Save the date for the Anniversary of the Magna Charta Universitatum

King's College London is honoured to be the host of the Anniversary of the Magna Charta Universitatum (MCU) 2020-25 with the Magna Charta Observatory.

This event will bring together university leaders around the world as well as influential voices from the education sector.

Celebrating the anniversary of the Magna Charta Universitatum provides a pivotal opportunity to reflect on the principles of academic freedom and the values of university.

About the Magna Charta Observatory

The Magna Charta Observatory (MCO) is a global organisation that speaks for universities as a whole and particularly for the signatories of the MCU on matters of fundamental values, especially when there are attempts to erode these or restrict their operation. It advises and supports universities in times of challenge and contributes to the development of academic freedom in practice.

The MCU is used globally by universities and groups within the higher education sector as a reference document for enabling the fundamental principles to be to the fore in legislation and operational procedures. It is kept under review by the MCO.

About the Magna Charta Universitatum

The original Magna Charta Universitatum (MCU) was first signed by 388 universities from around the world in 1988 on the 900th anniversary of the founding of the University of Bologna. The document contained the fundamental principles of academic freedom and institutional autonomy.

Its purpose was to guide universities in achieving good governance and self-understanding in the future.

Since then, universities and the environments in which they operate have changed greatly. In the context of these changes, a multi-national group was formed to review the Magna Charta Universitatum which consulted globally. The outcome of this collective effort was a revised MCU which was adopted by the Governing Council of the Magna Charta Observatory (MCO) in July 2020.

To date, nearly 1000 universities from 94 countries have signed either one or other version of the MCU.