Andrea Petö.

Okategoriserade Andrea Pető: “Why Do Universities and Academic Freedom Matter?” 

Andrea Petö, professor at the Central European University (CEU), was awarded an honorary doctorate an held a talk:" Why Do Universities and Academic Freedom Matter?" where she warned about how illiberal regimes infiltrate universities to legitimize their ideology.

Published on balticworlds.com on September 27, 2022

Andrea Petö, professor at the Central European University (CEU), Department of Gender Studies and a research fellow at the CEU´s Democracy Institute, was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2021 by Södertörn University, Stockholm, Sweden. As the 2021 ceremony had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, she was awarded at Södertörn University’s Commencement Ceremony on September 15, 2022. She held a talk:” Why Do Universities and Academic Freedom Matter?” where she warned about how illiberal regimes infiltrate universities to legitimize their ideology. She also shared strategies for academics to cope with these attacks and make resistance, continue conducting research, and not get scared. The talk will be published in a reworked form in the coming issue of Baltic Worlds.

Andrea Pető is at the forefront of gender research in Central and Eastern Europe and, therefore, one of the current Hungarian regime’s primary targets. Her contributions illuminate Stalinist and Nazi persecutions from a gender perspective. She has travelled widely to lecture and promote gender research in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Further, she is a frequent speaker on the subject of Academic Freedom.

Reflecting on the award at CEU webpage 2021, Petö stated: ” I consider it a particular honor that following decades of academic cooperation, my work was recognized by colleagues who are known internationally not only for their teaching excellence and cutting-edge research on issues related to the Baltic Sea and Eastern European regions but also for fighting for academic freedom and human rights.”

An interview with Andrea Petö at the commencement day is soon to be published on Södertörn University’s website (link comes soon).

 

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