On Wednesday 25 October, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Julie Sanders, visited the University of Lodz in Poland to attend a conference marking the anniversary of the Magna Charta Universitatum.
The Universitatum is a document originally signed in 1988 by university leaders from across the world, that sets out principles of academic freedom and academic responsibility alongside the right of universities to autonomy in a changing world.
In 2018, a group of individuals were tasked with reviewing the document to assess its suitability for the 21st century, in response to the changing role of universities. This initial review was followed by a lengthy consultation period and was officially adopted by the Magna Charta Observatory Governing Council in 2020. The new version of the document recognises the presence of universities on the international stage and their subsequent responsibilities but removes nothing from the original Charta. To date, the document has been signed by over 900 university leaders.
This year, the theme of the conference was ‘Universities and Re-Construction of Cities: The Role of Research and Education’. On the last day of the conference, an official ‘Ceremony for the Signing of the Magna Charta’ was held, where Julie signed the Magna Charta on behalf of Royal Holloway students and colleagues.
Reflecting on the visit, Julie said: "It was fantastic to attend such an important historical conference and to be part of truly global discussions about the social purpose of Higher Education. I was very proud to be able to sign the Charta on behalf of our Royal Holloway community. The principles underlined in the Charta align closely with our own values and will help guide our future strategy and everything we do as a higher education institution, particularly as the world around us and the role of universities continue to change."
