On behalf of USN, Dean Per-Ludvik Kjendlie signed the Magna Charta Universitatum 2020 Declaration.
This declaration commits USN to uphold and strengthen the fundamental principles of academic freedom and institutional autonomy. This is a clear statement of the university's values at a time when such principles are being challenged on a global level, says Kjendlie:
– By signing the Magna Charta Universitatum, we commit ourselves to defending the academic freedom that is the very lifeblood of the university. Our detachment from political and economic interests is not just a privilege, but a prerequisite for us to be able to produce reliable knowledge and educate a critically thinking population, he said after the ceremony.
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- Incredibly proud
The signing ceremony is a formal gathering that took place in London, during the Magna Charta Conference. Representatives from 36 universities from around the world gathered there.
Student leader Ada Margrethe Seim was also present at the signing ceremony along with special advisor Heidi Tovsrud Knutsen. Seim expressed how important this is for the students:
– As a student leader, I am incredibly proud that USN has signed the Magna Charta Universitatum. Students depend on having confidence that our education is of high quality, something that is ensured through academic freedom of expression and institutional autonomy. It is not the governments or the business community that should control what we learn and research.
Signing the document is not just a symbolic act, but a commitment. Every five years, the declaration must be re-signed, which means that USN must continuously work to maintain and further develop the principles.
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Free and independent academia
For students, the signing also creates new opportunities. Among other things, an essay competition is organized annually that challenges students to explore topics such as inclusion, social responsibility and ethics. USN wants to encourage students to participate, and students in subjects such as human rights are especially encouraged to contribute.
Student leader Ada Margrethe Seim concludes with a clear encouragement:
– With the increasing and serious conflicts that affects our everyday lives, we are dependent on building critical thinking and the freedom to research. The signing is a clear commitment to USN that we will stand together with our partners and work for a free and independent academy. The agreement commits us to action, an action that the
students at USN will be part of.
Through USN's membership in the EDUC Alliance, where four out of eight universities have now signed the agreement, USN also demonstrates its commitment to international cooperation and knowledge exchange.
– Magna Charta reminds us that education is a human right and a common good, not a commodity. Our university is committed to actively combating inequality in access to higher education, and to being a driver of social development in our region, says Kjendlie.
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