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A Clear Signal for Democratic Societies

The DAAD’s Award for Fundamental Academic Values
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DAAD has presented the «Fundamental Academic Values Award», funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, for the first time. The prize recognises the outstanding scientific contributions that three young female researchers from Germany, Lithuania and Austria have made to promoting fundamental academic values in the European Higher Education Area.

Fundamental academic values are closely linked to active social engagement and participation in democratic life. They include freedom of expression, equality, non-discrimination and social responsibility. What is more, adherence to academic values is fundamental if higher education institutions are to fulfil the vital role they should play for and within democratic societies. This is why European education policy places emphasis on teaching students social, civic and critical skills. Accordingly, the Erasmus+ programme for 2021–2027 also attaches particular importance to fundamental academic values, underlining the significance of universities for democratic societies and the development of critical thinking. 

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Fundamental academic values in the European Higher Education Area

Academic freedom and integrity, institutional autonomy, participation of students and staff in higher education governance and public responsibility for and of higher education − these four «fundamental academic values» have come under noticeable pressure in recent years, also in individual member states of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). In light of this development, the Education Ministers of the EHEA member states have repeatedly declared their explicit support of the protection and promotion of fundamental academic values in their statements − most recently at the Bologna Conference in Rome in November 2020. The NA DAAD endorses this pledge with activities that are being carried out as part of the BMBF-funded project «bologna hub» in Department EU04.

  • Speaker Peter Greisler (Head of the Subdivision Higher Education BMBF)

    ©Michael Jordan/DAAD
    Speaker Peter Greisler (Head of the Subdivision Higher Education BMBF)

  • Peter Greisler (Head of the Subdivision Higher Education BMBF) during his laudatory speech for the award winners

    ©Michael Jordan/DAAD
    Peter Greisler (Head of the Subdivision Higher Education BMBF) during his laudatory speech for the award winners

  • (From left) Janika Spannagel, Dr Elizaveta Potapova and Dr Milica Popović listen proudly as Peter Greisler (Head of the Subdivision Higher Education BMBF) praises their work.

    ©Michael Jordan/DAAD
    The award winners (from left) Dr Milica Popović, Janika Spannagel and Dr Elizaveta Potapova

  • Award winner Dr. Milica Popović enjoys the words of Peter Greisler (Head of the Sub-Department Universities BMBF)

    ©Michael Jordan/DAAD
    Award winner Dr. Milica Popović and Peter Greisler (Head of the Sub-Department Universities BMBF)

  • Award winner Janika Spannagel listens with interest and amusement to Peter Greisler (Head of the BMBF's Higher Education Sub-Division)

    ©Michael Jordan/DAAD
    Award winner Janika Spannagel

  • (from left) Janika Spannagel, Dr Elizaveta Potapova and Dr Milica Popović proudly watch their work being honoured by Peter Greisler (Head of the BMBF's Higher Education Division)

    ©Michael Jordan/DAAD
    (from left) Janika Spannagel, Dr Elizaveta Potapova, Dr Milica Popović and Peter Greisler (Head of the Subdivision Higher Education BMBF)

  • Group photo after the award ceremony on 30 June 2023: (from left) DAAD President Joybrato Mukherjee, Janika Spannagel, Dr Milica Popović, Dr Elizaveta Potapova, Peter Greisler (Head of the Subdivision Higher Education BMBF)

    ©Michael Jordan/DAAD
    The award ceremony on 30 June 2023: (from left) DAAD President Joybrato Mukherjee, Janika Spannagel, Dr. Milica Popović, Dr. Elizaveta Potapova, Peter Greisler (Head of the Subdivision Higher Education BMBF)

  • Award winner Dr Elizaveta Potapova smiles at the camera during the laudatory speech.

    ©Michael Jordan/DAAD
    Award winner Dr Elizaveta Potapova

Portraits of the prizewinners

By awarding prizes for academic work, DAAD has drawn attention to fundamental academic values. In 2022, the international committee selected three young female researchers who are committed to promoting democratic societies with their research. The winners of the «Fundamental Academic Values Award» received €7,000, 6,000 or 5,000 respectively. 

Janika Spannagel speaks at the lectern
©Michael Jordan/DAAD

Janika Spannagel from the Freie Universität Berlin (Germany, 1st place) examines new sources of data on academic freedom, specifically the «Academic Freedom Index», and the growing demand for qualitative case studies on academic freedom in individual countries in her publication «The Perks and Hazards of Data Sources on Academic Freedom: An Inventory». She provides a review of the most important available data sources on the state of academic freedom.

Elizaveta Potapova waiting for her turn at the lectern
©Michael Jordan/DAAD

Dr Elizaveta Potapova from the Public Policy and Management Institute (Lithuania, 2nd place) examines the issue of academic freedom in contemporary Russia in her article «Speaking Up at Work: Narrative Analysis of Academic Freedom in Russia». She considers academic freedom to be a constituent part of the professional identity of academics, who define themselves in a system of relationships with students, colleagues, the university administration and the state.

Milica Popović gestures with her hands at the lectern
©Michael Jordan/DAAD

Dr Milica Popović of the Central European University (Austria, 3rd place) examines the shifts in views about academic freedom during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 in her publication «Changing Understandings of Academic Freedom in the World at a Time of Pandemic». She offers a systematic analysis of new, sometimes controversial perceptions of academic freedom and attempts to reframe the term. 

The three winners presented their award-winning work to an interested audience of experts at the DAAD Peer Learning Activity (PLA) «Academic freedom and integrity» on 15 March in Berlin. It was followed by a lively discussion about current developments in academic freedom, integrity and university autonomy in the European Higher Education Area. 

The award ceremony took place at the DAAD Scholarship Holders’ Meeting in Berlin on 30 June 2023 before an audience of around 500 international scholarship holders. The award was presented by high-profile representatives of the BMBF and DAAD.

Contact:
Tim Maschuw
EU04 – Erasmus+ Policy Support

Further information

Press release on the DAAD’s «Fundamental Academic Values Award»: 

bologna hub

«bologna hub» activities on fundamental values in the EHEA

PLA «Academic freedom and integrity»

Communiqué of the Bologna Ministerial Conference of November 2020

Author: Hans Leifgen, NA DAAD

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