June 26, 2023
In the lecture published in the journal Baltic Worlds, Prof. Andrea Pető shares her story of being forced to leave Hungary when the Central European University (CEU) was shut down because of the government’s decision; and her search for better stories, good endings, and how to turn acts intended to repress into an opportunity to express one’s own views and take a stand.
*This text is a reworked and elaborated version based on the talk “Why Do Universities and Academic Freedom Matter?”, that Pető held when was awarded an honorary doctorate by Södertörn University (Stockholm, Sweden). It was presented on September 15, 2022.
See the complete text below.