ceuweekly-blog

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A Displaced Person in My Own City

Peter Molnar / Hungary

You write that

you feel strange

about your life,

 I also feel

strange about mine,

I feel like a displaced person,

although I am in my own city,

how can someone be

displaced in her own city?

So easily,

it is easy,

history can screw up

the forest we are

leaves of grass in,

history may be just

a confused search,

search for a direction,

a way which seems

fine at a time,

but may seem like

a mistake a few decades later,

while generations struggle

to bridge the distance

between their vocabularies,

acoustic separation,

 1989 brought democracy

and market,

but the latter turned out to be

so harsh, unjust and racialized,

that it has become part of

undermining democracy,

class, spatial segregation and racialization,

what an intersection,

where does it bring down the ideals,

the ideals of our shiny 1989,

in 2018,

in the same distance of time from 1988

when we founded Fidesz,

as 1988 was from 1958

when Imre Nagy was hanged,

and now his statue

will be moved

to another place,

and there may be no space

to talk about it

in our acoustic separation,

Ginsberg could write

his Howl again,

let`s write and shout out

our non-violent howl,

strong enough to break

down the walls of

acoustic separations,

both the visible walls

and the invisible ones,

at least we should hear

what we say to each other,

at least we should give up

our arrogant ignorance,

we would still face

the perceived interest of humans

that can itself destroy the earth,

with some sort of knowledge,

strategically and professionally,

like the many man

who had a conference

on how to produce and sell

more air-conditioning machines,

I saw them in a surrealistic scene,

and it was not a nice dream,

and not only because

there was no woman in it,

but because it was frightening,

how they knew the know-how,

while they didn`t know

anything worth-knowing,

or if they knew,

they didn`t care,

they couldn`t care less,

or if they cared at least a bit,

it was not enough,

not enough to stop them,

marching in their black suits and ties,

almost in black tie formal,

like a black army,

and not the one

that king Matyas of Hungary had,

but a more dangerous one.

[ceuweekly-blog]

FIDESZ’S TWO THIRDS

Martino Comelli / Political Science Doctoral Program

Italy

Hungary’s far-right party has won a crushing victory. And the opposition is in tatters.

In Budapest, the results of the recent national elections came as a surprise to many. The historically high turnout (68 percent) had led commentators to speculate whether something was finally changing in Hungary, which has been firmly ruled by Viktor Orbán’s far-right Fidesz party since 2010. Many expected the high voter turnout to boost the opposition.

It wasn’t to be. Fidesz won handily, receiving over 49 percent of the vote and winning all but a handful of electoral districts in Budapest and a few other places. The incredulity of the Budapest-based intelligentsia speaks volumes about the state of the country’s opposition — and of the deepening divide between citizens in the capital and elsewhere. But their sense of shock was also puzzling: pollsters had predicted the results quite precisely. Fidesz was favored to triumph. Many were simply unwilling to believe that the party would win so resoundingly, especially given the large share of voters involved in a “tactical vote” movement. 

Unfortunately, their online and social-media bubble burst on the evening of April 8, and they were left to call, quite desperately and rather ironically, for a demonstration pronouncing, “We are the majority!” 

In the weeks leading up to the April 8 contest, municipal election results in Hódmezővásárhely, a Fidesz stronghold since the 1990s, raised hopes that the far-right party was finally on its back heels. An independent candidate, supported by the cooperating opposition parties, won by a significant margin against the local Fidesz pro-consul. If the tide could turn in Hódmezővásárhely, opposition leaders thought, anything was possible. 

In retrospect, the victory — in a town of less than 50,000 —was an aberration. Nonetheless, the surprising win fueled an electoral strategy to overturn the seemingly immovable government: for the sake of “regime change,” all opposition parties should unite, regardless of their ideological background, and the strongest opposition candidate should be supported in every electoral district. 

The plan had been brewing for some time. Various political and civil organizations, united under the umbrella of “Country for All Movement,” ran a series of surveys to determine the strongest anti-Fidesz candidate in the most competitive districts; the weaker candidates were then supposed to step aside. This call for tactical voting sparked much discussion both inside and outside the country, with liberal editorialists like Cas Mudde even suggesting that in order to overcome the Orbán regime, the liberal opposition should join forces with the Jobbik party, an extreme-right formation that has tried, like Marine Le Pen in France, to clean up its image and present itself as more moderate. 

In the end, though, the “tactical vote” strategy confused the opposition and the electorate alike. In the final week before the elections, the opposition parties — rather than challenging Orbán’s narratives or proposing a new vision for Hungary — were busy discussing how to make the tactical vote work. Few candidates were willing to bow out in support of stronger ones, and many of those who did opted to do so individually. Without explicit coordination among the parties, the effort floundered. 

According to a counterfactual study by Zoltán Kmetty, a sociologist from Eötvös Loránd University, the “tactical vote” strategy prevented Fidesz from attaining an even more resounding victory. But the far-right party still won two-thirds of the seats in parliament. 

The “tactical vote” movement was largely the work of the liberal opposition, a bloc dominated by tech-savvy, urban, educated voters. While well-intentioned, they failed to venture outside their communicative bubble — attempting to reach other educated, urban people at ease with social media — and used tactical maneuvers to try to deflate Fidesz rather than advancing a clear programmatic alternative. As a result, Orbán set the agenda while the liberal opposition simply reacted. 

Aside from anti-corruption rhetoric, opposition parties offered nothing new to voters. The election program of the ostensibly socialist party — as well as that of its liberal spin-off, Democratic Coalition — contained little progressive content. Discredited due to past betrayals, lacking a strategy to expand beyond partisan die hards, these parties failed to offer voters a credible left-wing alternative. Their opposition was stylistic, rather than substantive. 

This is partly because in the liberal camp, there is a deep misunderstanding of Orbán’s politics. To hear many liberal commentators tell it, Orbán is an illiberal intrusion, an unknown creature in the European political taxonomy. Yet as the Hungarian sociologist József Böröcz has argued, describing the Orbán government as “illiberal” overlooks its resemblance to figures outside Eastern Europe. “It makes it impossible,” Böröcz notes, “to point at the astonishing similarities between Orbán’s regime and not only, say, the political situation in Russia or Turkey (the comparisons that are often made) but also with recent political developments in the United States, France, Austria, Italy, Germany, etc.” 

Orbán is a liberal at his core, topped off with some colorful nationalism and racism. The same could be said of Italy’s Berlusconi or France’s Sarkozy or, more recently, Austria’s Sebastian Kurz. Has Western Europe already forgotten Italy’s anti-immigrant Bossi Fini law, or France’s ban on facecovering (which Kurz is now considering implementing)? Do we really have to remind aghast liberals that Switzerland voted for a constitutional amendment, proposed by the far-right Swiss People’s Party, to ban the building of minarets? 

Some western critics are now calling on the European People’s Party (EPP) — the umbrella formation that hosts or hosted (among others) Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, Sarkozy’s Les Republicains, Kurz’s ÖVP, and Merkel’s CDU — to expel Orbán from their circle. Yet the EPP is a perfect place for Orbán, and Orbán’s Hungary is a perfect fit for the EU’s liberal project. While Orbán might declare his intent domestically “to stop Brussels,” his economic program is a dream come true for the Brussels elite. 

Hungary boasts the EU’s lowest business taxes, a shrunken welfare state, strong fiscal discipline, a stable political situation, an abundance of cheap labor, and no noisy trade unions. The monthly average net wage in Hungary is 635 euros, the median wage even lower. 

Given these conditions, what is Brussels or the EPP expected to do beyond issue strongly worded statements? The black sheep is also a goose that lays the golden egg. 

Indeed, if the Orbán regime works, it is partly thanks to the complacency of Europe, especially the core countries that have invested much in Hungary and want to see their investment remain safe. What many core European countries desire in places like Hungary is “stabilocracies”: “weak democracies with autocratically minded leaders, who govern through informal, patronage networks and claim to provide pro-Western stability in the region.” These are, after all, the same people who turned the Greek crash into a humanitarian crisis and abetted the rise of the fascist Golden Dawn party. They could hardly be expected to care about the state of Hungarian democracy. On his official English website, Orbán describes his agenda as resting on four main pillars: competitiveness, a workfare society, demographic policy, and identity-based politics. “All decisions made by this government could fit into these categories,” he says. 

By competitiveness, Orbán means keeping wages low and crushing trade unions. But by “workfare society,” he refers to the massive public-works programs he’s implemented. Even though they offer a meager 150 euros for menial work, the programs are still a godsend for the poorest. Orbán has been remarkably successful at detecting the political mood of Hungary, perhaps because his party is well rooted throughout the country, especially in the countryside. Opposition parties, meanwhile, have little connection to the constituencies they should represent. 

While Fidesz’s policies mainly benefit the middle and upper classes, the public-works programs are popular among downscale voters. The liberal opposition likes to frown on such programs, labeling them patronage, if not pure clientelism — without truly realizing their own grave shortcomings in addressing poverty. When in government, the socalled left-wing parties had even less to offer. 

Given the parlous state of the opposition, it’s easier to see why Orbán has won the hearts and minds of poor Hungarians, even if his economic and social policies largely work against them. 

The opposition should restart, not by barricading themselves, in their Budapest environs, expressing contempt for Fidesz voters, but by going out and doing what Orbán did so well: listening to them. The press is concerned about the risk to democracy that a Fidesz supermajority poses, and rightly so. But democracy is also in danger when elites are not able to listen anymore.

[ceuweekly-blog]

BELLES OF THE BALL

Eszter Nagy / International Relations/Global Economic Relations

Hungary

Once upon a time in the middle of Europe in the land of the infamous dwarf king, there was a beautiful girl. Actually, not only one, but many of them, and not only girls but also handsome boys. Most of them traveled from far-far away to this beautiful kingdom, where people speak a strange, unspeakable language, and walk in the streets with depressed looks on their faces. And they all went to a magical place, CEU. 

They were students, all searching for something other than their princes or princesses - knowledge. Student life is not easy in the land of the dwarf king. I can assure you however, it is still considerably easier than that of an average inhabitant of this enchanted land. Students took many different courses, they were planting in the roof top garden, engaging in all kinds of experiences, volunteering, research groups, regatta, you name it. Some edited podcasts to get closer to the truth while also sharing this knowledge with others. Not only did they have to read hundreds of pages weekly and write numerous papers every term and do presentations, but eventually everybody – all the beautiful princesses, and the would-be princes – had to prove that they can sit and learn and think in the library for hours, for weeks to eventually accomplish the final task. 

They are not all called Cinderella. But they are all beautiful, and they have a lot in common while being very different at the same time. For getting to the Spring Ball they didn’t have to select lentils from the ashes, not to speak of the hard core Soviet version of Cinderella, where she had to: clean the rooms, wash the windows, wax the floors, paint the kitchen white, pull weeds in the garden, plant seven rose bushes, sort seven pockets of beans separating white from brown ones, and grist coffee for seven weeks ahead (at least in a classical Soviet movie from 1947). 

Luckily, we didn’t have to do all this. After the hardships of the previous terms, we deserve to let loose. And after all the hardships, I will nevertheless miss even the hundreds of pages of reading assignments, the thought provoking discussions in class, the anxiety about presentations, and taking coffee breaks downstairs or upstairs, where I always had a good chance of meeting friends from all over the world. Yes, that is what I’m going to miss the most - this cheerful, smart and always inspiring people that I had the chance to spend this unforgettable year with. 

Special thanks to Ekaterina Klimenko for her contribution.

[ceuweekly-blog]

ESZTERGOM: A CITY WITH KIND PEOPLE AND BEAUTIFUL NATURE

Özge Çakır / International Relations

Turkey

Image: Dronestagram.

Sunny days of spring have come suddenly and settled down quickly. Looking back at the dark, cloudy days of the long winter we have been through, it feels amazing to see sunshine in Hungary. Honestly, I feel more like we skipped spring and arrived quickly at summer. 

Such a quick change of air has come with its pluses and minuses. We have been craving for a little bit of sunshine, and now we have lots of it. It’s great! The picture gets just a bit confusing though when we put it next to all the workload we have. Writing a thesis is difficult enough, and sometimes the sunshine doesn’t help much. You often think: why am I stuck in this library all day, instead of being out there, and enjoying this lovely weather?! 

I have had such a moment too. Then I found myself checking the destinations around Budapest where I can take a trip, relax, and unwind at least for a day. Esztergom seemed like a perfect choice. It takes only an hour to get there by train from Nyugati railway station, and you do not have to pay too much. Luckily, it wasn't difficult at all to convince my best friend. Two days later, we were on the train, looking out of the window and amazed by the green smile of nature. 

As soon as we arrived and saw the cute railway station with not many people around, we knew we were away from the crowds of Budapest. The smell was quite different too – very refreshing. As soon as I managed to take my friend away from the flowers that she could've stood smelling until evening, we started walking around. The narrow streets were empty, and we were not quite sure which direction to take. 

Right at that moment, a woman with her baby noticed that we were struggling, and came towards us. Thanks to her assistance, we found our way to the gorgeous basilica in the city, which still considered the mother church of Hungary. Before going up towards the huge temple, we wanted to rest for a while. We found ourselves a nice spot under some trees next to the Danube. On the other side was Slovakia, waving at us. Then, for a while, we could not see the path leading to the basilica. It just so happened that a gym teacher was making his students run by us, and some were on bikes. When we asked for help, he sent a student to show us the way. 

That is how we got to see the huge and beautiful basilica. Both inside and out, it was worth seeing. But one tip that we received from the local woman who helped us get up there is that we climb the tower of the smaller, white church close to the basilica. 

There, as well as at the massive basilica, you can see a great view of the city. There was one thing that went wrong: my friend noticed that she couldn’t find her CEU ID! We looked for it everywhere: on the streets we had walked along, on the grass where we made lovely photos next to the river… It was gone. We were going to learn that someone had found it right after she dropped it, and sent it with a short, kind letter to CEU: “Dear University! This afternoon in Esztergom, I found this card in Elisabeth Park, next to the dog walking trail, and thought that the lady would need it for this academic year”. 

Since we did not know that the card would find us, with an urge to boost our mood, we entered a cute patisserie. It was right next to the museums, so easy to remember the name: Museum Cukrazda. If you ever go to Esztergom, I would strongly recommend you to stop by.

[ceuweekly-blog]

THE WEEKLY POST-GRAD PLANS

Eli Cloonan / International Relations/Global Economic Relations

U.S.A

In Budapest, it is the season of sunshine, limonádé a plenty, and, for many of us, rapidly approaching thesis deadlines. Since most of us atThe Weekly graduate this year, we thought it would be a good idea to include a story in the last issue about what our plans are after we graduate. Of course, there are those of us who simply do not know what we will do after Commencement. Of the writers and editors whom I had queried, Iris Belensky and Andrej Hagan fit this description, along with myself, though I have tentative plans for a position in the U.S. for two or three years and then pursuing another Master’s. Life happens and plans change. Fortunately for some of us, however, post-CEU plans are a bit more certain. This is the case for Olga Romadin. After graduation, Olga answered that she was planning to stay in Budapest for a few months to work on her thesis, study for the LSAT, and travel around Europe for a little bit, but she is also considering some summer programs. In the meantime, Olga is applying for jobs in the U.S. in her field, so her intention is to have something lined up upon her return in the autumn until she starts law school. 

Özge Çakir is planning on taking time off from academia as well. Specifically, Özge would like to take a year off and work, in addition to continuing to write for small journals, periodicals, newspapers, etc. For her, CEU reminded Özge that she loves to write, not as much for homework but rather something in which she is actually interested. It was Toni Cerkez, though, who had perhaps the most detailed answer. Like myself, his plans are not certain, but he does have some framework developed. Toniwill be taking part in a two-month research traineeship with the Peace Institute in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Specifically, he will be working on Hannah Arendt’s political philosophy and its application to “crimmigration” and migration studies. Afterwards, Toni intends to move around the EU and gain relevant experience. Ultimately, hewants to continue his studies and pursue his research interests. He does not want to stop traveling, studying, and researching, is considering doctoral studies in the not-too-distant future, would like to reconnect with people from his hometown, and is open to the unexpected. 

For many people, uncertainty can be uncomfortable, even scary. For others, uncertainty is exhilarating. But, for everyone, uncertainty is inevitable.

[ceuweekly-blog]

SOME MUSIC’S ON IN YOUR AREA, LISTEN UP!

Andrej Hagan / International Relations

UK/Czechia

Image: Meadows in the Mountains.

It’s that time. Academic tethers are thin, the air is heavy. Only so much can parks provide sanctuary from the dusty boulevards and pissed-up Brits. Wouldn't you oh so love a mooch to pastures fresh, a dip into the delectable, a weekend massage of those ear-drums? Aren’t you all about the region’s musical offerings? Don’t you need a few tips on which lesser-known festivals to hit? Good. Let’s get into it. 

Out of the Woods // Wiesen, AT // dates TBA 

First up, and as yet without time, location or line-up, is a curious little number somewhere, sometime, in Austria. Don’t worry, it’s all part of their mystery tease. Entering its third year, Out of the Woods usually pops up in July around Wiesen, a stone’s throw from the Hungarian border and Sopron. 2017 headliners included Foals, SOHN, and alt-J, so expect again some cracking indie names and vibes in leafy woodland. If you wake up for that fine pine scent and tickle of guitar strings, this is right up your alley. But we’ll see. One for the spontaneous. 

UP Festival // Prague, CZ // 11-13.5 

Prague’s house-techno scene consistently comes up with the goods. Diversity in groups behind such events is on the grow, with the city offering all kinds of shells to fill – from disused breweries and nuclear bunkers to abandoned freight-train stations. The location for this mind-melter is no less powerful. Výstaviště Holešovice, an Art Nouveau complex of glass, steel and 19th century fountains, will hold the 72-hour marathon. UP Festival is the first of its kind in the capital and the brain-child of New Zealander Bruno Curtis. With the backing of local Komiks crew, he’s pulled in veteran names on the circuit for this inaugural rave – Ricardo Villalobos, Ellen Allien, Magda, and techno trio Apollonia, to name a few. Indoor and outdoor, UP also promises an exhibition of local artists’ work to accompany the beats. It’s central, it’s brand-spanking new, it’s my tip for a peek into the unknown. 

Kala // Dhërmi Beach, AL // 20-27.6 

Yes, I know. We said away from the boulevards. So down to the coast we go, and to another festival making its debut this year! Kala is the name. Set at Dhërmi Beach on the Albanian Riviera, where the Adriatic and Ionian seas meet, this newbie offers golden sands with your vinyl selectors. You’ll be able to snorkel, kayak and paraglide by the festival area, which spans canyons and beach caves. Their first ever line-up is not too shabby either, presenting the likes of Todd Terje, Moodymann, The Black Madonna, Hot Chip, and Peggy Gou – heaps of hip-wobbling goodness. Interestingly, Kala have also partnered up with London’s Phonica and Stamp the Wax, in perhaps a nod to their boat party makeup. You can drop in for the whole 7 days or 3, accommodation looks cheap. I’d give Kala some serious thought. 

Floating Castle // Snežnik, SI // 3-5.8 

This is one for the mavericks. Deep in the Slovenian hills, Castle Snežnik and its moat provide the setting for these 3-day festivities. The emphasis is nano-tourism; connecting foreign artists and visitors with locals, who cook up specialities of the Loška valley and enrich the fest with homemade crafts. Ethno Histeria World Orchestra tops the billing, joining an array of 307 musicians across 12 stages. It’s about as diverse as you get at such an intimate location. On top of the weekend’s sound, expect circus acts, improvised theatre, poetry, film screenings and funky workshops. The tying of it all comes under one thematic roof – “Spiritus Mundi” – so chances are you’ll find something or someone you’re into. And if not, it’s still an absolute steal for 20 euros. 

Pohoda // Trenčín, SK // 5-7.7 

Slovakia’s Goliath. And yet not many have heard of it. Perhaps from reluctance to aggressively advertise, Pohoda prides itself on creating an open-armed atmosphere. This year, as every year, an eclectic pie of acts steps out onto Trenčín’s airport runway. Treat your lobes to The Chemical Brothers, GusGus, Little Dragon, Everything Everything, St. Vincent and Helena Hauff, among others. Blends of indie, synth-step, stripped-down analog grooves and gargantuan names – what more could you need? Add mountains on the horizon and friendly prices, a poetry café and hot-air balloon rides, you’ve got yourself some guaranteed gaiety. “Pohoda” in Slovak means “contentment” – this party should not let you down. 

Meadows in the Mountains // Polkovnik Serafimovo, BG // 7-10.6 

My last pick is a stunner. Up in the Rhodopes mountains, near Bulgaria’s Greek border, this fest will have you dancing 850m above sea level. Between the chimes of nearby monasteries, Meadows in the Mountains serves up a modest line-up, contriving to form a climate of both community and escapism. If you troop on till the early hours, you’ll be met with the dawning sun above blankets of fog in the valley. And while there’s an intimate camping site, local people in the village below also host visitors, with an old man’s donkey-drawn cart taking you up and down the hill. It’s rural-cum-mystic, and an experience you won’t easily forget.

Credit: Meadows in the Mountains.

[ceuweekly-blog]

THE MESSY BENEFITS OF IN-BETWEEN AND FALLEN-APART-PLANS

Camilo Montoya-Guevara / Alumna, Cultural Heritage Studies Program ‘17

Canada / Columbia

If you’re sentimental you’ll like this. If you’re not, don’t put it down so quickly! Hopefully, you’ll find new perspectives to some thoughts you’re having as CEU’s ‘18 year comes to an end, ideally helpful ones. 

I was in your shoes last year as I tossed my graduating cap and walked out of CEU as a ’17 graduate. I’ve come and gone, so where am I now? The easy answer is Toronto. Yet, for a sentimentalist it is never so simple. More accurately phrased, I’m in-between. Between snow and sun, between Canada and elsewhere, between family and friends, between what I planned and what is. These are the in-betweens that I spiral in as I slowly land in place here in Toronto. 

You might have already learned, like I currently am, that to arrive in a place physically does not mean to be in that place. The mind is slow to land and much more so are emotions. Unpacking clothes, and sorting them in your bedroom is not the end to the mental and emotional baggage that follows any transition and trails behind your plans. A transition which you’ll soon have to face. 

You might have decided to stay in Budapest, or perhaps you’ll go back to Bogota, return to Romania, trek to Turkey, or explore unknowns as you take your degree unto the next adventure. The way will be hectic, the adjustment slow, and the places changed. No matter whether you revisit familiar places or move unto new ones, the truth is that those places, like you, are now different. 

As you prepare to face post-graduation, I’m sure you’re planning, planning, planning. Planning where to go, planning when to go, planning what to take, planning where to work, planning where to live or study next, planning whether to stay together or to…well… 

Here, I’d like to question the value of planning. What good comes from spending your mental energy and the little stress-capacity you have remaining on “plans”? As an extensive planner myself, I am confident that very little tangible benefit comes from it. 

Slowly unpacking myself back into a “regular” life that I haven’t been a part of for three years in Toronto, I’ve been realizing that no amount of planning could have prepared me for the realities of being back. I planned to get a job back in Canada, or at least interviews, while I completed my internship in Germany. Despite 50+ applications no interview came! There went my plan. I planned to read a whole book in German over Christmas. I’m still three pages in, still working on that plan. I planned to start my career in cultural community engagement. I’m doing research as a conference planner, while leading food tours in Toronto and working with the Ward Museum of Immigration on the side. So I guess I’m on my way? Emerging from naïveté my reality has been that plans take time and although I wish that your plans come together smoothly, it’s more likely that they’ll fall together in unlikely places and you’ll have to compromise here and there. 

I don’t mean to say you should not be planning. Not planning would be like giving up! Just don’t carve out your plans in stone or set them in cement. 

We all need a healthy balance between planning, planning, planning and being flexible enough to go with the flow. The “very little value” of planning lies in setting out goals. When I plan, I articulate where I’d like to go, what I’d like to do, how I’d like to be. But when I set these plans in motion, when I pursue my dreams, a healthy balance between planned and unplanned is the better alternative. I would not have rediscovered my passion for Toronto’s culinary diversity had I not been pushed to look for a part time job because my plan to kick-start my career was much much much slower than I had planned. I’m still in-between, quite literally in between winter and spring, in between wanting to be here and yearning for elsewhere, in between learning in school and learning out of school. I think I’d like to stay in this in-between. As you plan your next steps, take time and pleasure in the messy benefits of in-betweens and fallen-apart-plans which will bring you unto new, unexpected and, yes, unplanned adventures.

[ceuweekly-blog]

WHOSE INK? ‘NDRAGHETA AND SLOVAK JOURNALISM

Andrej Hagan / International Relations

UK/Czechia

Image: Idnes.

“He doesn’t like to lie. But not because of morals or other silly things! He doesn’t like to lie, because a good liar must always be able to remember what different things he’s told people and when.” 

A passage taken from the late Peter Pišťanek’s mammoth novel, Rivers of Babylon. The main character, Rácz, moves from his village in the Slovak countryside to work as a janitor in the basement of Bratislava’s Hotel Ambassador. Once there, he rises from the boiler room to hotel manager, using only diabolically amoral and coercive business schemes. But the blackmail and bombs only take advantage of the sleazy greed already within the hotel. Ultimately, Rácz’s monopoly is wicked, genius, and was once the satire of everyday corruption in late ‘80s Slovakia. 

Fast forward 30 years, and the country’s real Prime Minister, Robert Fico, addresses the press while standing next to one million euros in banknotes; an offer for information on perhaps the gravest tragedy in Slovakia since the times Pišťanek mocked. On February 25th, Ján Kuciak, an investigative journalist who was knee-deep in leads that linked branches of the Italian mafia to the absolute top of Slovakia’s government, was found murdered at home, alongside his fiancée.

Kuciak’s incriminating article, unfinished and posthumously published, reveals that Fico’s assistant and chief government advisor, Mária Trošková, had close personal relations with a member of ‘Ndragheta, the Calabrian crime syndicate. In addition, Slovakia’s secretary of the security council, Viliam Jasaň, had previously made business deals with that very same mafioso – a man named Antonino Vadala – who’d been living in Slovakia for the past few decades. In the wake of the murder, both Jasaň and Trošková stepped down, yet Fico’s position remains uncertain. Mind you, when Fico labels his country’s journalists “anti-Slovak whores,” and one is then slain under his watch, you would hope that his time is very soon up. How strongly those million banknotes must reek for Slovaks now, eh? 

But the stench becomes toxic when one ponders the frightening ease with which a foreign mafia could prosper. Vadala built his empire through agriculture, fraud, bribes and general thuggery. Kuciak wrote of ‘Ndragheta’s influence in Slovakia as “tentacles” wrapped through all levels of society. The list of criminal charges Vadala faced in the country each end with their miraculous clearing – in one of extortion, where witness testimonies were stacked against him, he simply used his lawyer as alibi. Case closed. It seems, then, that the Slovak land has been fertile in more ways than one, and, indeed, for a very long time. 

Lest we succumb completely to comparing the current crisis with the underbelly of the 80s, waves of protest have poured through not only most Slovak towns but also across the world – from Helsinki to Vancouver. “For a decent Slovakia” is the banner under which tens of thousands filled the streets after Kuciak’s death; a magnitude echoing that of ’89. It is hoped that the protests this time sow the seeds for a new generation of governance. One that breeds civic engagement, that rids some apathy from ordinary Slovaks, one that questions a culture of self-service, subservience, and disinterest in the health and future of the country. 

And those “anti-Slovak whores”? Well, Slovakia must do more than just prevent their nonchalant murder. Journalists must have pedestals, they must be revered, admired and made untouchable by even the shrewdest of criminals. Until then, the ink from those mafia “tentacles” will run deeper in Slovakia than the ink of any “free press” contribution for years to come.

Image: FMT.

[ceuweekly-blog]

SOUND RELATIONS PROJECT AT CEU

Iris Belensky / International Relations

U.S./Bulgaria

CEU provides all of its students with countless opportunities and possibilities, the effects of which will be felt by each of us for years into the future. From the people we’ve met, the ideas we’ve communicated, to the projects we’ve participated in and the career opportunities we’ve uncovered, CEU is our gold mine. There is one opportunity, however, that may be less well known, while at the same time representing a frontier in terms of the skills and experiences that tend to be cultivated in a grad school like this one. The Sound Relations project at CEU attempts to both study and capture the power of sound and its ability to transgress, disrupt and transform our daily life both within academia and without. 

As students, we are constantly conscious of the written word – every printed word of our readings, every word we have to write for our essays, and how many words are left until we’ve hit the word limit. And yet it would seem that an even greater, more impactful, part of our education centers on the spoken word – the professors we adore because their reflections leave us spellbound, the questions our classmates ask that have us thinking for the rest of the day, and the rare moments that we decide to speak in class and end up saying something that actually makes sense. The Sound Relations Project strives to observe and capture precisely these phenomena that are so fundamental to our education. As a collaboration between the Center for Media, Data, and Society, the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Blinken Open Society Archives, and several departments at CEU, the project directs workshops on podcast making, courses in sound studies, and various opportunities for sound technologies and techniques to be incorporated into the classroom setting. 

The project has already seen numerous accomplishments, the greatest of which is the CEU podcast library. This online library features the exceptional work of numerous CEU students, including Stephen Westlake’s five episode podcast series “Speaking to the Soviets,” the podcast series “Voice Matters” capturing seven academic seminars on media and communication, and the series “Diaspora Politics and Transnational Political Violence” featuring episodes by five IR Master’s students. This latter project represents the collaboration of the Sound Relations project with Professor Mate Tokic’s class on Terrorism and Diasporas, which offered students the option of making a podcast in place of writing a final paper. This type of collaboration represents one of the novel incorporations of sound into the classroom that the Sound Relations project has been able to actualize – providing students with the chance to give voice to the questions and contemplations they have been grappling with throughout the semester, and furthermore, the opportunity to have their work reach an audience.

Apart from the aesthetic, and at times downright poetic, manner in which sound can be implicated into the themes and issues of our coursework, there are also practical reasons for which the collaboration between Sound Relations and classrooms represents an enriching opportunity for all CEU students. Podcasting presents students with a chance to mobilize a variety of skills and character traits that will serve them well with their inevitable CV building needs and future careers. Creating a podcast means taking the initiative to experiment with a whole new medium; it means taking the time to learn new hands-on technical skills and combine them with the more esoteric activities of academia; it means learning to pursue contacts and communications with professionals in order to land an interview. Finally, there is nothing quite like having a finished product that you’ve crafted and that can be shared in a way that our essays will never be. The Sound Relations project allows for some of the most innovative opportunities available at a graduate university – here’s to hoping that many more students will be able to take advantage of it!

[ceuweekly-blog]

STUDENT STORIES: OMNIA KAMAL SABILABDUALHALEEM

Andrej Hagan & Toni Cerkez / International Relations

UK/Czechia, Bosnia & Herzegovina

My name is Omnia Kamal SabilAbdualhaleem and I am doing a two-year MA in International Relations. Originally, I am Sudanese, and I live there, but I was born and raised in Saudi Arabia, so this impacted my experience greatly. I always wanted to compare social viewpoints and understand them from different angles. 

I have a lot of work experience, but I want to emphasize my work for the Italian Development Cooperation Agency, which is a part of the Italian embassy. There, I worked in the social development field for two years. During my work and studies at the University of Khartoum, I came to realize that Sudan is a fragile and conflict-affected country where a deep identity crisis is recreating conflict. This deep identity crisis increases the political instability by radicalizing the ongoing armed conflicts and transforming them in to ethnic and religious ones, particularly the conflict at the border with South Sudan and the civil war in Sudan’s Western province of Darfur. Identity will be crucial for understanding Sudan post-Bashir and for reforming it. This kind of approach to international relations and social sciences was not really available to me at my university in Sudan, so I decided to move elsewhere.

Therefore, I came to Europe. My thesis is on integration of migrants in the European context. I want to understand othering as a process more closely. I want to see how issues and people from MENA are seen from Europe. I found out many things, most of which I do not really like. For us Sudanese, we have a very different character than the Europeans. There are so many nice things here, but the people are really passive because of individualism. Even at CEU, we have this community but it’s quite passive. In Sudan we are collectivist and that means that we are actively involved with communities, individuals matter as a part of the community. For example, even with the Syrian refugees, we do not call them refugees, we treat them like our Arab brothers and they have real education, and they do not have to pay taxes and taking into consideration that Sudan is not the richest country in the world, it’s one of the poorest, that’s amazing to me. So, my question is how would I appease my desire to help Sudan with a totally different experience of Europe? How can I learn from Europe when it’s so different from Sudan? 

When I came here I wanted to see how Sudan is perceived here but so many people know nothing about it. You don’t have to know about every country in the world but there are some things that people here should know. Students ask me what is FGM (female genital mutilation) and they are very surprised to hear about child or forced marriages and when they hear about it they are immediately triggered. While I am against FGM completely, it’s interesting to see how people here judge it immediately and call for a change. But, the change needs to come from within. 

When it comes to the FGM, female’s sexual appeal is minimized by doing it, of course the man is pleased as well because she is kept for him. But also, after giving birth they re-do it. They do that because they think that the man would enjoy sex more in sexual terms. It is a very patriarchal thing, male domination and all. Some people will look at me and think I’m Europeanized. But you know who’s really standing by FGM: women themselves. Mothers, grandmothers support FGM. That’s what I want to change by having my own NGO. I worked for SALMA in Sudan, a women’s research center- we did so much advocacy work. But it was mostly the westerners who pulled all the strings- I want to involve the Sudanese more, otherwise it’s just continuing the subject-object relationship imposed by the western influence. 

In the very, very past we were not a patriarchal society, we were a matriarchal society, but the change came, and this is heavy history. The change was very gradual. We still have some tribes that have matriarchal elements, like matrilineal names. In the official documents it’s different but tribally there are still such elements. For us the name is important, and it signifies tribal heritage. Patriarchy is becoming prevalent even more than it was. This goes not only for FGM but also for child marriage; the legal age for a woman to get married is ten years- I mean not even a woman! Forced marriages and matriarchal rape are considered rights of men. When a woman gets raped in Sudan, a country where Sharia Law is constitutionally enshrined, the law is applied against women. There is equality nominally, but women carry much more stigma, much more. For example, I was married. Yes, I was married but apparently, I did not fit the perfect standards of a Sudanese wife. My way of thinking and the willingness to be independent, maintaining my own personality and being equal in making decisions with my husband caused us problems. I was supposed to be acting, dressing, dreaming and believing in a certain way which my society had decided for me as a woman! 

Sudan is very sensitive. If a woman is not dressing “appropriately” – which is totally undefined – the police state enforces it strictly. The penalty for wearing pants instead of a scarf is public lashing! That’s why SALMA was so important to me- it was a space for my freedom of speech. And this is why I came to Europe instead of doing a master’s in Sudan, because I wanted this freedom of speech. Even the professors themselves in Sudanese universities are oppressed, and this causes brain-drain migration. Most of all, I am angry with the oppression in Sudan. I want to be independent, I want to change the constant subordination of myself, and women in Sudan. To reverse constant male domination, to have some agency over my life. So, it is important for me to speak up and inform people about Sudan and these places. We need to get out of our bubble and actually delve in, study, and understand the different. It’s important not only because we want to know about things, but because we need to stop perpetrating the same colonial practices, same ignorance, and perhaps offer an opportunity for wholesome change of systems and societies there. 

[ceuweekly-blog]

ACADEMIC INSENSITIVITY

Eli Cloonan / International Relations - Global Economic Relations

U.S.

Image: The Daily Dot.

As graduate students, we should be familiar with the shortcomings of academia. Although I have immensely enjoyed my time at CEU and in the city of Budapest, on multiple occasions I have remarked that I would like to get out of academia as soon as possible because of how elitist it is. Needless to say, the value of CEU is certainly not lost on me, especially when considering recent political events. People are privileged to attend this university; we are free to speak our minds in this setting, free to criticize and to challenge ourselves. And we are also free to belittle the academic pursuits of others. 

Having interacted with classmates who are from this region of the world, I have learned the hard way how seriously people here take freedom of speech and expression. I remain appreciative and respectful of this. Additionally, at the end of the day, remarks about the employability prospects or usefulness of a certain field of study are inconsequential, and I think it is safe to assume that the individuals who are in these programs are used to such comments. People say things about what others are studying in passing, and unless one personally finds these remarks problematic people do themselves a disservice by dwelling on such statements. 

But do we also do ourselves a disservice by making these remarks in the first place? I decided to interview my friend Cade Johnson, a two-year student in her second year in the Gender Studies department, in order to get her perspective on these attitudes. 

“Generally speaking,” Johnson began, “people tend not to outright say they don’t respect the discipline. It’s more of an awkward silence and a ‘Hmm, that’s interesting.’” Indeed, this is very interesting. Regarding the Gender Studies program, I have heard: (1) The program is extremely well-funded and is particularly generous with its financial aid; (2) Gender Studies has a 6% acceptance rate; (3) It is very rigorous, with a lot of reading as well as tons of papers to write; and (4) The program content gives people pragmatic knowledge and tools. I have heard these descriptions both from students within the program and those outside it alike. 

What, then, is so laughable about this department? Johnson had some thoughts to share here as well. “First, there’s this sense that it’s ‘impractical’ and a ‘waste of money,’ which is a rather short-sighted approximation of any field of study—there are certainly more esoteric disciplines than Gender Studies that raise less eyebrows.” Certainly, I have trouble disagreeing with this statement. First, I think it is fair to assume that a good number of the people in this program (whom I have the pleasure of knowing) would like to pursue further education in the discipline, specifically in the form of a Ph.D. With these future degrees in hand, most, if not all, of these students probably would like to teach at the university level. 

While I have my own qualms with the institution of academia, getting a Master’s in something one would like to spend their career teaching is a worthy endeavor, and obviously extends to other disciplines. In fact, I would hesitate to say that educating others, in a formal capacity, anyway, is the only thing one can do with a Gender Studies degree. There are multiple positions in NGOs and intergovernmental organizations that are dedicated to furthering the advancement of women and the LGBT community.

Of course, disparagement of the use of Gender Studies is not limited to its utility. Johnson goes on to say, “There’s also a sense that it’s just ‘feminism,’ by which it is meant the popular idea of ‘hating men’ or ‘wanting to be better than men,’ rather than the incredibly diverse and internally contentious schools of thought that it is. Which brings up the other point that while Gender Studies has a close relationship with feminism, it isn’t feminism. It did grow out of feminist concerns from other disciplines, particularly History, English and Comparative Literature, as well as Anthropology, Sociology, and Philosophy, but that isn’t what it is.” 

The entire subject of the “F word” is for another article, but my point is that as academics, or at least as students in graduate school, we are searching for the truth, so wouldn’t it be good if we stopped perpetuating lies?

[ceuweekly-blog]

WAR & PEACE ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA

Karl DeWitt / Business

U.S.

Image: CNN

Read through the prism of the New York Times or Washington Post, recent events on the Korean peninsula would have one believe that the United States and North Korea are the sole players in the current standoff. South Korea and its recently elected President Moon Jae-in are seemingly just concerned bystanders waiting for events to unfold as the “Big Boys” do the heavy lifting. Nothing could be further from the truth. The events that culminated in Kim Jong-Un proposing a historic meeting to President Donald Trump have been presented in the international press almost exclusively from an America-centric position, omitting the diplomatic negotiations that were conducted between the North and South Korea. This omission is particularly egregious given how tense and war-prone the situation of the peninsula has become, owing not just to DPRK’s nuclear and missile test, but also to intensely bellicose rhetoric coming from the United States. Despite many pundits lauding Trump’s threats of unilateral military action against North Korea as somehow pressuring Kim to the negotiating table, the much more sobering reality is that South Korean diplomacy had to not only deal with North Korean threats, but also with those of the United States. 

Yet as time passes for cooler judgement to be made, the negotiation and diplomatic side of the story is gaining traction. Most Korea analyses and articles focus on the war aspect; how a possible war might turn out, casualty numbers, implications. In comparison, little has been written about the details of a possible diplomatic and peaceful resolution to the current crisis, a state of affairs that has done little to pressure policy makers to pursue a non-belligerent course. Importantly, the focus ought to shift from what is going on in Washington to what is going on in Seoul. President Moon Jae-in is leading a diplomatic effort that has over the past months culminated in a historic declaration by Kim Jong-un that North Korea is willing to denuclearize and stop testing ballistic missiles, in return for mutual concessions. Combining symbolic gestures, such as the North Korean participation in the Olympics, with highly visible and vocal diplomatic meeting, South Korea’s President has embarked on a trajectory that promises, in the least, to try a different approach than a guaranteed nuclear annihilation. 

[ceuweekly-blog]

THE HATE SPEECH MONOLOGUES: AN EVER-GREATER EVENT

Toni Cerkez / International Relations

Bosnia & Herzegovina

One of the most recognizable events of the CEU community, the Hate Speech Monologues, occurred on March twelfth. The performance managed to light up Auditorium A of Nador 15 through a combination of tragedy, satire, mockery, and emotion. The essence of the performance, conducted and organized by Peter Molnar, is the channeling of personal lived experiences of hate in all forms and turning them into a strong message against hate. Essentially, the process of turning hate into love or satire liberates performers from the experience (or even trauma in some cases) and shows to the public that hate, like any emotion, is a process and can be played with and overcome. The Monologues demonstrate that even in some of the harshest environments and events, there is a potential for life-affirming action, for political dissidence, women's emancipation, or general liberation. 

For those who went to the Monologues last semester, this semester’s edition is a striking difference, not least in terms of participant numbers but also in terms of the setup of the play. Previously, there were seven participants while this year the performance counted more than a dozen. Furthermore, performers were also a part of the audience. They caught many onlookers by surprise with sudden exclamations and dramatic scene-takeovers. One of the participants, who happened to be the one of the Hungary’s best competitive slam poets, suddenly stood up and demonstrated his performing skills by briefly fooling many into believing that he was a right-wing activist and then making everyone laugh in the face of the irony of Hungarian politics. Another student, from Corvinus University, made a point by saying that the Monologues should expand across universities in Budapest. 

From the hyper-nationalist climate in India to racism of Europe, the particular troubles of women in Lebanon and those of students in Hungary, the Monologues are an assemblage of personal stories and experiences of CEU’s students streamlined into a coherent, cohesive and socially aware performance. March twelfth was a night to remember because it reaffirmed CEU students’ dedication to the project and offered an indication that the Monologues have the capacity to expand beyond the CEU community. Perhaps the latter may be too hopeful, but then again, isn’t that what this performance is all about? It remains to be seen.

[ceuweekly-blog]

LET’S TALK ABOUT PÉCS!

Özge Çakır / International Relations

Turkey

Image courtesy of Alfahir.

It’s almost spring! Walking along Danube makes me feel refreshed. At every turn, I look at the Hungarian Parliament with admiration. The Buda Castle waves at me from the other side, so does the Fisherman’s Bastion. The Margit-sziget invites me to wander around… I could make a growing list of things to enjoy in Budapest. Budapest can get wild, feel dirty, and crowded. Especially if you take the metro around 5 p.m., you might end up feeling tired and overwhelmed. However, she is not the only beauty that Hungary has to offer. 

Pécs (read it like you want to say ‘page’) is a lovely alternative for those who would like to feel closer to the Mediterranean. It is a small city located in southwest of Hungary, neighboring Croatia. Visiting in May is a good idea. You can take a train from the Keleti railway station and arrive in three hours. Or, you can go by bus from the Népliget terminal, and be there in four hours. Just a friendly advice, in any case, if you buy the student ticket with 50 percent discount, make sure to have your Hungarian student ID with you. Otherwise, you might end up listening to the controller repeatedly asking “diákigazolvány?” which means “student card” a million times. I am not joking. Seriously, they can repeat it forever… 

But as soon as you arrive to the city, you will feel the softer weather. You can even put your sunglasses on and forget about the controller until your return. It is a cute, small city, but there is much to see. You do not wish to miss any spot. So, forget about public transport for a while, and wander around! Put your sneakers on and be aware of the steep streets. 

The Ottoman Empire’s legacy is all around the city. In the center, on Széchenyi tér, an old mosque called ‘Gazi Kasım Paşa Camii’ which now serves as a Catholic church will welcome you. Inside, you can see some features of a typical Muslim temple like writings in Arabic while hailing Jesus Christ. Right behind the mosque, on Kapitány utca, there are some museums like the museum of ethnography, mining, and natural history. 

Personally, I would suggest you to visit ‘Cella Septihora’. It is a 4th century early Christian burial site, and a part of the UNESCO World heritage. Once you are there, you can also see the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral. To take a look at the city from above, you can go up its towers. Alternatively, you can go to the TV tower which is a bit further away, and have a bird’s eye view of Pécs while enjoying some ice-cream. Pécs is rich in terms of green areas and recreation areas such as Tettye and Mecsek hills. Remember these names if you want to have a nice picnic. 

Pécs is also famous for having the main factory that once produced the Zsolnay porcelain. In some of the small shops, you can see very nice, special Zsolnay porcelain products. Currently, the factory is closed, but the building is kept for us to see the colorful marks of Hungarian architecture, and its surrounding is a green recreation area. Next to it is the Zsolnay Kulturális Negyed (Zsolnay Cultural Quarter) where many events such as concerts and parties take place. 

Yes, parties! Pécs is full of students, and they know how to have fun. University of Pécs, established in 1367, is the oldest university in Hungary. Follow many Erasmus exchange students who enjoy the city to the fullest every evening, whether it is weekend or not. In fact, let me tell you something; there is a bar located on the basement in the Faculty of Humanities where you can party all night every Monday. In Pécs, academics believe in magical power of pálinka to motivate students! 

Égeszségedre!

[ceuweekly-blog]

UPCOMING EVENTS: MEMORIES OF DANUBE PROJECT

Sanchari Ghosh / Cultural Heritage Studies Program

India

Facebook: Memories of the Danube.

About the Project 

The Danube, flowing through ten countries, is deeply woven in the fabric of these countries and their people, being not merely a body of water but a carrier and preserver of memories. The aim of this project is to encourage people to share their personal memories of the River Danube, by bringing them together through their personal memories associated with the river. These may be childhood memories of fishing, playing, or swimming in the river, reminders of a difficult phase of life, the loss of a loved one, a first date, a new beginning, a journey, or some other river that reminds one of home. 

The Cultural Heritage Studies Program at CEU is organizing a series of events for the project, ‘Memory of the Danube’ in March 2018 at CEU and along the banks of the Danube, and invites CEU community and people living and studying in Budapest to share their memories and experiences of the Danube as a place of memory and cultural heritage. Through these events, people belonging to diverse cultural backgrounds will be brought together and understand the importance of taking the necessary steps to preserve the environment and heritage of the river. 

The events organized as part of the project are: 

Danube Games (24th March): A walk along the River bank, with opportunities to share personal memories, express one’s creative self and to learn more about the heritage and history of the river. There will be several stops (stations) along the river bank in the course of the walk, with different activities, such as games and tasks for the participants, and performances by volunteers. The walk will start at 14:00 on March 15 Square and end at the Nador 15 building in CEU. 

Roundtable Discussion (26th March, 5:30 – 7:00 pm): A roundtable discussion will be held on the topic “Should the State manage the memorials and memories on behalf of the people?” 

Speakers: Stefano Bottoni, Member of Hungarian Academy of Science, OSA; Gabriella Ivacs, CEU associate Professor, Chief Archivist at IAEA; Tamás Meszerics,CEU Associate Professor and MEP. 

Venue: CEU, Nador 15, 1st Floor, Tiered Room. Will be followed by a reception 

Exhibition (29th March, 11:00 am - 6:00pm): A digital exhibition showcasing people’s personal memories related to the River Danube, and highlighting the unique beauty of the river and the way it connects people of diverse backgrounds to each other through their experiences and memories. For the exhibition a call for photographs and stories behind them was announced among CEU community and beyond. 

The exhibition will also include a pop-up display of objects collected from the CEU faculty and staff. These will be objects that remind them of the Danube and keeps alive their memories connected to it. 

Venue: CEU, Nador 15, Auditorium A 

Stay tuned for details about the project by visiting the Facebook page of the Cultural Heritage Studies Program. 

[ceuweekly-blog]

CEU STUDENTS ON CEU STUDENTS

Eli Cloonan / International Relations - Global Economic Relations

U.S.

CEU Flickr.

As part of a larger effort to debunk myths of what it means to be a “typical” CEU student, my superiors and contemporaries at The Weekly sent me to ask a series of “spicy” questions to the students of CEU. The purpose of these questions? Why, to gauge the perceptions that we all have of each other, of course! More specifically, students’ responses functioned as a starting point in approaching this exercise to delve more deeply into the concept of diversity on campus. I did not give any prompts to respondents so their answers would be as authentic as possible. Certainly, replies were original and surprising. Here is what they had to say: 

1. What do you think the stereotype of the typical CEU students? 

Zoie: I think it’s that we’re activists trying to tear down the Orban government, which I wish was true. Unfortunately, it’s just people trying to climb the academic ladder to become professors. 

Paul: Just, like, left-leaning and somehow socially liberal. Maybe like overly-PC and intellectual, emotionally passionate, righteous. 

Giorgi: What I think is kind of a stereotype but it’s also true—we are the best in Europe, the top university, I’d say. It’s a stereotype, but it is true. 

Max: I actually think the most accurate representation of a CEU student is no stereotype at all. Because everybody comes from such diverse backgrounds and has such different life experiences. 

Anonymous: In one word [laughs]—diverse. It’s too diverse to give it a stereotype. 

2. What do you think the actual typical CEU student is like? 

Zoie: They’re all middle-of-the-run moderate liberals who are actually really nice people,who care and are trying to make the world a better place but through more mainstream ways. 

Paul: I think that the actual student is intellectually capable, but, um, lacks philosophical depth to support the intellectual depth to support the philosophical capability, but has compassion. 

Giorgi: I would say it’s not easy to be a CEU student. So typical CEU students are really intelligent, really active. They know how to study, they know how to have fun. They’re cool. 

Max: I think some general characteristics shared by all CEU students are that they’re highly motivated, they’re all enthusiastic, and open-minded. 

Anonymous: Yeah, it’s too elaborate, too diverse to give you a one or two sentence answer. 

3. Why do you think most students choose to come to CEU in the first place? 

Zoie: It’s super prestigious. Getting accepted is like a reward. It has name-recognition value to it. And the financial packages they award are really generous. 

Paul: I think mostly because they’re trying to make some difference in the world, in an area that’s personally meaningful to them. And that there aren’t a host of opportunities that are as easy to obtain, in terms of funding, that offer the right level of intellectual support. 

Giorgi: Let me answer you from my perspective, why I chose CEU. For me, it was a great opportunity and a really good student life. I would say CEU is not only the name, you are gaining something. And I would also like to say something about diversity—you are not only studying from your professors, you are studying from your classmates. So,because of professors, because of study, because of quality of study, and because of classmates. 

Max: Well, I can personally only answer for myself. And my reasoning would be that, first of all, Budapest is breathtaking. Not only that, but the university seems to be a comfort zone for so many people of so many different backgrounds without forcing them to identify into one category. 

Anonymous: For me, it’s small, in terms of the student body, class sizes, lots of one-on-one attention; the facilities and Budapest; it was in English. And image, reputation and for what it stands for. Open Society, you know, all of these Open Society ideas. And, obviously, also, diversity. 

4. Why did you personally choose to come to CEU? 

Zoie: I got accepted to six different programs, three in the US and three in Europe, and I went to CEU because they offered me the largest grant package. I got the number one package to a school in the US, but even with that, it would’ve cost $30,000. 

Paul: I wanted to segue work that I didn’t enjoy in an area that I didn’t enjoy into something that was more socially rewarding. 

Giorgi: Our president, the president of Georgia, is from CEU. These people, your classmates, will be your future colleagues in your work. 

Max: My roots, my family connections in Austria. I wanted to be close to family while still getting to experience a new place.

[ceuweekly-blog]

ENERGY STORAGE ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION

Neringa Stropute / Environmental Sciences and Policy

Lithuania

Central European University, the Energy Research Group, and the Jean Monet Chair for Energy Innovation Strategieson March 6th has organized the roundtable discussion “Energy Storage Technology: Is the CEE Region Ready?”. According to the moderator of the discussion dr. Michael LaBelle, “We look at Western Europe countries, US, Australia where energy storage ecosystems are well developed, but the focus of this discussion is how we bring in new energy storage technologies in the CEE region with robust electrical and gas systems”. To answer this question, the roundtable brought together the key leaders at the forefront of the energy storage business: Jan Namyslo (Sales Leader Fluence Energy, Germany), Csaba Kovács (Partner, KPMG, Energy and Utilities), Tamás Bóday (CTO, HeatVenters Start-up) and István Slezsák (Grid Development Associate, ELMŰ).

 First of all, Jan Namyslo presented “Fluence” – ajoint venture in energy storage of Siemens and AES (USA). Siemens was interested in a partnership with AES because they have high expectations on a market based on energy storage. As Jan Namyslo puts it, “Energy storage will change dramatically the way of consuming and producing energy”. AES is famous as a company that started working in the area of energy storage already 10 years ago. The two companies together make up installed power of 500 MW. They focus on Europe, Northern, Southern America and even Asian market. Therefore, even though the “Fluence” was established just 8 weeks ago, it is not anymore a small start-up, but a large company with installed power worldwide. The ambitions of the joint venture are best illustrated by the largest project of the company – retransformation of the coal power plant into 100 MW capacity energy storage system. Furthermore,Jan Namyslo highlighted that there is a real business case for energy storage in central Europe too. One can easily earn 100.000 EUR per year for operating 1MW storage system and it can be scaled up to 50 MW. Especially attractive business case is regarding lithium-ion batteries – one of the most mature energy storage technologies so far.

 The discussion that followed after the keynote speech touched upon a wide variety of topics from home-scale energy storage, electric cars to availability of resources and power to gas technology as well as regulation. With regard to home-scale batteries the case of Germany was brought up, since there is a large market for residential storage due to the significant development in the photovoltaic (PV) sector. Considering electric vehicles, it was highlighted that the number of such cars is growing in Hungary (today there are around 5000 electric cars in the country) and they have the potential to inject energy to the grid as well as help to solve voltage problems in the power system. Furthermore, debating the issue of regulation of the energy storage, all speakers pointed out that the legal environment in CEE and in Hungary is not supportive enough. According to Jan Namyslo, storage systems are treated like any other conventional consumer, or producer. Thus, it is rather difficult to run arbitrage business in Europe because every time one is going to charge or discharge the storage, the taxes will have to be paid as it is the case even in Germany with the “Erneuerbare energie” fee. Therefore, “Germany, France, UK, Italy are lobbying in the European Commission regarding incentives for storage in the regulation system”, Csaba Kovács pointed out. Nevertheless, despite the fact that the incentive system is not perfect for energy storage in Hungary, one can be more optimistic when looking at Japan, USA, UK, France, Italy, Germany. Besides, once the clean energy package of the EC will be passed (by 2020), the legislative environment will be much more supportive in Europe. All in all, the technology is developing on its own and even though the regulation is missing, the technological development is far ahead.

 With regard to availability of resources’ influence on investment security, in a short-term perspective there might be a shortage of resources, but like in the oil business, from the long-term perspective, there will be significant investments in the sector, which will result in the discovery of more resources and consequently the prices will drop too. The prices for batteries is a good example as it has decreased by 75 % in the last 4-5 years. However, considering the power to gas (P2G) technology, the difficulties with regard to distribution system of gas has to be overcome if the full potential of this technology is to be unveiled.

In conclusion, the future of the energy storage was discussed and it was pointed out that especially in Hungary energy prices are highly political, therefore the essential question is, who has an interest to invest in energy storage. Lastly, it was highlighted that we all should be interested in energy storage technologies because of the climate change and rapidly increasing temperatures that require further development of the renewable energy sources.