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How the UvA contributes to a safe and resilient society

Guiding principles for UvA collaborations

Given the current turbulent (geo)political situation in the world, increasing attention is being paid to the role universities play in contributing to a safe and resilient society. As the University of Amsterdam (UvA), we have a responsibility to work on building knowledge around these kinds of complex societal issues and themes.

Our responsibility

To help protect our democracy and our freedoms, including academic freedom, we collaborate with societal partners such as the police, TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research), and the Ministry of Defence – in a manner that aligns with the values of the UvA.

Our frameworks

We educate people and conduct research based on the core values of the UvA: we are a curious, engaged and independent university. Our activities fall within the applicable legal frameworks and our ethical framework for collaboration with external parties. We critically assess the projects in which we may participate, taking into account ethical considerations, societal sensitivities and knowledge security. Moreover, we value transparency about our contributions.

Key conditions include safeguarding academic freedom, striving for Open Science, and preventing misuse of research data and results, as well as ensuring a proportionate impact on the organisation and guaranteeing the safety of our staff and students. Academic freedom includes the ability to question collaborations, as well as the possibility for students and staff to engage in collaborations within these frameworks.

Our contribution

First and foremost, we educate students for the world of tomorrow. Our strength lies in fundamental knowledge development and innovation: as a comprehensive university, we already contribute to safety and resilience through knowledge ranging from the social sciences and humanities to the natural sciences and the medical domain. Examples include research into conflicts and disinformation as threats to democracy, education in the field of human rights, research into the detection of chemical warfare agents, and training medical procedures for defence personnel. One of the guiding principles of the UvA as an academic institution is that we do not wish to be involved in human rights violations or war crimes.

By contributing to safety and resilience, we use our scientific knowledge, responsible innovative solutions and critical perspective to help build a better future.