As our global landscape continues to evolve rapidly, knowledge serves as a critical tool for informed decision-making and innovative responses to pressing global issues. Through their ‘third mission,’ universities expand their influence beyond traditional academic roles, emerging as informal diplomatic actors. They foster global collaboration and address common challenges such as public health crises, climate change, and geopolitical tensions.

Funded by the CIVICA Call for Thematic Activities, the KIND conference seeks to explore how CIVICA contributes to fostering global cooperation, advancing international dialogue, and addressing shared global challenges. By focusing on the collaborative efforts of CIVICA partners, the conference will highlight how academic institutions engage in diplomacy through knowledge-driven initiatives.

The conference will include representatives from five CIVICA universities (EUI, LSE, Bocconi, CEU, SGH) including senior faculty, academics, doctoral students, alumni, and staff. In addition, it will host representatives from other university alliances participating in the European Universities Initiative, alongside Ukrainian universities, EU policymakers, and high-level stakeholders. This diverse gathering will foster a multi-stakeholder dialogue enriched by various perspectives.

Over the two-day conference, we will examine how universities contribute to knowledge creation, shape community integration, and influence science policy interactions. We will explore their evolving role in global affairs, discussing potential tensions and concerns. Understanding this shift is crucial for university leaders, researchers, educators, students, and policymakers, as it underscores the strategic importance of universities as independent actors in current affairs.

Key Questions for Discussion

• What role do universities play in fostering understanding and cooperation in the context of current geopolitical challenges and conflicts through informal diplomacy?
• How do universities, particularly those within the CIVICA alliance, act as informal diplomatic actors?
• In what ways can the knowledge produced and disseminated by universities influence international relations and policy-making?

More information here.