Within the Academics Facing Autocracy program of the CEU Democracy Institute’s “Democracy in History” workgroup, supported by the Open Society University Network, we invite interested academics, students and everyone else to a conference where many initiatives to safeguard higher education in illiberal and autocratic contexts will be presented and where we aim to forge strategic alliances between organizations who struggle for the same cause in a variety of local contexts.

Devising Sustainable Pedagogical and Institutional Alternatives in Illiberal Times

Registration is required for in-person as well as online participation by December 11 here.

Zoom link will be sent to registered guests.

Date: December 14-15, 2023

Venue: Central European University, Nador str. 15, 1051 Budapest, Hungary. Room 103.

December 14 Thursday 

Arrival in the morning 

2-2:30 p.m.                     Registration at the reception of Nador str. 15, 1051 Budapest

2:30-4:00 pm                Autocratic attacks on higher education and academia

Moderator: Renata Uitz (Royal Holloway, University of London/CEU Central European University] Democracy Institute, Budapest)

Speakers:

• Zoltan Adam (Centre for Social Sciences (HUN-REN), Institute for Political Science/ OLIve [Open Learning Initiative], Budapest)
• Zoltan Ginelli (University of Public Service, Budapest)
• Irina Dubrow (Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences)
• Turkay Gasimova (CEU Democracy Institute, Budapest)
• Daniel Palm (University for Continuing Education, Krems/CEU Democracy Institute, Budapest)

4:00- 4:30 pm                coffee break 

4:30-6:00 pm                 Resisting autocratic pressures within the university and  academia

Moderator: Agnes Katalin Kelemen (CEU-Democracy Institute)

Speakers:

• Cris Shore (Goldsmiths University of London/CEU Institute for Advanced Study, Budapest)
• Eszter Kirs (Corvinus University, Budapest)
• Daniel Deak (Oktatói Hálózat: Hungarian Network of Academics, Budapest)
• Marton Zaszkaliczky (Akadémiai Dolgozók Fóruma: Hungarian Academy Staff Forum, Budapest)

6:00-6:15 pm                 break

6:15-7:15 pm                Threatened and displaced academics, scholars-at-risk programs

Moderator: Michael Kozakowski (CEU Yehuda Elkana Center for Teaching, Learning, and Higher Education Research, Vienna) 

Speakers:

• Thomas Keenan (Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson)
• Oleksandr Shtokvych (OSUN [Open Society University Network] Threatened Scholars Integration Initiative, Vienna)
• Philip Fedchin (Smolny Beyond Borders, Bard College, Berlin)
• Agnes Katalin Kelemen (CEU Democracy Institute)/Rafael Labanino (University of Konstanz)/Maksym Snihyr (National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy)

8 pm                                 conference dinner for speakers

December 15 Friday 

10-11:30 am                   National and transnational hybrid educational programs

Moderator: Tamara Kamatovic (Yehuda Elkana Center for Teaching, Learning and Higher Education, Vienna)

Speakers:

• Dmytro Iarovyi (Ukrainian Global University/Kyiv School of Economics)
• Andrea Peto (University of New Europe)
• Ostap Sereda (Invisible University for Ukraine)
• Marcell Sebok (CEU Istvan Bibo Free University)
• Julia Strutz (Off University, Berlin)

 11:30am-12                   break 

12-1 pm                           Building a transnational curriculum 1: „Memory politics”

Moderator: Vladimir Petrovic (Boston University)

Speakers:

• Julia Szekely (Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest)/ Noemi Levy-Aksu (Hafiza Merkezi, Istanbul)/Bohdan Shumylovych (Lviv Center for Urban History)/Ketevan Epadze

1-2 pm                             lunch break

2-3 pm                             Building a transnational curriculum 2.: “Decolonization”

Moderator: Daniel Palm (University for Continuing Education, Krems/CEU Democracy Institute)

Speakers:

• Karolina Koziura (European University Institute, Florence)/ Adrian Matus (CEU OLIve Program, 2017-2022/Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest)/ Elzbieta Kwiecinska (University of Warsaw)/Ketevan Epadze (Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University)

3-3:30 pm                       break 

3:30-4:30 pm                Building a transnational curriculum 3.: “Democratic resilience” 

Moderator: Ruzha Smilova (Sofia University)

Speakers:

• Aleksandar Pavlovic (Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, Belgrade)/ Saniia Toktogazieva (American University of Central Asia, Bishkek)
• Thiago Amparo (Fundacao Getulio Vargas School of International Relations, Sao Paolo)
• Violetta Zentai (CEU Democracy Institute/OLIve/CEU OLIve Program 2017-2022, Budapest)

4:30-5 pm                       coffee break

5-7 pm                             Strategies on alternative education &Final conference discussion                                                        Moderator: Balazs Trencsenyi (CEU Vienna/CEU Institute for Advanced                                                      Study/CEU Democracy Institute, Budapest)

Speakers:

• Daniel Calingaert (Open Society University Network/Bard College)
• Jonathan Becker (Open Society University Network/Bard College)
• Eva Fodor (Central European University, Vienna)
• Angela Kocze (CEU Roma Graduate Preparation Program, Budapest)
• Mate Halmos (Socrates Project, Budapest)