On 26 March 2024, the European University Association (EUA) organized a webinar entitled “Protecting Fundamental Values in the European Higher Education Area” within the EAU webinar series “Toward Tirana 2024, the Bologna Process and Developments in the European Higher Education Area.” Monica Steinel, Deputy Secretary General of the European Union, moderated the webinar. She began by presenting the fundamental values. Then, Svein Hullstein, Policy Officer at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Education and Culture, and Member of the Bologna Working Group on Fundamental Values, and Tomasz Pietrzykowski, Vice-Rector for International and Domestic Cooperation, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland and Liviu Matei, Head of the School of Education, Communication & Society at King’s College London, addressed the autonomy of universities. L. Matei described the closing of the Central European University in Hungary as a big blow to the value of autonomy. T. Pietrzykowski also mentioned the ban of the Polish government on the publication of historical research carried out in Poland, which presented the collaboration of some Polish officials with fascist Germany. He described the government՛s approach as a violation of the values of academic freedom and integrity. As a result of the protest of the academic circle, the authorities allowed the circulation of that article. S. Hullstein said providing guidelines to raise awareness of fundamental values in universities is essential. L. Matei also touched upon the topic of cooperation with Russian scientists. The moderator of the meeting asked whether the cooperation with the Russians violates values. L. Matei noted that some Russian scientists are forced to sign the agreement on the war against Ukraine, but some scientists and students are against the war, and their rights are violated when they are deprived of the opportunity to cooperate with European universities. From Yerevan Haybusak University, the webinar was attended by Vice-Rector for Development and Education Quality Assurance H. Kazhoyan and DEQA officer M. Hovhannisyan.
