Fundamental values of the European higher education system must be protected - attacks on university autonomy and freedom of expression stand in the way of this

 "In our neighbouring country Hungary, the government has once again attacked the institutional autonomy of a university by intending to undermine the autonomous economic and academic university bodies of the "Budapest University of Theater and Film Arts (SZEF)". The universities of applied sciences, together with numerous other European university associations, are therefore appealing to the Hungarian government to reconsider this step. Academic freedom and institutional autonomy are key elements of functioning higher education systems and an essential element of a democratic society," says FHK President Raimund Ribitsch.

The Austrian University of Applied Sciences Conference (FHK), the association of all 21 Austrian universities of applied sciences, is a co-signatory of the "Vienna Declaration (Universities for Enlightenment - U4E)". In this initiative, European university associations jointly advocate fundamental university values such as academic freedom, academic integrity in teaching and research, institutional autonomy, participation of students and academic/artistic staff in order to protect them from political influence.