Anniversary of the Magna Charta Universitatum 2026 | 14-16 October, Vilnius
07 October 2026 | From UNICA - From partners
The Anniversary of the Magna Charta Universitatum 2026 will take place 14–16 October 2026 at Mykolas Romeris University in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The event, titled “Beyond Resilience: Universities as Active Value-Driven Agents in a Changing World,” will bring together university leaders, academics and higher-education partners to discuss how universities can respond to major global challenges, including geopolitical uncertainty, technological change, societal transformation, academic freedom, and democratic engagement.
The central idea is that universities should go beyond simply reacting to crises and instead take an active, values-based role in shaping society. The event will also focus on international cooperation, sustainability, integrity and the role of universities in strengthening European and global collaboration.
UNICA in the programme
We are delighted to share that Luciano Saso, UNICA Secretary-General, and Romita Iucu, UNICA long time collaborator and current Secretary General of the CIVIS Alliance, are two of the speakers in the programme. They will lead session C, titled “Beyond cooperation: European networks and University Alliances and the future of academic values. How European University Alliances can reinforce the Magna Charta values?”, moderating a panel that includes Liviu Matei (Professor at King’s College London; main promoter of the UNICA CAPITALs series, and Vice-President of the MCO Governing Council), Ksenija Vidmar Horvat (Vice-Rector at the University of Ljubljana and Member of the UNICA Steering Committee), and Tarik Zaimović (Rector of the University of Sarajevo, UNICA member).
Other representatives from UNICA member universities in the programme include Rimvydas Petrauskas (Rector, Vilnius University) and Priit Reiska (Rector, Tallinn University).
Learn more about MCU anniversary, including the programme, in the event’s official website.
What is the Magna Charta Universitatum?
First adopted in 1988 and revised and restated in 2020, the Magna Charta Universitatum is a declaration of the core values that define universities worldwide – academic freedom, institutional autonomy, research, internationalisation, equality and serving society – which are key to addressing contemporary global challenges. Learn more
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.