Hungary has changed its mind about the controversial plan to open a Chinese university in Budapest

Hungarian government change his mind In the project of opening a branch of Fudan University in Shanghai, one of the most prestigious Chinese universities in Budapest. The initiative was announced earlier this year and sparked criticism and numerous protest movements from the opposition, to the extent that the government announced its desire to hold a referendum on the subject to choose citizens. Opponents of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a right-wing populist accused of carrying out various authoritarian policies, were able to use his nationalist rhetoric against him, criticizing the option of providing government funding to a foreign university. It’s a new situation, it’s the first time that China’s investment has become a political problem for Hungary,” said analyst Peter Kriko. The guardian.

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The project, which was supposed to come true in 2024, has attracted From the start, many criticisms For two main reasons: the first is that only last year Orbán forced the Central European University (CEU), founded by financier and philanthropist George Soros and at that time considered the best university in Hungary according to international rankings, to close its headquarters. in Budapest; The second reason is that in many Western Chinese academic institutions it is questioned because it is considered too compromising with the system that governs the country.