London School of Economics and Political Science

Professor Stephen Burwood Programme Leader for Philosophy, University of Hull

Professor Dave Archard Department of Philosophy, Queen’s University Belfast

Dr Edward Harcourt Chair, Philosophy Faculty Board, University of Oxford

Professor Bob Brecher Director, Centre for Applied Philosophy, Politics & Ethics, University of Brighton

Dr Matthew Chrisman Head of Philosophy, University of Edinburgh Dr Mark Cain Programme Lead for Philosophy, School of History, Philosophy and Culture, Oxford Brookes University

Professor Rosanna Keefe Head of Department of Philosophy, University of Sheffeld

Professor Maximilian de Gaynesford Head of Department, Philosophy, The University of Reading

Professor Helen Steward Deputy Head of the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science, University of Leeds

Dr Andrew Fisher Head of the Philosophy Department, The University of Nottingham

Professor Sorin Baiasu Director of the Philosophy Programme & Associate Director of Research for SPIRE (School of Politics, Philosophy, International Relations and Environment) Keele University