The Anthropocene, climate change, wars in many countries and polarisation in once seemingly stable societies are putting pressure on all of us, but especially on young people. This creates borders in our minds where there should be none.
The internationalisation of education and science is an important prerequisite for global, inclusive, democratic and sustainable solutions. It is important to identify structural inequalities that have developed over time and to create the conditions for an equal dialogue in which people from all parts of the world can participate.
The university must also transcend its boundaries here. This requires the courage to open up and leave established discourse circles and comfort zones; it requires the courage to show solidarity with academics who enjoy fewer freedoms or privileges.
Last but not least, it takes courage to create and maintain new global spaces for future generations in which the value of science, education and intercultural discourse can be experienced and critically reflected upon. With our university partnership between the Universities of Graz, Dortmund and Mosul (RESI: Rethink Education and Science in Iraq), we are exploring starting points for what this might look like in practice.