Central European University

🌟 Congratulations, Class of 2026!

Hats off to our incredible 450+ graduates, who celebrated commencement this past Friday at Stadthalle, Vienna. 🎓 Through hard work, passion and sheer perseverance, you've made it here, and you should be proud of every step.

The future is yours.

Our recap video is coming soon, but until then, check out the photos on our Flickr album.

Read more: https://www.ceu.edu/news/2026-06/ceus-35th-commencement-ceremony-marks-historic-year

👏 We're proud to share that CEU Professor Eva Fodor has received an ERC Advanced Grant for her new project, CAREFARE: Gender, Care and Reproduction: How Do Illiberal Leaders Transform Society?

The €2.5 million grant will support a five-year research project examining how illiberal governments use reproduction and care policies to reshape social inequalities and consolidate power, focusing on Hungary, Serbia, Poland, and Italy. The research will combine policy analysis, interviews, surveys, and large language model-based text analysis, with a strong commitment to collecting politically independent data in contexts where governments may restrict or distort the evidence.

"Illiberalism is not only a political project. It is also a deeply social one," said Professor Fodor, Professor of Gender Studies and Pro-Rector for Teaching and Learning at CEU. "To understand how illiberal regimes endure, we have to look closely at the inequalities they create and the social worlds they build."

Congratulations, Eva, on this incredible recognition of your work!

📚 Read more: https://www.ceu.edu/news/2026-06/ceu-professor-eva-fodor-receives-erc-advanced-grant-study-how-illiberal-leaders

As president of the Open Society Foundations and a CEU Board trustee, Binaifer Nowrojee took the stage at Vienna's House of Music for CEU's 35th Anniversary Presidential Lecture Series, delivering a lecture titled "Reimagining Human Rights for an Uncertain World."

Drawing on decades at the frontlines of human rights work, she made the case that human dignity should be at the center of politics, and that achieving a more just future will require broader coalitions and a more universal understanding of human rights. There are no "iron laws" carrying us toward a final resting point, she said, only gains and setbacks, and the work of human rights will never be finished.

Hosted by Central European University Interim President and Rector Carsten Q. Schneider, the lecture also touched on AI governance, coalition-building across ideological lines, and the political nature of the human rights struggle.

Watch the full lecture here: https://youtu.be/aXGU2A-6_dE

Photo credit: CEU / Lukas Bezila

Migration is complex. But it is also a source of resilience, innovation and opportunity when understood and managed well.

In a feature on The Stand by students at Central European University, IOM’s Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia shares perspectives on how narratives shape policies and why it’s essential to look beyond misconceptions.

Read how changing the narrative starts with facts 🔗bit.ly/4uDBo1p

🎉 A historic milestone for Central European University

For the first time, CEU has been included in the QS World University Rankings and has debuted among the world's top 250 universities, ranked #239 globally and #3 in Austria in the QS World University Rankings 2027.

This recognition reflects the dedication and excellence of our entire community and affirms CEU's commitment to academic rigor, impactful research, open inquiry, and global engagement.

Among Austrian universities included in the rankings, CEU ranks:

🏆 #1 in Citations per Faculty
🏆 #1 in Employment Outcomes
🏆 #1 in International Faculty
🏆 #1 in International Students
🏆 #2 in Faculty–Student Ratio

CEU also received a perfect score of 100/100 for both International Faculty and International Students, highlighting the truly global character of our university community.

As one of only 94 institutions worldwide making their debut in this year's rankings, this achievement marks an important moment in CEU's journey and a strong foundation for the future.

Thank you to our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and partners whose work and commitment made this possible.

Learn more: https://www.ceu.edu/news/2026-06/ceu-makes-historic-debut-qs-world-university-rankings-ranked-among-worlds-top-250

Excellence at CEU takes many forms: inspiring teaching, world-leading research, dedicated service, and scholarship that advances knowledge and society.

We are proud to announce the recipients of CEU's 2026 Excellence and Academic Awards, recognizing colleagues and doctoral graduates whose contributions strengthen our university community and extend our impact far beyond it.

🏆 CEU Excellence Awards
• Teaching Excellence Award: Associate Professor Guntra Aistara
• Research Excellence Award: Professor Miklós Koren
• Staff Excellence Awards: Sotiris Bekas and Shwetha Nair
• Community Service Excellence Award: Natalia Nyikes

🎓 Best Dissertation Awards
• Ákos Szegőfi (Department of Cognitive Science)
• Ruth Gazso Candlish (Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy and International Relations)
• Onkar Sadekar (Department of Network and Data Science)

Their achievements reflect the curiosity, dedication, creativity, and commitment to community that define CEU.

Please join us in congratulating this year's award recipients and thanking them for the lasting impact they make through their work every day.

Read more about the 2026 Excellence and Academic Awards: https://www.ceu.edu/news/2026-06/ceus-2026-excellence-and-academic-awards-honor-outstanding-research-teaching-and

🎬 How can visual storytelling deepen academic research?

Last week, the CEU Library Media Hub and Visual Studies Platform welcomed audiences to Belvedere 21 for CEU DOCS 2026 where students from across disciplines showcased documentary and experimental films exploring themes ranging from memory, identity, and artistic freedom to urban life, community, and contested histories. Following the screening, filmmakers joined the audience for a lively discussion about their creative processes, research, and the challenges of bringing complex ideas to the screen.

The annual showcase highlights one of the core strengths of CEU's approach to visual education: combining critical inquiry with hands-on creative practice. Supported by the expertise and resources of the CEU Library Media Hub, students can develop the skills to research, create, and present visual work while exploring the possibilities of visual and aural media as tools for scholarship.

Looking for more visual storytelling and creative expression? Join us for the next screening on Wednesday, June 17 for QWIENS, a Student Film Screening and Drag Performance by House of Vida: https://events.ceu.edu/2026-06-17/qwiens-student-film-screening-and-drag-performance-house-vida

📸 Adam Hushegyi & CEU Library Media Hub

It's Pride Month, and we has two events for you next week in Vienna. 🏳️‍🌈

Tue, June 16 | 3:30 pm
Records Uncovered: LGBTQIA+ Histories, Activism, and Politics in Hungary and Beyond
A roundtable with scholars, activists, and archivists, followed by the opening of an exhibition tracing q***r histories across Central and Eastern Europe from 1945 to 1999. Free to attend, followed by a reception.
👉 https://events.ceu.edu/2026-06-16/records-uncovered-lgbtqia-histories-activism-and-politics-hungary-and-beyond

Wed, June 17 | 5:30 pm
QWIENS | Student Film Screening and Drag Performance by House of Vida
First, an 8-minute documentary by CEU students diving into Vienna's drag scene. Then, a live performance by the queens of House of Vida. Free entry, registration required.
👉 https://events.ceu.edu/2026-06-17/qwiens-student-film-screening-and-drag-performance-house-vida

See you there. 💙