The fundamental values of higher education were defined by ministers in their declaration

The ministers of the European Higher Education Area defined the fundamental values of higher education in their declaration approved at the Tirana Ministerial Conference in May 2024.

The fundamental values are academic freedom, academic integrity, institutional autonomy, participation of students and staff in higher education governance, public responsibility for higher education, public responsibility of higher education.

Ministers committed themselves to upholding the fundamental values of higher education and agreed to monitor their implementation.

The Finnish Union of University Professors influenced the declaration by commenting on its various versions through the Ministry of Education and Culture, ETUCE (European Trade Union Committee for Education) and the BFUG Task Force on Knowledge Sharing in the EHEA Community, as well as directly to representatives of BFUG (The Bologna Follow-up Group).

Academic freedom has already been defined in Annex 1 of the Rome Ministerial Conference 2020 Declaration.

Tirana EHEA Ministerial Conference: Tirana Communiqué
Tirana EHEA Ministerial Conference: Annex 1

Rome EHEA Ministerial Communiqué
Rome EHEA Ministerial Communiqué: Annex 1