Action Plan for Promoting Democracy and Diversity at Ruhr University Bochum

1. Societal Context

Democracy worldwide is under pressure. According to current data, phenomena such as science denial, misinformation and extremism are on the rise. Extremism undermines democracy and threatens diversity. In totalitarian states, members of the LGBTQ+ community and non-native populations are the primary targets of oppression and persecution. In contrast, our constitution safeguards the free expression of personality and prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender, ancestry, race, language, place of origin, faith, religious resp. political views and disability.

The state of global politics offers little grounds for believing that the threat to democracy will change anytime soon. Outside Europe, the number of countries that have an interest in a united and democratic Europe is steadily dwindling. Instead, we are seeing forces in countries such as Russia and the US both openly and covertly strengthening efforts that weaken European democracies. In its capacity as a major political and economic power in Europe, Germany is very much a focus of such activities. It is to be expected that Germany will be subject to even more severe attempts at political destabilization, both from within and from outside, in the coming years.

This is why Ruhr University Bochum is grappling with the question of how to take action against anti-democratic tendencies and counter the politicization of universities and science. In the unlikely scenario of an authoritarian shift, there’s a “tipping point,” which is when all efforts of universities to maintain sovereignty and democratic structures will fail. Until this tipping point is reached, we at Ruhr University Bochum must do everything in our power to preserve the institutional autonomy of our university and defend fundamental democratic values and, at the same time, the diversity of university members and academic perspectives. Our aim is to strengthen individual and institutional resilience. Specifically, we must pursue three clearly defined objectives:

• Protecting Ruhr University Bochum as an institution against unacceptable political influence
• Supporting democracy and academic freedom
• Actively ensuring protection against discrimination and promoting diversity.

This document sets out an action plan to guide Ruhr University Bochum’s response to the scenarios outlined above.

2. Analysis and Strategy

Analysis of international examples: In the US, we are currently witnessing how the political agenda drives radical changes to universities – affecting research, teaching, and opportunities for participation resp. restrictions on participation for certain groups of people. Similar processes have also taken place in other countries in the recent past, e.g. in Hungary. Ruhr University Bochum would be well advised to carry out relevant research and engage in dialogue in order to understand both the vulnerabilities and the effective protective mechanisms of universities in other countries. In particular, organizations in Germany that have already experienced threats should be contacted, such as the German Association for East European Studies, which has been the target of IT hacks and intimidation by the Putin regime with support from the far-right.

Analysis of the universities’ own situation: Ruhr University Bochum, as well as higher education institutions in North Rhine-Westphalia in general, would be well advised to gain a better understanding of their own situation with regard to unacceptable political influence. Where could political interference become a factor under the legal provisions applicable to Ruhr University Bochum e.g. in the filling of positions, the allocation of funds and the direction of study programs? How can higher education autonomy be strengthened and commitment to relevant values be more firmly anchored? These questions need to be addressed and appropriate conclusions drawn.

3. Areas of Action

Positioning: It is equally important that Ruhr University Bochum clearly communicates its values and its stance on current political events, both inside and outside the university, where these relate to constitutional and human rights, the principles of democracy and the rule of law (specifically: Article 1 and Article 20 I, III of the German Basic Law). While party political neutrality must be maintained at all times, it is also necessary to discuss and define the meaning of party political neutrality in a higher education context. The entitites responsible for positioning the university are first and foremost the Rectorate and the Department of Corporate Communications.

Legal expertise: Ruhr University Bochum should collaborate with other universities to explore options for taking legal action against anti-democratic political influence. It should participate at an early stage in projects that build up relevant expertise across universities, so that it does not have to defend its rights at short notice and without prior experience.

Political networking: Ruhr University Bochum already cultivates political networks at various levels. These activities should focus more strongly on highlighting the overall value of academic freedom for society, given that such awareness is waning in the public sphere. Political discussions should also address the question of what universities can do to strengthen democracy – on top of their overall value – and how such efforts can be supported at the political level (in terms of both principles and funding).

Leadership engagement: Members of the managerial and executive staff in academic and administrative positions at Ruhr University Bochum assume a critical role, given the current political climate. They should be aware of their rights and responsibilities with regard to upholding the constitution and maintaining political neutrality, as well as the values of Ruhr University Bochum and the expectations placed upon them to uphold these values. The above should be explicitly included in training (e.g., management day) and continuing education programs. Examples include management training, continuing education for teaching staff, workshops, unconscious bias training etc.

Support for employees: In addition to managerial and executive staff, all other Ruhr University Bochum employees should also have the opportunity to take advantage of training courses such as argumentation training against populist resp. discriminatory rhetoric and unconscious bias training, and should be encouraged to take a stand against anti-democratic behavior in their work environment. At the same time, Ruhr University Bochum ensures that employees receive advice and support if they become subjected to political hostility and threats.

Corporate Communications: The Department of Corporate Communications is developing a university campaign for democracy and diversity, focusing primarily on promoting activities and measures for democracy and diversity at Ruhr University Bochum and reporting on both anti-democratic tendencies as well as positive developments and commitment. Outreach communications should be conducted in a targeted manner.

Chains of action: It is necessary to provide a precise description of chains of action with regard to individual and institutional responsibility in the event of attacks on either individuals or academic freedom: How should an incident be described, how should it be critically assessed, what are the options for addressing it, and who should be consulted in order to obtain relevant information and contacts? What kind of “threat management” have we in place for different threat scenarios (verbal, physical, digital)? How and by whom are incidents documented? The Occupational Safety Unit is currently working out the relevant guidelines.

Digitalization: Digital transformation plays an important role both in terms of democracy education and threats to democracy. Online platforms and social media open up new opportunities for the exchange of ideas, but they also spread fake news and extremist content. It is necessary to examine what the university can do within the scope of its communication capabilities to promote the former and combat the latter.

Security: Following incidents that occurred in the summer semester of 2025, the following measures were approved and are currently being implemented: The quality of the entrance area in the GA building will be improved, and the necessary measures are to be fully put in place by the end of the winter semester 2025/26. The aim is to make greater use of the space and implement an open door policy. Furthermore, security measures will be increased through an upgraded electronic access system (door monitoring, automatic locking of the main entrance doors to the building, and validation processes for access authorizations). In addition, the technical implementation of access data evaluation has been approved and will be implemented in the near future. This is intended to prevent unauthorized access and significantly increase security.

Making democracy tangible: One problem with regard to the declining levels of trust in democracy, especially among young people, stems from feeling a lack of self-efficacy, the perceived dominance of the older generation’s opinions and the supposed inefficiency of democratic decision-making processes. This frustration is exploited by radical populist groups to further the erosion of democratic culture. In this context, the following questions must be addressed: How can democracy be made tangible at the university? And to what extent can new forms of democracy, such as digital participation (opinion polls, voting), be used more extensively for this purpose? To this end, dialogue with students should be sought.

4. Teaching and Study

Ruhr University Bochum can use teaching as a tool to help combat anti-democratic tendencies in society by providing students with an education based on democratic values. Specifically, study and teaching offer opportunities for action in two main areas:

• Democracy education: In Germany, academic freedom goes hand in hand with the aim of educating students in the spirit of the liberal democratic basic order and empowering them to mature into responsible citizens in a democracy. Teaching has the task of fostering these values by addressing relevant themes in degree programs and by promoting democratic skills through the choice of teaching methods (e.g. by focusing on discursive formats rather than teacher-centered approaches). Ruhr University Bochum should reflect on and align its degree programs more closely than before with these goals in mind: How might democratic education be deliberately integrated into the curricula? Possible options include courses on political and ethical topics, interdisciplinary degree programs dealing with constitutional and human rights and political education, lecture series dealing with extremism, anti-democratic attitudes, freedom of science and expression, as well as a specific microcredential on democracy education that has yet to be developed. Ideally, an element of democracy education should be integrated into all degree programs for all first-year students. In addition, it would be beneficial to expand course formats that build bridges within the city and region in the spirit of citizen science and public engagement – with exchange formats that educate the public about the value of science and seek dialogue with local residents.
• Responding to extremism: Members of the teaching staff are increasingly confronted with situations in which students utter statements that contradict fundamental constitutional values. Ruhr University Bochum therefore provides counseling and training for members of the teaching staff on this issue. Training and services are listed on the continuing education portal and are provided by the Anti-Discrimination Office and the Center for Teaching and Learning. Both institutions can also be contacted directly in order to book training courses for a faculty.

5. Research

Research contributes significantly to democracy education in the current political climate. It brings objectivity to discussions and provides a body of knowledge and methods for addressing social issues and conflicts. Science distances itself from simplistic attributions of causality, countering so-called alternative facts with scientific evidence, developing nuanced perspectives on complex issues, and challenging one-sided views.

In addition:

• Extremism research should be promoted: The Ruhr University Bochum’s in-house scientific expertise on social multi-crises and extremism should be expanded. Activities such as the establishment of a research center on right-wing extremism are therefore part of our application for the Excellence Initiative;
• Ruhr University Bochum should be upheld and promoted as a safe haven for critical research. In view of the defamation and suppression of research on certain topics (e.g., climate, human rights, gender, diversity) in other countries, Ruhr University Bochum should provide even more space for the scientific study of these issues and promote these areas of research in the long term.
• Research projects should be developed that examine aspects of democracy, political education, social engagement and the challenges of a highly diverse society. Such research activities help to gain new insights into the relevance of democracy education and the diversity of society, as well as to develop relevant teaching formats and empowerment structures. Symposia and conference formats should also be pursued for this purpose.

Further measures are conceivable in the field of research and should be added by researchers.

6. Solidarity

Within the institution and between institutions, we should strive to create a community of solidarity that can withstand external pressure. At different levels, this means:

• University community: A shared commitment by all members of Ruhr University Bochum to the value of science, diversity, and democracy should be the starting point for all activities. This also means promoting community and highlighting the value of diversity. For example, a high level of awareness of how fundamentally the Ruhr University Bochum workforce is characterized by migration backgrounds, internationalization, neurodiversity, disabilities, etc. can help university members stand together against attacks targeting these groups. Moreover, an active democratic committee culture, one in which non-professorial groups in particular are included, taken seriously and listened to, constitutes a keystone of a supportive university community. A self-reflective university community also requires a self-critical approach to everyday racism, ableism, and sexism.
• Higher education community: Activities to protect higher education institutions and any steps taken by the these institutions to protect democracy should be carried out in close consultation with each other from the outset. This serves both to exchange experiences and to jointly build capacity, for example in the legal field. In the US, it has become apparent that solidarity statements by universities are an effective means of drawing attention to injustices. This is why Ruhr University Bochum is currently reaching out to other universities in North Rhine-Westphalia to develop a joint state-wide action plan and framework conditions for its implementation. A survey of universities in North Rhine-Westphalia revealed that the vast majority of universities are confronted with extremist and authoritarian-populist challenges and are very interested in cross-university exchange and effective cooperation.
• Societal support: Last but not least, it is of crucial importance for universities and all their activities how highly they are valued by society as a whole. Activities that integrate science and (urban) society must therefore be continuously expanded, and science and scientific education must be promoted as factors of utmost relevance to the well-being of society. At a time when distrust of politics and (traditional as well as social) media is growing, this appears to be a fundamental requirement.