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Thank you for having me. On a day where we celebrate a long and proud history of European scientific and educational excellence.
600 years ago, The Old University of Leuven was founded. This would later become the two institutions of UCLouvain and KU Leuven.
And while this is an impressive birthday to celebrate for two esteemed universities. It is actually not an entirely unique story on our continent.
It’s hard to compete on history when you’re a European institution.
In Europe, we have more than 30 existing universities that were founded before the year 1500]
It started with the University of Bologna in the year 1088. And over the next centuries, incredible knowledge institutions were founded all over Europe. In Leuven. In Oxford and Cambridge. In Copenhagen, Barcelona and Freiburg.
The very concept of universities was invented in Europe.
And though we can’t rest on our laurels I think it is important to remember our history as we plan for our future.
For almost a thousand years, the research, science and ideas of European universities have sought to answer the big and difficult questions.
We are standing on that foundation as we face times of great uncertainty. We need ideas. We need solutions. We need knowledge.
What we didn’t need was the American tariffs and general policy shift – but here we are. And it has certainly added to the sense of urgency.
We need to take our security, our economy and our future into our own hands.
That being said, this is not a time for panic. After the Draghi-report the conclusion almost seems to be that Europe is a lost cause.
That our history is a sign that we are old and stale. That we lack fundamental vitality and innovation power. But that is simply not true.
Our history is our strength
Our history is precisely what makes us strong.
Europe is not just a place on the map. Europe is a way of seeing the world.
We are a continent of different languages, different cultures, different habits – but a shared story runs through it all.
It’s a story that starts with ideas. One of those ideas was democracy, which we invented in Europe. Even if we then promptly forgot about it for a few centuries afterwards.
Europe was built on ideas. Ideas debated in ancient Greek academies. In cafés, in lecture halls, and in parliaments.
Our societies are defined by these ideas. From The Enlightenment ideals of progress, science and reason. To democratic rights and personal freedom.
We have different educational systems, different funding models, different approaches to bureaucracy, but we are united by a belief in knowledge as a public good.
And in universities as places where societies both reflect and reinvent themselves.
In a world of uncertainty, our common academic heritage is neither a burden nor is it irrelevant. It’s a great asset.
The real strength of Europe isn’t how similar we are but what we build together. Patiently, persistently, and across generations.
And now is the time to build.
I would like to quote one of the great European thinkers, René Descartes.
He said and I quote:
‘It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.’
We have the talent, we have the skill, we have the ideals to build a stronger Europe.
What we need to get better at is using our significant brainpower.
That is what Denmark will focus on when we take over the presidency of the Council of the EU from July 1st.
We will strive to strengthen the EU’s competitiveness and boost our economy. We have been preparing for this for a long time and different countries have expressed different priorities.
President von der Leyen gave a very good speech on the subject of competitiveness this Tuesday. I found her points regarding a self-standing programme for research and innovation especially well articulated.
Science and research play a crucial part in the journey toward a stronger European competitiveness and economy.
The end goal
Historically, universities have contributed with research, science, and knowledge that has played a vital role in shaping the societies we currently live in.
Influential and excellent universities – like the members of LERU and The Guild – play an essential part in the European value chain of commercialising research results and creating start-ups.
Universities’ collaboration with the world around them – public institutions and businesses – is a powerful driver for change and innovation in all aspects of society.
Because invention most often is built on a foundation of excellent science.
And we can do more to make sure that promising results from research projects can be turned into commercial value.
A lot of this is about direction. Again, it is not enough to have good minds scattered all over our impressive map of European universities. We need to set a much clearer strategical direction on how we use them.
And as we plan for the future we always need to remember, why we are doing it.
The end goal is not just a stronger economy or a competitive edge. The end goal is great societies to live in.
Modern Europe was built on freedom, trading, democracy and human rights. This is what we are protecting.
This also means that when other parts of the world – some more surprisingly than others – waver on fundamental principles we must stand even more firm.
Our shared history isn’t just something we study. It’s something we live.
And it is also a shared responsibility:
To defend academic freedom
To protect truth in an age of noise and misinformation
To keep our universities open, curious, and courageous.
Our values and ideals are never up for negotiation.
Today, we celebrate 600 years of academic excellence in Leuven.
For centuries ideas, culture and extraordinary academic institutions have been a huge part of shaping our continent.
And now we are here. We have the ideas, we have the talent, and we have lots of great minds.
Our big joint task going forward is to make sure we use them well.
Thank you.