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Focus on climate protection: Universities focus on sustainability and innovation
The JMU Würzburg signed the Durham Declaration on Sustainability at the Coimbra Group Symposium in Durham, March 26, 2025.
Focus on climate protection: Universities focus on sustainability and innovation
In Durham, UK, representatives of the Coimbra Group met on March 24-26, 2025 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this renowned European university community. The host was Durham University, which organized the “Coimbra Group Climate Symposium” as part of these celebrations. In particular, the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg (JMU) was involved in the discussions and signed the “Durham Declaration”, which contains seven principles for sustainability and climate change. This was done in a Press release from the University of Würzburg announced.
The signing of the “Durham Declaration” demonstrates the participants’ commitment to promoting sustainable development within their institutions. Paul Pauli, President of JMU, emphasized that universities should play a central role in research and education in the area of climate protection. Universities are not only required to design their own facilities sustainably, but they also have to make a contribution to the transfer of knowledge and the training of future generations.
Progress and responsibility
Other prominent voices, such as Anja Schlömerkemper, Vice President of JMU, described the progress of the university's sustainability strategy as positive. Professor Doris Fischer, who is responsible for internationalization at the JMU, pointed out the importance of a joint effort to achieve the set goals. Despite the successes achieved, the universities unanimously emphasized the need for additional efforts to meet the challenges of climate change.
The Coimbra Group, founded in 1985 and currently comprising 41 leading European universities, places great emphasis on promoting internationalization, academic collaboration and excellence in teaching and research. Since then, the JMU has been a member of this community and actively uses the knowledge and networks gained there.
On to the future
The meeting in Durham was not only a celebration, but also a signpost for the challenges ahead and issues that the Coimbra Group wants to address in the next few months. An Executive Board Meeting was held in Brussels in September 2024 to discuss the future of the European Research Area, as well as the upcoming celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the first EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation, launched a year after the Coimbra Group was founded. The next twelve months are seen as a time for reflection and prioritization, including setting scientific themes and promoting shared values.
A central concern is also the discussion about innovation and the relevance of artificial intelligence for universities. The Coimbra Group plans to study the impact of AI and its impact on universities in more detail, with a high-level policy seminar coming up at the University of Iasi in November 2024.
In addition, the next major meeting of the Coimbra Group will take place in June 2025 at the University of Bologna, where the General Assembly will also discuss the possibility of expanding membership. This development shows how important the university community is, not only to its own members, but also to the wider European educational landscape. The commitment to actively participate in European policy-making is also further solidified in the context of the Draghi report.
Overall, the Coimbra Group will play a central role in shaping Europe's academic landscape in the coming months and years and will continue to advocate for important issues such as climate change and sustainable development, as well as the Coimbra Group notes.