The European Commission’s decision on the “European Universities” initiative, announced on Monday, is not about student and teacher mobility, but other educational cooperation of universities within Erasmus+. In line with the Hungarian government’s commitment, funds are provided to all universities to enable them to get involved in educational co-operations as associated partners. Press speculation that universities would have to renew their expiring Erasmus+ contracts by mid-summer is unfounded. Agreements relating to mobility programmes are to be signed by the end of November this year. Nor is it true that the Court of Justice of the European Union rejected the request of the University of Debrecen to suspend the EU decision prohibiting contract renewals. The court only rejected the university’s request for interim measures, which does not affect the outcome of the case, but it did not give a preliminary ruling without examining the merits of the case.

The Hungarian government will not allow Brussels to put Hungarian researchers and students at a competitive disadvantage. The government will continue to provide the necessary funding for programmes such as Erasmus+, Horizon Europe and COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). To this end, this year it has set up a HUF 5 billion research support fund to cover direct EU research grants, and will extend it in the future if necessary. Erasmus+ mobility programmes are guaranteed until the end of June next year, and next year’s budget will also cover their continuation if needed. In doing so, it not only protects the interests of Hungarian researchers and students, but also serves the original values of the founding of the European Union.