The signing was witnessed by more than 150 presidents and rectors of universities globally and brought the total number of Magna Charta signatories to 965 universities worldwide. As the first universities to sign the 2020 version in person – due to previous meetings being postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic – the ceremony had additional symbolic value as the first public event to mark an important shift in universities’ thinking about why they exist. A road map was agreed upon by all participants, a “living document, nourished by research and wide consultation”, Giannini said. It sets out six critical transitions to imagining higher education for a more sustainable and equitable future.
