The Future of Universities | Crisis as Catalyst: Reinventing Europe | Caroline de Gruyter

In the 1990s, the European Union appeared dull and technocratic. For many, this was reason to distrust “Brussels”. That era lies far behind us and since then, one crisis has followed another: financial crises, geopolitical tensions, war at Europe’s borders, democratic erosion, and a destabilised global economy. We are not living through a single crisis, but rather a polycrisis: crises that exists simultaneously and reinforce one another. Author and Europe correspondent Caroline de Gruyter argues that Europe paradoxically moves forward because of crises. When political leaders no longer know what to do, they are forced to cooperate. Under the pressure of external threats and shifting global power dynamics, Europe is gradually finding its voice as a geopolitical actor. But what is the role of an university in times of crisis? As Europe loses its traditional position of power, knowledge remains its greatest strength. As early as 1919, the French poet Paul Valéry argued that Europe’s future was tied to l’esprit: intellect, culture, and science. Universities are therefore crucial as places where independent thinkers and innovators come together. Caroline de Gruyter reflects on the return of European politics, changing leadership in Europe, and the responsibility of universities to reconnect their knowledge with society.