Prague, October 25, 2018

On the occasion of Rectors’ Conference “University and the Republic: 100 years of Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic”, Charles University, Prague, 24-25 October 2018

Coimbra Group, EUROPAEUM, LERU, UNICA and Charles University

Pictured: Three of five signatories of the Prague Appeal on October 25. From Left to Right: Prof. Luciano Saso (UNICA), Charles University Rector Tomáš Zima, Prof. Ludovic Thilly (Coimbra Group). Not pictured: Prof. Hartmut Mayer, Prof. Kurt Deketelaere Photo: René Volfík.

Joint declaration:

As European organisations of universities, we express our concern regarding recent political developments and discussions, potentially leading to a division of the existing European Education, Research and Innovation landscape and its associated EU funding schemes.\

We want to stress that the European Education and Research Areas can only develop and flourish further by remaining open to cross-border and international cooperation, regardless of the local political situation and constraints. This includes the mobility of students, teachers, researchers, academic staff and their families, as one of the crucial elements of open and excellent European Education and Research Areas.

We call on the EU decision makers to ensure that the future European programmes, Erasmus and Horizon Europe, will continue to allow, and even further develop, Education and Research agreements with non-EU countries. In particular, a "Europe First" approach is genuinely undesirable.

We believe that open European Education and Research Areas are the only solution to address both European and global challenges to the benefit of citizens and democratic societies.

Prof. Ludovic Thilly,

Chair Coimbra Group

Prof. Luciano Saso

President UNICA

Dr. Hartmut Mayer

Director EUROPAEUM

Prof. Kurt Deketelaere

Secretary General LERU

Prof. Tomáš Zima

Rector of Charles University