University leaders kick off dialogue on democracy and polarisation

Bringing together 19 leaders from universities in 14 countries across the European Higher Education Area, the recently established group previously met online in late February for an initial discussion on the growing societal and political polarisation across Europe and its impact on universities. During this second meeting, members of the group engaged in a workshop organised by EUA’s Policy Coordination and Foresight team. The activities included an exchange on practical cases, exploration of current challenges with peers, discussion about the values at stake as well as opportunities and challenges for universities.

Overall, geopolitics and trust framed much of the discussion. Participants debated how to manage international partnerships in a shifting global landscape and the role of scientific diplomacy, as well as the question of if and when universities should take a public stance on certain issues. Prominent topics in the discussion included:

• Trust: in classrooms and between universities and society, as well as trust in democratic values themselves.
• Declining confidence in democracy among younger generations, which raises questions about universities’ responsibility to educate responsible citizens.
• The growing vulnerability of universities as institutions, i.e. how much political and reputational pressure universities can realistically withstand in contexts where shared European values are increasingly contested.

Through this initiative, EUA strengthens peer learning and the role of universities as spaces for democratic dialogue and responsible leadership. The group will continue its work throughout 2026 and its discussions will feed into a practical toolkit for university leaders.

The group is comprised of:

Sunniva Whittaker, University of Agder, Norway; EUA Board member – Chair

Herman Van Goethem, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Irena Vodopija-Krstanović, University of Rijeka, Croatia

Bernold Hasenknopf, Sorbonne University, France

Kakhaber Lazarashvili, East European University, Georgia

Ulrich Bartosch, University of Passau, Germany

Oliver Günther, University of Potsdam, Germany

Angelika Epple, Bielefeld University, Germany; EUA Board member

Pio Fenton, Munster Technological University, Ireland

James Livesey, University of Galway, Ireland

Francesco Costamagna, University of Turin, Italy

Paola Catenaccio, University of Milan, Italy

Donika Kamberi, State University of Tetova, North Macedonia

Michal Markuszewski, Medical University of Gdánsk, Poland

Ksenija Vidmar Horvat, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Pau de Vílchez Moragues, University of the Balearic Islands, Spain

Rebecka Lettevall, Malmö University, Sweden

Tora Holmberg, Umeå University, Sweden

Florence Balthasar, Zurich University of the Arts, Switzerland

For any questions about the work of the group, please contact Liliya Kukuruza (liliya.kukuruza@eua.eu).