Universities and the Common Good – Reflections and Continuing the Conversation
In September 2025, the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights hosted 'Universities and the Common Good: A Global Conversation' to reflect on the evolving role of universities in addressing societal needs and advancing the public good.
The event marked the retirement of the Bonavero Institute's Inaugural Director, Professor Kate O'Regan, who led the Bonavero Institute since its inception, shaping it with extraordinary vision, integrity, and purpose. Under her leadership, the Institute has grown into a globally recognised centre for human rights research, teaching, and public engagement.
Universities play a crucial role in modern democracies. With the rise of the “third wave” of autocratisation in the last decade, universities have come under attack across the globe and we have seen a sharp decline in academic freedom. To contribute to an emerging global conversation about how universities should respond to contemporary challenges, the event brought together leading thinkers and practitioners: Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Adam Habib, Eva Brems, and Chris Stone. The event explored how universities can respond to pressing global challenges while remaining true to their core values of knowledge, justice, and service to society.
As a continuation of this conversation, each speaker has written a reflective piece inspired by the themes discussed at the event. Together, these essays offer thought-provoking perspectives on how universities can strengthen their commitment to the common good in an age of political tension, inequality, and rapid change.
We invite you to read the full series of articles and revisit this vital conversation on the future of higher education.
Watch the event recording below.
Event recording: Universities & the common good – A global conversation about how to respond to contemporary challenges
The University and Its Discontents by Pratap Bhanu Mehta
Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Laurence Rockefeller Visiting Professor for Distinguished Teaching at Princeton University and Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Research Delhi, argues that the crisis of universities in democracies like India and the United States mirrors a wider crisis of democracy, as academic freedom and institutional autonomy are eroded. Universities are attacked from the Right for allegedly undermining national values and from the Left for masking inequality under claims of universal reason, leaving little political or public will to defend them. To regain trust, universities must clearly show that their autonomy and disciplined inquiry are essential to intellectual integrity and the democratic common good.
Read the full text "The University and its Discontents".
Free Speech and Academic Freedom in the University by Adam Habib
Adam Habib, Vice-Chancellor (formerly Director) of SOAS University of London in 2021 and Professor of Political Science, argues that while external pressures threaten free speech and academic freedom, universities themselves often undermine these principles through intolerance, inconsistency, and a failure to uphold professional norms. To reclaim their role as defenders of academic freedom, he calls for introspection, consistent accountability, and courageous leadership that fosters intellectual plurality and institutional integrity—supported by sustainable, independent business models.
Read the full text "Free Speech and Academic Freedom in the University".
Universities as human rights actors: screening partners by Eva Brems
Eva Brems, Professor of Human Rights Law and founder of the Human Rights Centre at Ghent University, examines how a human rights framework, such as the pioneering human rights screening policy for international partnerships at Ghent University, can guide universities toward greater inclusion and justice. She explores whether and how universities can act as human rights defenders, examining the growing expectation that they take responsibility for their impact on global human rights. Using the example of Ghent University’s pioneering human rights screening policy for international partnerships, the piece traces how the Gaza crisis and related campus protests have prompted institutions across Europe to develop similar mechanisms — reflecting a wider shift towards viewing universities as public actors accountable for upholding human rights principles in their collaborations and investments.
Read the full text "Universities as human rights actors: screening partners".
No Sitting Back by Chris Stone
Chris Stone, Professor of Practice of Public Integrity at the Blavatnik Schoool of Government and member of the Bonavero Institute Advisory Council, reflects on the immense pressures facing modern university leadership, arguing that today’s presidents must actively defend academic freedom, reform governance, and strengthen democracy rather than “sit back and see what results.” Through the imagined search for a new Ivy University president, he highlights the urgent need for collective action to restore principled governance, safeguard institutional independence from political and financial pressures, and reaffirm universities’ role in cultivating democratic citizenship.