Hungary

The Commission is gearing up for the Conference on the Future of Europe, inviting citizens to debate challenges and priorities. But research, education and innovation are not on the agenda - and changing EU treaties to enshrine academic freedom is a taboo subject

With the EU preparing stricter rules on research collaborations with China, Hungarians are protesting against the €1.5B campus Fudan University wants to build in Budapest. But for some, putting limits on cooperation will undermine democratic values

Fraught standoff with Poland and Hungary over release of EU money ends, clearing way for research and other investment funds to start flowing in 2021

Standoff with Poland and Hungary is blocking EU’s €1.8T budget and pandemic stimulus plan

The fate of the €4 billion top-up for Horizon Europe remains uncertain, as Hungary and Poland veto budget deal. Research lobbies continue fight to ringfence the additional money for ERC and Marie Curie grants

The Bonn Declaration on Freedom of Scientific Research commits governments to an EU system for monitoring academic freedom. Along with safeguarding research from political intervention, the move aims to increase public trust in science

The relocation to Vienna won’t be reversed, but following the ruling CEU plans to reinforce its remaining foothold in Budapest

Romanian government scrambles to help mend relations between EU-funded laser research facility in Bucharest and counterparts in Hungary and the Czech Republic

The donation, to fund a new global network of universities, is in addition to $750M Soros announced in November to assist Budapest-based Central European University in its enforced move to Vienna

The new campus in Budapest is yet another sign of China’s intent on strengthening its science and technology foothold in central and eastern Europe.