Openness: a Mission Challenged

Universities are vital and resilient insti­tu­ti­ons with a high degree of adap­ta­bi­li­ty. They are seen as core insti­tu­ti­ons of an open society, a condition and foun­da­ti­on for open, demo­cra­tic, fair and sus­tainable societies.
In their mission, they commit to the prin­ci­ples of open science as to conduct research in open con­nec­tion with society and aim to educate their students with an open mind and open attitude.
Openness, open borders, an open higher education system, is reco­gnized as a necessary condition for uni­ver­si­ties to col­la­bo­ra­te inter­na­tio­nal­ly and to con­tri­bu­te to solving global challenges.
However, openness cannot any longer be taken for granted in the changing political and global context. Illiberal trends, geo-political tensions and related security concerns jeo­par­di­ze insti­tu­tio­nal autonomy, academic freedom, and oppor­tu­ni­ties for col­la­bo­ra­ti­on. This weakens uni­ver­si­ties’ ability to play their role as core insti­tu­ti­ons in open and demo­cra­tic societies and in the wider global context.