September 15 is International Democracy Day, as declared by the United Nations General Assembly. This is the perfect occasion to remind us that the cooperations undertaken by the University of Stuttgart are also based on democratic principles. The global political situation and the challenges facing international cooperations make it necessary to emphasize a clear commitment to academic values. This has now been set out in a new preamble, initiated by Silke Wieprecht, Vice Rector for Diversity and Internationalization.
The preamble invokes academic values and their importance for a university with global connections. The core values here are: academic freedom, accountability, equitable access, institutional autonomy, social responsibility and sustainability.
This is the general preamble that is to precede all new or pending renewals of university cooperations in the future:
„We, the undersigned, recognize the importance of international cooperation and collaboration in achieving our shared goals of advancing education, research, and social progress. We are committed to the fundamental values of academic freedom, accountability, equitable access, institutional autonomy, social responsibility, and sustainability. We enter into this agreement with a shared commitment to these values, and with the belief that our cooperation will enhance our ability to achieve our common goals.“
In addition to the legal aspects that play a primary role in cooperation agreements, the preamble emphasizes fundamental academic values. The integrity of scientific practice is also firmly anchored in the University of Stuttgart's Code of Conduct.
"University collaborations not only benefit from synergies, but also from complementarities. Academic values forge a strong foundation for a research environment characterized by internationality and diversity, and for excellent science. We rely on adherence to these values. We view the International Day of Democracy as an opportunity to remember that our partnerships are based on the principles of democracy," said Vice Rector Prof. Silke Wieprecht about the preamble.