On 22 January 2026, the German Academic Exchange Service’s (DAAD) liaison office in Brussels, the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), the European Association for International Education (EAIE) and the Centre for International Education (CIHE) jointly held in Brussels the seminar “Reflecting on higher education policy in Europe in geopolitically challenging times”.

The seminar commenced with a thought-provoking keynote provided by Jeroen Huisman, Professor of Higher Education at the Centre for Higher Education Governance Ghent (CHEGG), who called on participants to reflect on the underpinning conceptualisations of academic freedom. Professor Huisman raised concerns around the often defensive, dogmatic and normative approaches to academic freedom, and the limited studies which challenge or provide evidence to support it. He emphasised the need for scholars to also consider academic duties and obligations in light of academic freedom, and to explore more diverse and under-utilised conceptualisations.

The seminar then continued the discussions with two back-to-back panels, where leaders of European policy organisations, stakeholder organisations and higher education institutions further reflected on the topic of values in higher education policies during geopolitically challenging times in Europe and the world. The panellists raised concerns over a possible ‘long winter’ ahead, pointing to more cautious and restricted approaches to cooperation in higher education as a consequence of the ongoing global crises and geopolitics. Discussions also critically examined European values and how such values are put into practice in higher education, where for some, prioritising “like-minded partners” has become a limiting precondition to cooperation.

The seminar reinforced the need for the higher education community to take a more proactive position in international cooperation, through critically examining proclaimed values and actions and by strengthening and also disseminating related knowledge diplomacy efforts.

Read full programme in detail, here.