Rector Molari in London to Celebrate the Magna Charta Universitatum Anniversary

Rector Giovanni Molari, the Vice Rector for International Relations, and the Delegate for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity represented the University of Bologna at the Anniversary of the Magna Charta Universitatum – MCU 2020, celebrated from 11 to 13 of November at King’s College London. The event–centred on the theme “What are universities for? Higher education principles, values and responsibilities in a fragmented world”– welcomed representatives from more than two hundred universities worldwide.

Recognising the diversity of traditions and contemporary circumstances in higher education, the Magna Charta Universitatum, originally signed in 1988 on the occasion of the 900th anniversary of the University of Bologna and restated in 2020, helped shape a global social contract between universities and society.

The 2025 anniversary focused on strategies to revitalise the role and influence of universities, reaffirming academic freedom and institutional autonomy in a particularly challenging international context.

“This year’s anniversary takes place in a fragile global environment: conflicts and tensions are rising, and human rights are being severely challenged. We are seeing that democratic values can never be taken for granted”, stated Rector Molari. “Academic freedom and institutional autonomy must be firmly defended, and only by working together can universities turn this defence into real benefits for society”.

During the panel sessions, rectors, researchers, students, policymakers, and representatives of associations and international alliances discussed the founding principles and values, as well as the crises and conflicts that challenge and unsettle academic communities from within.

“The Magna Charta Universitatum reminds us that universities have a mission to respond to global aspirations and challenges”, continued the Rector. “Their role in supporting communities is pivotal. Freedom and dialogue are the foundations on which knowledge is created and placed at the service of the common good”.

The anniversary celebrations concluded on the morning of Thursday 13 November with the signing ceremony of the Magna Charta by the universities that have joined it, which are by now over a thousand.