Excluded universities in the maze of EU funding

The event's opening keynote addresses were delivered by Dr. Áron Fellegi, Chairman of the Board of EuroAtlantic Consulting Zrt., and Rodrigo Ballester, Director of the Center for European Studies. Rodrigo Ballester emphasized that the exclusion of universities operated by public trust funds from the European Union's Erasmus and Horizon programs has resulted in an unfortunate situation. As these two programs are iconic programs of the European Union; the decision will seriously harm not only the universities run by foundations but all universities in Hungary.

Analyzing the present situation was the main topic of the first panel discussion. Besides setting out the facts, the experts on the panel emphasized that public trust fund universities can still participate in alternative international consortia. They also stressed that the current situation may have an impact on the reputation of all Hungarian universities, which are now a "risk factor" for international associations.

The second panel focused on possible solutions to the current predicament. Three issues were mentioned by the panelists as priorities for the academic community in Hungary in the short term: the strengthening of bilateral relations, maintaining personal presence abroad, and inviting partners to Hungary. They also stressed the importance of preserving international relationships and regularly browsing the EU's Funding and Tenders website. Finally, the panelists stressed the importance of seeking advice from a tendering consultancy.