Renewing Higher Education’s Civic and Democratic Mission in Prague

By Bobbie Laur
President
Campus Compact

I’ve recently returned from the 2025 Global Forum: Renewal of the Democratic and Civic Mission. The Forum was hosted by Charles University in Prague in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. The Global Forum is a collaborative effort between the Council of Europe, the International Consortium for Higher Education, Civic Responsibility, and Democracy, the Organization of American States, and the International Association of Universities. I’m proud to represent Campus Compact as a steering committee member on the International Consortium.

This year’s Forum called for higher education to actively embrace its civic and democratic purposes, as well as stand for and exemplify democratic values, including diversity, inclusivity, tolerance, equity, and open inquiry. The Forum’s participants include higher education leaders from around the world, providing an incredible opportunity to learn, share, and advance our collaborative and shared agendas. As the Council of Europe shared in their Forum wrap-up, “higher education is not a bystander in the struggle for democracy. It is a cornerstone.” 

This was my first time in Prague, and I was in awe of the city, its history, and its beauty. Charles University is over 700 years old, and that alone is hard for me to wrap my American head around – it's a stark reminder of how young all our institutions are, and even more so, how young the United States is as we prepare to celebrate our 250th anniversary of the signing of the Decleration of Independence next summer. 

The event kicked off with introductory remarks, including those from Ira Harkavy, Chair of the International Consortium for Higher Education, Civic Responsibility, and Democracy, and founder and Barbara and Edward Netter Director of the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania. Ira’s impact on me, so many of my friends and colleagues, and the entire civic and community engagement field is immeasurable. Ira’s remarks at this year’s Forum underpin the stakes and urgency of the moment. This statement has been on repeat in my head, “higher education institutions need to function as democratic civic universities that advance democracy democratically on campus, in the community, and across the wider society.” 

You can read Ira’s full remarks here: https://compact.org/resources/global-forum-on-higher-education-2025-renewal-of-the-democratic-and-civic-mission

The keynote address was titled "Envisioning the Future of Democratic Engagement in Higher Education" and was delivered by Patrick Deane, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Queen’s University (Canada); President of the Governing Council, Magna Charta Observatory; Vice-President of the Administrative Board, International Association of Universities. Vice Chancellor Deane’s remarks left us all on the edge of our seat and were truly the basis for the entire time together. He spoke powerfully about the reality American higher education finds itself in and what it may take if we are serious about rebuilding the social contract between higher education and the broader society. He closes by saying, “what survives the subversion of academic freedom and the elimination of institutional autonomy is not a university. There is no option but to resist.”

You can read Patrick Deane’s remarks here: https://www.internationalconsortium.org/conferences/) 

The agenda was packed full with incredible speakers and panels, including a plenary session focused on “Reclaiming Higher Education’s Public Purpose: The Role of Students & Youth.” Among the four speakers was Kai Hopkinson-Ramsammy, Newman Civic Fellow and 2025 graduate from the University of San Diego. Kai, along with her fellow panelists, made it clear that student voice and agency must be prioritized, rewarded, and supported if we are to move forward. 

A powerful moment was when we heard from Václav Velčovský, Director General, Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports of the Czech Republic. Mr. Velčovský provided an update on how the country has continued supporting students, faculty, and citizens of Ukraine since the war began over three years ago. He shared how the colleges and universities are rallying around supporting families and refugees, including providing housing through their dormitories during the summer. Recently, President Zelenskyy visited Charles University to discuss the role of residents and higher education in post-war rebuilding and revival.

Throughout the event, I was gathering global models and tools. A few that stood out include: 

• The EU is leading exciting work to advance community engagement through its European Platform for Community Engagement in Higher Education, which is a web resource, knowledge hub, and toolkit to support universities committed to addressing societal needs in partnership with their communities. 
• The University of New South Wales is paving the way with the creation of a new role that brings together Societal Impact, Equity, and Engagement under one umbrella. It was awesome to hear Dr. Verity Firth talk about the power and opportunity when alumni, communications, equity and inclusion, and community engagement all come together to drive public impact. 
• The work EuroDocs is doing to train and prepare post-docs and early career researchers in Europe with the necessary resources and understanding of the role higher education and research play in a democratic society. 

The Forum continues to illuminate that we have so much in common as higher education leaders and champions and that now more than ever we need to be working together to forge an inclusive and just democracy for all. As Sanda Balaban, Executive Director of Project Pericles and fellow attendee said, “The challenges ahead—rising authoritarianism, loss of trust in institutions, civic decay—are too complex and transnational for solo acts. We need coordinated action, strategic alliances, and a bold re-centering of the public purpose of higher ed, as these sessions underscored.”