EUTOPIA alliance calls for a balanced approach to responsible internationalisation

The EUTOPIA universities' alliance says global academic cooperation is facing a critical turning point as universities struggle to balance the imperative of open science with escalating geopolitical risks.

This is the main part of the alliance's report on responsible internationalisation, published on 17/03/2026. The report's findings are based on exchanges at the alliance's summit on responsible internationalisation, held on 28/11/2025.

At the summit, which featured senior figures from the European Commission, UNESCO and major university alliances, speakers stressed for a collective need for a "balanced approach to risk management" that avoids the "chilling effect" of an excessively security-focused approach. At the same time, there was a need to remain vigilant against threats to institutional values, as the report states.

A recurring theme throughout the summit was the danger of "research nationalism" and excessive regulation. In a live poll conducted during the event, delegates identified "limiting academic freedom through over-regulation" as the single greatest threat to…