2025 CG’s 40th Anniversary High-Level Seminar, Brussels: “Reinventing Campus Democracy – Bridging Divides and Advancing Solutions”

Brussels, 21 November 2025

Organising entities: Coimbra Group, Utrecht University, with support from the European Students’ Union (ESU)

The Coimbra Group, in collaboration with Utrecht University, is co-organising the High-Level Seminar “Reinventing Campus Democracy: Bridging Divides and Advancing Solutions”, marking the conclusion of the Coimbra Group’s 40th anniversary celebrations. This event will take place on 21 November (8h30 – 16h30), at the University Foundation, Rue d´Egmont 11, Brussels.

Link to the detailed draft programme

Key information

  • Registrations (upon invitation only) may be submitted via this link. The deadline for registrations is 12 November 2025. 
  • For accommodation recommendations and discounts, please contact Ivonne Mejia at info@coimbra-group.eu  
  • The topics of breakout sessions were partly identified by CG leadership and partly selected via an open call for contributions, closed on 10 September 2025.  
  • Participating students will also be invited to join a guided visit to the European Parliament, in the morning of 20 November (10:00 to 12:00).  

Background

In the context of growing social and political tensions, both globally and within our own campuses, universities are increasingly called upon to serve as models of open dialogue, inclusive governance, and democratic resilience. However, recent events show the limits and challenges universities face in fulfilling this role. 

This seminar aims to explore how universities can foster dialogue, navigate disagreement, and reinforce democratic principles on campus. It seeks to bridge the gap between scholarly research and campus discourse by asking:

  • What insights and examples do universities offer to contribute to a viable and sustainable democracy?
  • What principles and concrete practices should universities adopt to fulfill this renewed democratic ambition?   

The seminar aims to set a reference point for future activities within individual Coimbra Group (CG) universities and across the network, enabling us to work together to repair and reinvent democracy on campus.

Objectives of the conference:

  • Empower participants on the topic of campus democracy
  • Rethink university governance
  • Set examples of dialogue and reconciliation on societal issues.

One of the key principles guiding the whole event is active participation from all involved: students, staff and faculty, as well as other audience members affiliated with EU institutions and CG partner organisations.

Programme

The seminar includes opening keynote speeches and six interactive breakout sessions, divided into two rounds of three parallel sessions. For the complete and updated programme, please refer to this page.

Keynote speeches: 

  • Henk Kummeling, Professor of Constitutional Law and former Rector Magnificus of Utrecht University
  • Second speaker to be announced soon. 
  • Address by Arno Schrooyen (Vice-President, European Students’ Union – ESU) 

Each breakout session will be introduced by one (or more) expert(s) and facilitated by a moderator. We envision single cases to spark a conversation with audience participants on shared goals and challenges and how to address them through concrete practices, capable of fostering democracy on campus.  

Audience participants are invited to play a key role, actively contributing to the discussion: asking questions, expressing doubts or criticisms, sharing comments, challenges and best practices from their own institutions.  In order to facilitate this degree of participation, preparatory questions are made available to everyone ahead of the sessions [see the programme to know more].

Breakout sessions titles:

  • Partnership in practice: Modelling best practice in institutional-student collaboration 
  • Universities and the future(s) of representative democracy 
  • Climate change scepticism and anti-scientific sentiment: What role for universities?
  • The many roles of a university: Rethinking democratic responsibility
  • Why EDI matters: Fostering inclusive dialogue and campus democracy 
  • Opening campuses, opening minds: Universities as living spaces of democracy

The outcomes of each breakout session will be shared and discussed in the seminar’s concluding panel.

We cordially invite you to take part in this high-level seminar, as we collectively reflect on and advance the role of universities in strengthening democratic engagement on campuses.

Coordination team: Ludovic Thilly (CG Executive board), Beatrix Busse (CG Executive board), Eva Voldřichová – Beránková (CG Executive board), Bart van de Laar (Utrecht University), Arno Schrooyen (ESU), Ester Zangrandi, Ivonne Mejia and Emmanuelle Gardan (CG Office).

Summary of useful links and contacts:

Recent Coimbra Group High-Level Policy Seminars

2025 Coimbra Group Climate Symposium
2024 CG High-Level Seminar on Education Policy, Iaşi:“(Generative) Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education”
2023 CG High-Level Seminar on Research Policy, Brussels:“Achieving Excellence at Universities: What does it mean in times of multiple crises?”
Joint Montevideo Group-Coimbra Group High-level Workshop: “Strengthening academic collaboration between Latin America and Europe”
2022 CG High-Level Seminar on Education Policy, Uppsala:“From learning spaces to learning environments”
2021 CG High-Level Seminar on Research Policy, Geneva:“The Coimbra Group Meets the United Nations”
2020 CG High-Level Webinar on Education Policy, online:“Challenges and future of internationalisation in the European Knowledge Area”
2019 CG High-Level Seminar on Education Policy, Tartu:“Universities as drivers of socio-academic integration in multilingual Europe”
2018 CG High-Level Seminar on Research Policy, San Servolo:“Defining and measuring impact of level Seminar on Research : Policy an interdisciplinary and intersectoral approach”
First Coimbra Group High-Level Workshop on “Lifelong Learning and Employability”
2017 CG High-Level Seminar on Education Policy, Dublin:“Internationalisation of the Curriculum”
2016 CG High-Level Seminar on Research Policy, San Servolo:“New Opportunities for University Cooperation”
Coimbra Group conference “Impact of a Horizon 2020 proposal – industrial leadership and societal challenges”
2015 CG High-Level Seminar on Education Policy, Iasi:“A tradition of Innovation”
2014 CG High-Level Seminar on Research Policy, San Servolo:“Horizons 2015: First Experiences, Emerging Expectations – Horizon 2020 from the perspective of European Research Universities”