Under the title “What does neutral actually mean? – Dealing with attacks on universities”, an external online lecture will take place on Friday, February 20, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, dealing with current legal and higher education policy debates surrounding academic freedom, the requirement for neutrality, and the democratic responsibility of universities.

In recent years, the concept of “neutrality” has been increasingly used to prevent universities and their members from taking a clear stance on social and political developments. With reference to a supposed duty of neutrality, participation in initiatives for democracy or against right-wing extremism, for example, is being called into question. At the same time, universities are coming under pressure as places of critical knowledge production, public debate, and democratic responsibility.

The lecture addresses these developments and asks what rights and obligations universities actually have as public institutions protected by the constitution. What does neutrality mean in a legal sense? Where is there room for maneuver, and where are the limits? Is neutrality synonymous with restraint, party political abstinence, or even defenselessness in the face of anti-democratic attacks—or does it rather mean the active defense of pluralistic democracy and academic freedom?

The speaker is legal scholar Prof. Dr. Ulrike Lembke, an expert in legal gender studies and constitutional law who has been working for many years on issues of academic freedom, anti-discrimination, and democracy. In her presentation, she will outline the current legal situation and classify the central lines of argument in the current debates. In addition, she will discuss possible courses of action that universities and their members can take in response to attacks from the far-right and anti-democratic spectrum without violating their legal obligations. The aim is to strengthen the institutional and individual resilience of universities.

The event will be held as an online event in Zoom webinar format. Registration is not required; the dial-in link will be provided at the beginning of the event. The lecture is organized by the bukof commission “Antifeminism at Universities” in cooperation with Christian Albrecht University in Kiel, the University of Hamburg, and the University of Bremen.

You can dial in and participate at the start of the event via this link (access code: 867328).

This article serves as a reference to an external event and is listed editorially by the TUM Gender Equality Office.