“What is the purpose of this university in 2025?” Habibović posed this question to the audience gathered in the Sint Janskerk Church. She offered a suggestion: “Universities serve society not only through knowledge that can be turned into money or comfort, but also through knowledge that challenges. It is our duty to look critically and scientifically at everything.”
This perspective, she said, must then be shared with the rest of society – more than it currently is. “We hold all the world’s conspiracy theories in the palms of our hands, but peer-reviewed knowledge is hidden behind a paywall.”
Whirlpools
The university must also provide students with a “great education”. But what does that actually mean? “Less demanding curricula and more whirlpools, or a ‘mindfulnest’, may well increase student satisfaction. But would it better empower them to make a positive impact in the world? I doubt it. We certainly have to listen to what our students want, but at the same time, we must challenge and question them at every turn – precisely because that is what a good education does.”
Habibović also emphasised the importance of community, both within and beyond the university. “We are an integral part of society.” But, she asked, is UM effective enough in communicating its positive impact on the local economy, the city of Maastricht and the wider region?
Wisdom
Midlife crisis or not, universities must ask themselves important questions about their role in the today’s world, said keynote speaker Ioan Fazey, a professor of Social Dimensions of Environment and Change at the University of York. “The nature and pace of the challenges we face, such as climate change, demand that we adapt in order to move forward.”
Universities need to think about how they can support change, said Fazey. “We tend to focus on analysing the problem.” Collecting data and scientific evidence is important, he added, but “we also need imagination to envision a different future, and the creativity to find ways to get there.” Fazey called for universities to impart not just knowledge, but also wisdom, citing Aristotle’s definition of wisdom as a combination of knowledge, practical skills and sound ethics.
Butterflies
If you truly want to change things, Fazey pointed out, you must undergo a transformation. He compared it to a caterpillar dissolving itself into a chrysalis to become a butterfly. “You’re using the same resources to create something fundamentally different. You’re not asking for more money from the government.” Such a process is never easy, he explained; a lot of transformation endeavours ultimately amount to little more than adjustments. “We turn into fatter caterpillars rather than butterflies.”
To achieve real change, according to Fazey, an organisation must hold on to that transformational intent and avoid getting distracted by everything else going on. Make sure that innovation, meant to drive change, doesn’t get encapsulated by the status quo. Another pitfall, he warned, is “creating an investment bubble by all rushing after the same innovation, even if it isn’t a complete solution to the problem. At some point, the bubble will burst and everything will collapse.”
Patterns of hope
Finally, Fazey urged organisations to look for “patterns of hope”. “You can see pockets of the future in the present – elements of your vision for the future. When you start to recognise these, it can give you a high degree of hope because you can see the future already happening.” Celebrate those moments, he advised. “It gives you the motivation to keep going.”