DRU – Democratic Roles of Universities is an international project financed by Horizon Europe whose main objective is to explore new ways in which universities can strengthen the democratic fabric of society.
The European Commission and Parliament recognise that democracy – the cultural ‘glue’ that holds Europe together – is increasingly under threat. The European Education Area, and particularly higher education institutions, are therefore called upon to engage with their communities, promote inclusion of students from disadvantaged and migrant backgrounds, and uphold democratic values in everyday life.
Democratic backsliding is not unique to Europe. DRU facilitates mutual learning on how universities can foster democracy in diverse contexts, including South Africa’s post-apartheid ‘rainbow nation’ and Australia’s transition towards a post-colonial era.
The DRU consortium brings together partners from northern, southern, eastern and western Europe, as well as from South Africa and Australia. It comprises universities and non-academic organisations, all committed to collaborative action to promote democracy – from grassroots community initiatives to international policy engagement.
DRU brings cross-disciplinary, cross-sectoral and international expertise to critically analyse existing knowledge on the relationship between universities and democracy. We break the issue into five constituent parts. Three are practical ways universities, academics and students engage with their local communities through research and civic action and create a thriving educational environment for refugees and all students. Two address how these practices are fostered or hindered by institutional frameworks and systems of governance.
DRU designs experiments and case studies to explore alternative approaches. Its ‘whole system’ methodology links policy and governance priorities at the top of the system to the everyday conditions that embed democratic practices in the lives of institutional members and citizens. The project’s practical outcomes will be Disseminated in the form of toolkits, training materials and policy briefings aimed at students, academics, stakeholders, institutional leaders and policy-makers – with the ultimate goal of enhancing the democratic impact of universities.