Research and Education are a foundation of European public life. They are predicated on values, trust, and the pursuit of truth, without which our institutions and our interactions cannot function. The next framework programme must strengthen frontier-led science. It must find new ways to connect research and education. Universities, and their entrepreneurial students, are also key to the innovation eco-systems.
The Guild demands that challenge-driven research is framed by the UN’s Global Sustainable Development Goals, to enable all disciplinary perspectives to contribute appropriately to solving our most pressing societal concerns worldwide. For this, Europe must engage more in global research collaborations, including with the Global South.
We must also be bold in addressing the structural and cultural impediments to research excellence in all parts of Europe and remove barriers to research excellence. Regional policies for growth must have universities at their core.
Serving Europe’s Societies: Research, Innovation, and the Future of Europe