Fundamental academic values such as academic freedom and integrity, institutional autonomy, participation of students and staff in higher education governance and public responsibility for and of higher education have accompanied the Bologna Process since its very beginning and are playing an increasingly important role in higher education policy debates.
Hence, the Rome Ministerial Communiqué puts particular emphasis on the protection of “fundamental values of higher education and democracy and the rule of law”. The reference to fundamental values is also in line with the European Commission’s strong commitment to this topic and supported by the new Erasmus+ programme 2021-2027. In addition, the role of universities for democratic societies and the education of critical thinking is more strongly addressed.
The call for submissions addresses early career scientists of all academic fields, who have made an outstanding scientific contribution towards the preservation and advocacy of fundamental academic values in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Admissible candidates are graduates holding a master’s degree, doctoral candidates and postdocs (whose completion of the PhD should not date back more than 5 years). Candidates must have at least one outstanding publication on fundamental academic values. In case they have more than one publication on the topic, they will have to indicate one specific publication with which they enter the selection process for the award.
The deadline für submission is 31 August 2022.