The first, a future-oriented guiding document for the sector and by the sector, is EUA’s “Universities without walls: A vision for 2030’’. The vision is based on extensive consultations with individuals, expert and stakeholder groups. It is informed by themes such as sustainability and the UN 2030 agenda, digital transformation, geopolitical situations and global tensions and the impact of Covid-19.

During the webinar, EUA President Michael Murphy will present the vision and discuss how universities core values, such as academic freedom, institutional autonomy and scientific integrity, will help society to face the great challenges before us.

The second document is MCO’s Magna Charta Universitatum, which takes account of changes since the original document was prepared in 1988, anticipating the world that universities will face in in the future.

The new Magna Charta Universitatum will be presented by Sijbolt Noorda, President of the Governing Council of the Magna Charta Observatory and President Emeritus of the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands. If your university is not yet one of the 800 signatories of the Magna Charta and you are interested in doing so, feel free to contact the Observatory for more details on the process.

This webinar will offer the opportunity to discuss the two documents and how universities can, in practice, balance the strategic orientation of their activities towards large-scale societal goals with academic freedom and, specifically, the freedom of the individual researchers.

Participants will engage in an exchange on the practical application of values at the institutional level and in day-to-day operations, as well as possible contradictions arising.

The event is open to anyone interested and is free of charge. Registrations will be open until 23 March 2021.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Magna Charta Observatory at magnacharta@unibo.it.

I am very much looking forward to seeing you at this event.