Statement from CEU President and Rector Shalini Randeria
February 26, 2022
I condemn the military invasion of Ukraine by Russia. What is taking place is an outrage. The war against Ukraine is an assault on the values of liberal democracy and open societies that CEU stands for. This brutal and cynical act of aggression violates the international norms and will inflict enormous suffering. Ukraine deserves all possible support to maintain its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The war impacts directly on our University and our community. I have immediately made available the President’s Discretionary Fund for our students facing hardships due to the war.
I meet with our Board of Trustees this weekend and Ukraine is top of our agenda. We have already put in place plans to help members of our community affected directly or indirectly by the grave crisis. All available places at our Kerapesi dormitory in Budapest are reserved for alums and their families fleeing from Ukraine. We are supporting initiatives being developed by the Student Union to provide help on a peer-to-peer basis.
Together with the OSUN Threatened Scholars Initiative we have organized immediate support for scholars in Ukraine and those forced to leave their country.
We firmly stand with all of you who are affected by this terrifying situation. Our many Ukrainian alumni and their families and the families of our Ukrainian students, faculty and staff are very much in our thoughts. And we also stand with the Russians who oppose the acts of their government: those who are unable to voice their dissent, and those who bravely do.