Openness, academic honesty, and freedom of expression are the values that underpin the mission of European universities. At the upcoming conference, members of the European University Association (EUA) will discuss the role of these values in an academic context and in democracy. Professor Adam Bodnar, Dean of the Faculty of Law at SWPS University in Warsaw, will be one of the speakers.
2022 EUA Annual Conference
The EUA Annual Conferences provide a platform to discuss current state and future challenges of higher education in Europe. This year the main topic is: University values: what, why and how? The plenary sessions will discuss academic freedom, “cancel culture”, “deplatforming”, and the role of values in university partnerships.
Professor Adam Bodnar has been invited to join the prestigious group of panelists. His lecture will focus on the role of academic freedom in protecting democratic values and on practical actions that universities can undertake to ensure that academic freedom is and remains a lived reality.
The 2022 EUA Annual Conference will take place at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics on April 28-29.
European University Association
The European University Association represents more than 850 universities and national rectors’ conferences from 48 European countries. Its mission is to promote policies that strengthen the role of universities in Europe’s knowledge societies. EUA plays a crucial role in the Bologna Process and in influencing EU policies on higher education, research and innovation. Through continuous interaction with a range of other European and international organizations, EUA ensures that the independent voice of European universities is heard.
Currently, 37 Polish higher education institutions belong to the European University Association. SWPS University joined the EUA in 2004.
Adam Bodnar
Ph.D./Associate Professor
Professor Adam Bodnar is a lawyer specializing in constitutional law and human rights. He is the Dean of the Faculty of Law in Warsaw at SWPS University. He held the position of Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Poland from 2015 to 2021. He is also a former Vice-President of the Helsinki Foundation of Human Rights (2010-2015). Throughout his career, he has been working with numerous NGOs. Professor Bodnar is a recipient of the 2018 Rafto Prize for his contribution to the protection of human rights and the rule of law in Poland, and the 2019 Rule of Law Award granted by the World Justice Project organization. In 2020, he was awarded the French National Order of the Legion of Honor, Knight Class. The same year he was awarded the Equality Crown by the Campaign Against Homophobia, a public-benefit nongovernmental organization with non-profit status working for the equal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in Poland, and an award from the Janina Paradowska and Jerzy Zimowski Foundation for his social engagement and contribution to the protection of human rights.