The often evoked golden age of the European university has in fact never existed. Hence, selected references to the former glory of this or any other European university are not really helpful when considering the university’s vocation in our time. Such a consideration seems most appropriate at this installation, the second one, of the Rt. Hon. Charles Kennedy MP as elected Rector of the University of Glasgow. Allow me therefore to offer just a few reflections on the shifting history of the European university and its present crisis.

The European university in the High Middle Ages was characterized by an intellectual will to understand this universe and its divine purpose and to respond to the need of ecclesiastical and secular powers for adequately educated personnel. Thus, the early European universities found themselves continuously negotiating their administrative privileges and relative autonomy with their respective founders, patrons, protectors and major stake holders, i.e. the governments of church, state and city. Ecclesial schisms, intellectual debates, and various conflicts between different rulers further complicated this situation for the universities and occasionally even led to the foundation of competing institutions. Confessionalization, take over attempts by the state and increasing provincialization were not seldom the results of such conflicting interests. Churches have often tried to subordinate critical thinking to their doctrinal proclamations. Hence, it comes as no surprise that in the late 18th century the idea of the European university had declined in favour of new types of academies more attuned to the demands of enlightenment thinking and increasing industrial needs. However, in response to this challenge the model of the research university then emerged in Western Europe and in the United States of America, i.e. a university trying to combine an innovation oriented specialization of subjects with an overarching educational vocation. Ever since excellence in research and education has been the twofold goal of the research based university.

However, the impact on the European university of competing national and imperial interests followed by totalitarian politics compensated more than enough for the retreat of ecclesiastical power politics in the late 19th and early 20th century. Like the philosopher Martin Heidegger in Freiburg, many university leaders and professors allowed themselves to become instruments of fascist and communist ideologies. Since the 1960s the demand for “mass education” has led to new difficulties for the research university model, most prominently among them the chronic under-financing and the unrealistic expectations from the surrounding society – the university as the school of the nation, now co-responsible for everything that goes wrong in society. The task of negotiating between the always changing ideals held within the university and the underfinanced and ideological demands put on the university from state and society still characterise the present crisis of the European university including the University of Glasgow.

Today’s installation of an elected rector reminds all of us in this university community afresh of the dual tradition of governance: From the medieval universitas scholarium we have inherited the office of rector, and from the medieval universitas magistrorum we have inherited the office of principal. If we wish to honour both of these traditions and continue to be a genuine universitas magistrorum et scholarium we need to take great care in working for an internal climate of trust and co-operation within this multi-disciplinary research based institution. Only when this university enhances the student experience and encourages co-operation and trust between all its academic and administrative members will it be able to meet the complex and often contradictory challenges from the outside world. However, trust is a fragile commodity – built up over 560 years it could be lost over night. If this internal trust evaporates the university has no defence left against those forces from outside who are only too eager to subordinate excellence in research and teaching to their particular interests for blue, white, red, brown, black, small and big societies. Moreover, the damage, once done to the university by dictatorial confessional and doctrinal interests, today takes the form of detached and disconnected models of administration – immune both to public discourse and to the need for trust and co-operation. Defending the relative autonomy of the university against ideologies from inside and outside remains a tough task indeed.

This task can only be achieved through a mutually respectful co-operation between all parts of the university. The installation of the Rt. Hon. Charles Kennedy as re-elected rector of this university demonstrates the maturity of the student body in upholding the model of university co-operation by selecting a person of great integrity, political talent, proven commitment to excellence in research and education, and wisdom in negotiating the place of the university in a globalising world. This is a day of joy and hope for this ancient university and its continuing efforts to explore the mysteries, challenges and promises of this universe.

Werner G. Jeanrond, Professor of Divinity

First published: 19 April 2011

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