Ideally, universities are one of the central places where scientifically sound knowledge is generated, new findings are debated and validated, and made available to society. Universities thrive on open discourse and critical reflection on their subjects and findings. And they are based on freedom for research and teaching. Academic freedom is a crucial prerequisite for independent knowledge acquisition. Only on this basis can science critically reflect on and help shape the many socio-political challenges. Conversely, there is an increasing expectation for science to enter into co-operation with non-scientific partners in order to serve the interests of the economy and society. The current massive upheavals are leading to social uncertainty and to conflicts over the sovereignty of interpretation of our present and the resulting maxims for action to shape change. In this situation, science has a role to play in society as a whole, not least in order to clarify the difference between opinions and scientifically verifiable findings.

However, a look at the current framework conditions of universities in Germany provokes the question of whether universities are able to fulfil this self-image and this scientific and social role in the present and future. Academic freedom is confronted with a logic of economic valorisation, competition and growth as well as quality features that are gradually eroding the framework conditions for research and teaching. Recently, freedom of science has been put up for discussion with political arguments.

The conference combines a critical review of the strengths of the university and its threats with considerations on how the increasing restriction of the freedom of research and teaching can be counteracted. The following key questions will take centre stage:

• What should a university look like in the 21st century that on the one hand maintains its unbeatable core - purpose-free research - and on the other hand does not ignore the demands and challenges of the present?
• Are there political limits to academic freedom?
• Do current future scenarios threaten to unduly prejudice the content and methods of knowledge production?
• Who determines the relevance of research - science, the logic of economic utilisation or socio-political debates?
• How can the conditions be designed in such a way that the university can protect itself from a neoliberal logic of competition, utilisation and growth without isolating itself in an ivory tower?
• Do content-related criteria or quantitative indicators determine the quality of research and the scientific abilities of academics?

At the end, a panel discussion will summarise the findings and discuss them controversially.

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