Magna Charta Universitatum Observatory

07/10/2026

Join the Magna Charta Anniversary online

The 2026 Anniversary of the Magna Charta Universitatum starts next week in Vilnius.

If you cannot join us in person, you can still follow the plenary sessions live on YouTube throughout the three days of the Anniversary.

Day 1 – 14 October 2026
https://youtube.com/live/DKddqsM_P6M

Day 2 – 15 October 2026
https://youtube.com/live/dm17ABQPxOM

Day 3 – 16 October 2026
https://youtube.com/live/oFjriUFwrrA

The streams will follow the times indicated in the programme, that you can find here: https://events.magna-charta.org/event/mcu-anniversary-2026

Follow the conversations around:
Beyond Resilience: Universities as Active Value-Driven Agents in a Changing World

We look forward to sharing the Anniversary with the wider Magna Charta community, both in Vilnius and online.

29/09/2026

One week left to register!

The 2026 Anniversary of the Magna Charta Universitatum is
approaching.

From 14–16 October, university leaders and higher education experts will meet in Vilnius to discuss how universities can respond to a rapidly changing world — and how they can move beyond resilience to become active, value-driven agents of change.

Registration closes on 6 October.

If you have been considering joining us, this is the moment to register.

📍 Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania
📅 14–16 October 2026
🔗 https://events.magna-charta.org/event/mcu-anniversary-2026

Already registered? We look forward to meeting you in Vilnius.

24/09/2026

23/09/2026

What can universities do — not simply how can they endure?

Geopolitical uncertainty, technological change, pressure on academic freedom and institutional autonomy, and growing questions about public trust are reshaping the environment in which universities operate.

The 2026 Anniversary of the Magna Charta Universitatum will bring university leaders and higher education experts together in Vilnius to discuss how universities can respond actively, remain grounded in their values, and continue to contribute to society.

📍 Mykolas Romeris UniversityVilnius | 14–16 October 2026
Registration closes on 6 October. If you are considering joining us, now is the time to register.

🔗 https://events.magna-charta.org/event/mcu-anniversary-2026
Beyond Resilience: Universities as Active Value-Driven Agents in a Changing World

18/09/2026

What does it mean to make university values real?

The Magna Charta Anniversary 2026 will bring together voices working at the heart of some of the most important questions facing higher education today:

🎤 Luciano Saso, Secretary General, UNICA
🎤 Amy Reid, Program Director, Freedom to Learn Program, PEN America
🎤 Amélia Veiga, Project Leader and Professor, University of Porto
🎤 Romita Iucu, Secretary General, CIVIS

Their perspectives will explore academic freedom, freedom to learn, institutional values, democratic engagement and the role of international university networks.
Because values matter most when they shape what happens in universities every day.

These are questions for university leaders today.
📍 Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania
📅 14–16 October 2026

👉 Join us in Vilnius:
https://events.magna-charta.org/event/mcu-anniversary-2026

16/09/2026

Four perspectives. One question: what do universities need to do now?

At the Magna Charta Anniversary 2026, we will hear from:

🎤 Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defence and Space
🎤 Vilius Sadauskas, Rector, European Humanities University
🎤 Jamil Salmi, former Head of Tertiary Education, World Bank
🎤 Kathryn Enke, Vice President for Leadership and Strategy, American Association of Colleges and Universities

Their perspectives will address some of the major challenges facing universities today — from geopolitics and security to institutional autonomy, leadership and the future of higher education.

These are questions university leaders are facing now.

📍 Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania
📅 14–16 October 2026

👉 Register now:
https://events.magna-charta.org/event/mcu-anniversary-2026

08/09/2026

How can universities rebuild public trust in a world of profound uncertainty?

Higher education is facing growing pressures — from geopolitical uncertainty and technological transformation to changing expectations from society.

In partnership with University World News, we are exploring these challenges in the lead-up to the Magna Charta Anniversary 2026 at Mykolas Romeris University in Vilnius.

Their recent article, “Rebuilding trust in HE requires value-driven change,” asks how universities can remain guided by their values while actively responding to a rapidly changing world.

This is one of the key questions we will explore in Vilnius.

📍 Vilnius, Lithuania
📅 14–16 October 2026

👉 Read the article:
https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20260901041435438

Registration closes on 29 September.

👉 Join us:
https://events.magna-charta.org/event/mcu-anniversary-2026

04/09/2026

The winners of the Magna Charta Observatory Essay Competition 2026 have been announced!

This year’s competition received an amazing 228 essays from students in 44 countries — the largest number of entries in the history of the competition! 🌍

🏆 Congratulations to our five winners:
🇨🇦 Banmeet Kaur Sangha – McMaster University, Canada
🇮🇩 Salsa Putri Sadzwana Sihombing – University of Glasgow, Indonesia
🇮🇪 Ciara Rees – University College Cork, Ireland
🇳🇬 Emmanuel Oluwamayowa Korie – University of Ilorin, Nigeria
🇺🇿 Shamsikamar Sharipova – Bukhara State University, Uzbekistan

👏 We also congratulate the three students whose essays were Highly Commended by the judges.
Masrur Mouno - University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Hugues Laplante-Clément - Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Canada
Franzcesca Chiara Francia De La Cruz - Institut d'études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po Paris), France

The essay question was:
“How have the humanities influenced your entry to and/or your experience of higher education?”

The remarkable response from students around the world demonstrates the importance of continuing to reflect on the role of the Humanities in higher education and in students’ learning experiences.

📖 Want to read what the winners had to say?
The five winning essays are now available on the MCO website:
👉 Read the five winning essays here: https://www.magna-charta.org/activities-and-projects/mco-essay-competition-2026

The five winners will travel to Sydney, Australia, in November to take part in WAHEN and Equity Practitioners in Higher Education Association conferences and other events.

A heartfelt thank you to all 228 students who entered, our 12 judges, and WAHEN for supporting the prizes.

🌍 Congratulations to everyone who took part — and especially to our winners and highly commended students!

03/09/2026

Resilience is important. But is resilience enough?

Universities are navigating profound changes in technology, society and the world around them.
But perhaps the challenge is not simply to adapt.

What if universities can also help shape what comes next?

Through knowledge, research, education, public debate and their engagement with society, universities have the potential to be much more than institutions that respond to change.
They can be active agents of change — guided by their values and their responsibilities.

This is the central idea behind the theme of the 2026 Magna Charta Anniversary:

Beyond Resilience: Universities as Active Value-Driven Agents in a Changing World

University leaders from around the world will meet at Mykolas Romeris University in Vilnius from 14–16 October 2026 to explore what this means in practice.

Will your university be part of the conversation?

Registration closes on 29 September 2026.

👉 https://events.magna-charta.org/event/mcu-anniversary-2026

27/08/2026

AI is changing higher education. But how are universities responding?
Artificial intelligence is transforming teaching, research and the way knowledge is created and shared.
For university leaders, the challenge is not simply to adopt new technologies. It is to understand their implications and find approaches that allow universities to embrace innovation while remaining true to their values and responsibilities.
What approaches are universities taking? And what outcomes are they seeing?
On 15 October at 15.30, the Magna Charta Anniversary 2026 will explore these questions in:
The AI Challenge – approaches and outcomes
We are delighted to welcome President Jekuk Chang of Dongseo University, South Korea, for this important discussion.
With extensive experience in Korean and international higher education, President Chang will bring a valuable perspective to one of the most significant challenges facing universities today.
📍 Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania
📅 14–16 October 2026
🕞 15.30, 15 October
Don't miss this conversation on one of the defining challenges for the future of higher education.
Registration closes 29 September 2026.
👉 Register:
https://events.magna-charta.org/event/mcu-anniversary-2026