The Challenge to Academic Freedom in Hungary: A Case Study in Authoritarianism, Culture War and Resistance

The Challenge to Academic Freedom in Hungary: A Case Study in Culture War, Authoritarianism and Resistance presents a case study as to how an authoritarian regime like the one in Hungary seeks to tame academic freedom. Andrew Ryder probes the reasons for ideological conflict within the academy through concepts like ’culture war’ and authoritarian populism. He explores how the Orbán administration has introduced a series of reforms leading to limitations being placed on the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Gender Studies no longer being recognized by the State, the relocation of the Central European University because of government pressure and new reforms that ostensibly appear to give universities autonomy but critics assert are in fact changes that will lead to cronyism and pro-government interference in academic freedom.

Andrew Ryder is a British academic and social justice campaigner based in Budapest. He is Associate Professor of Sociology at the Corvinus University Budapest, Visiting Professor at Eötvös Loránd University and a board member of the Roma Education Fund. Prior to this, he was the researcher to the All- Party Parliamentary Group for Gypsies, Roma and Travellers (based in the Westminster Parliament) and Policy Officer for the Gypsy and Traveller Law Reform Coalition (winners of the Liberty Human Rights Award in 2004).

Ryder has written two monographs, edited three books, written 19 book chapters, and 15 articles in peer reviewed journals all published by leading publishers such as Policy Press, University of Oxford Press, Palgrave.