Amongst other things, it will be discussed whether populist governments always pursue anti-international policies, reduce funding and programmes for international mobility and international cooperation projects, and discourage universities and colleges to engage in internationalisation. Are critical scholars and students at risk of losing their jobs, being persecuted or imprisoned, or, rather, where is this the case? Another key question at the seminar will be how higher education institutions and internationalisation agencies (like IKY, other ACA members and like organisations) in functioning democracies should respond to countries and universities which restrict academic freedom. Should they suspend cooperation with these countries and their higher education sector or should they reinforce it, as a sign of solidarity with the threatened academics and in the hope that continued cooperation will 'infect' the problematic countries with a 'democracy virus'?  

In their choice of speakers, moderators, and panellists, ACA and IKY have remained loyal to their long-term policy: only the best! All our speakers, from Greece, the rest of Europe and the US, are highly reputed experts of international renown, further to being all very good orators. As a way of example: Kostas Gavroglou, the Greek Education Minister, Sijbolt Noorda, the President of the Magna Charta Observatory and former ACA President, Ulrich Grothus, the ACA President and Deputy Secretary General of DAAD, Allan Goodman, the CEO of the Institute for International Education in NYC and Marijk van der Wende, Distinguished Professor for Higher Education at Utrecht University.