Democracy and The Rule of Law

The Executive Board of Mainz University of Applied Sciences endorses the statement of the State University Presidents’ Conference (LHPK). As a member university of the State University Presidents’ Conference, Mainz University of Applied Sciences endorses the HRK press release “Science needs liberal democracy and the rule of law” issued by the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK). We are also positioning ourselves as part of society in our Bundesland. Every single member of Mainz University of Applied Sciences is called upon to stand up for the fundamental values of our constitution. The universities of Rhineland-Palatinate are places where we foster and demand respectful and critical dialog in teaching and research. We facilitate differentiated discourse by creating spaces for reflective, critical thinking. Together as universities, we stand up for freedom as defined in Article 2 of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany: “Every person shall have the right to free development of his personality insofar as he does not violate the rights of others or offend against the constitutional order or the moral law.” We view human rights as universally applicable to all people and actively campaign against all forms of discrimination, anti-Semitism, and racism, as well as for social justice. Freedom as a guiding principle of science and its social responsibility is also expressed in the motto for the Science Year 2024, Freedom, which has been proclaimed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. For us as educational and scientific institutions, the freedom of research and teaching under the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany is paramount. At the same time, we reflect on our actions in the light of our social responsibility. We are witnessing increasing hostility towards science in some segments of society that relativize or even deny the results of scientific studies, such as those on climate change. With this in mind, we are following current political developments in our country with great concern. This year, we look back on 75 years of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany. Its Article 1 makes it unmistakably clear: “Human dignity shall be inviolable” – a sentence that still has an impact today and must form the basis not only of our country’s policies and politics, but also of our social and societal interactions. We are concerned that there is increasing support for positions reflecting a rejection of fundamental freedoms; such rejection is at odds with our constitution. This includes positions denigrating our human dignity and denying the equal rights enshrined in the Basic Law. Such positions are not reconcilable with the fundamental values we stand for as universities. As universities, we are part of society and have a responsibility. This includes resolutely defending democracy and standing up together for a society committed to the values of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany.