Reaffirming and strengthening Europe’s Universities as pillars of democratic resilience
12 November 2025
The Coimbra Group welcomes today’s adoption by the European Commission of the European Democracy Shield, setting out a series of concrete measures to empower, protect, and promote strong and resilient democracies across the EU. First announced by President Ursula von der Leyen at the 2024 Copenhagen Democracy Summit, the Democracy Package aims to protect the EU from foreign interference and disinformation and foresees the creation of a European Centre for Democratic Resilience. In this context, the Coimbra Group underlines the crucial role of Europe’s universities in protecting and enhancing democracy for future generations across the continent.
“Universities are essential to Europe’s democratic resilience,” said Ludovic Thilly, Chair of the Coimbra Group Executive Board. “Through education, knowledge creation, critical thinking and open debate, universities equip citizens with the tools to navigate complexity and resist disinformation. It is also critical to continue empowering universities to protect and enhance democracy on our campuses every day, through university governance, through student elections or through how we handle difficult conversations, polarisation and disinformation”.
In a context of growing social and political tensions, both globally and within our own campuses, our universities are increasingly called upon to serve as models of open dialogue, inclusive governance and democratic resilience. At the same time, recent events also reveal the limits and challenges universities face in fulfilling this role. To address these topical questions, the Coimbra Group, together with Utrecht University and with the support of the European Students’ Union (ESU), is convening on 21 November in Brussels a full-day high-level seminar: “Reinventing Campus Democracy – Bridging Divides and Advancing Solutions”.
Marking the 40th Anniversary of the Coimbra Group network, the seminar will bring together university leaders, academics, students, policymakers and partners to explore how universities can foster dialogue and pluralism, navigate disagreement and polarisation, strengthen democratic life within and beyond the campus. The event will seek 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 fulfil this renewed democratic ambition?
Among the many contributors to the European Commission’s initiative on the European Democracy Shield is the University of Bergen (UiB), a Coimbra Group member. Its position paper, “The role of research, education and the arts in building democratic resilience”, highlights the essential contribution of universities to this agenda. UiB’s recommendations emphasise the strategic role of research, education, and innovation, the need to safeguard academic freedom and institutional autonomy, and the importance of the social sciences, humanities and the arts in countering polarisation and rebuilding trust in democracy.
Learn more about the Coimbra Group’s High-Level Seminar on Campus Democracy
Read UiB’s position paper on the European Democracy Shield