As Trump escalates attacks on US universities, Vienna’s CEU offers a cautionary tale

Central European University, Vienna (AFP)

In a former bank building in Vienna, Central European University—founded by George Soros—now operates in exile after Hungary’s nationalist government forced it out of Budapest. As US President Donald Trump intensifies his campaign to reshape American higher education, faculty and students at CEU are seeing unsettling parallels.

“It’s like we keep screaming at the void, and no one is listening,” said Sepphora Llanes, a CEU graduate student from Colorado.

Orban’s crackdown offers a warning

Prime Minister Viktor Orban used state power to expel CEU from Hungary, part of a broader effort to control academia. Now, observers see Trump borrowing elements of that strategy as his administration attempts to force ideological change on US universities, the New York Times reported.

“This is basically the same,” said Carsten Q. Schneider, a longtime CEU faculty member and its incoming interim president.

In Hungary, CEU became a target not just because of its ties to Soros—a prominent supporter of liberal causes—but also because of its emphasis on open societies and opposition voices. Orban’s government passed laws to restrict the university, prompting its move to Vienna in 2018.

Trump’s aggressive tactics surpass Orban’s

Since returning to office in January, Trump has launched a sweeping crackdown on elite US universities. The administration froze $2 billion in Harvard’s grants after the school resisted demands to alter hiring, admissions, and diversity policies. It also moved to bar Harvard from enrolling international students, though a federal judge blocked that effort.

Other universities, including Columbia, have capitulated under federal pressure. Dozens more face federal probes, while Trump’s team seeks to purge diversity programming and scrutinize accreditation bodies.

CEU faculty warn that Trump’s tactics, though more legally detailed than Orban’s, pursue the same end: ideological control. “Don’t expect mercy,” Schneider said. “It is unhinged. There is no end to it unless you firmly put boundaries.”

A rising exodus of American students

The CEU example is resonating with US academia. Amy Gutmann, former University of Pennsylvania president, called it an “informative case study” and urged universities to defend core values.

Meanwhile, CEU is seeing a surge in US applications—a 40 percent rise this spring—as some American students explore options abroad. Kristina Veskovic, an American sophomore at CEU, said friends are increasingly eyeing overseas universities amid the turmoil.

Professor Tim Crane of CEU noted the school’s appeal: low tuition, international diversity, and—crucially—academic autonomy. “There’s not a risk that your program is going to be shut down because the government decides it doesn’t like what you want to study,” he said.

An uncertain future for US academia

For now, Trump’s assault on US universities is still meeting resistance from courts and campuses. But CEU’s forced exile underscores how quickly academic freedom can erode under sustained political pressure.

Professor Michael Dorsch put it starkly to colleagues: “Imagine Trump decides to kick Harvard out of the US.” So far, that remains hypothetical—but for those watching from Vienna, the warning is clear.