DK calls for excluding government politicians from foundations overseeing universities

Balazs Barkoczi reacted to a government announcement of the launch of a programme aimed to boost international research cooperation involving Hungarian universities dubbed HU-rizont.

Barkoczi noted that Hungarian students could not participate in the Erasmus exchange and researchers in the EU’s Horizon programme “because the government has captured universities and privatised them as foundations”.

Launching HU-rizont, “a DIY scheme to replace Horizon” reflects that “the government has accepted that Hungary has been left out of European education and research cooperation programmes,” Barkoczi said.

MEPs of DK will on Tuesday support a position in the European Parliament aimed at calling on the Hungarian government “to abide with the rule of law and implement reforms facilitating Hungary’s participation in the Horizon and Erasmus programmes,” Barkoczi said.