The Senate of the University of Kassel Clarifies the Peace Mission of Research and Teaching

The Senate passed the resolution today, Wednesday, November 4, 2026, in its second reading. With this new version, the Senate calls on researchers and faculty to orient their work toward peaceful purposes, thereby assuming responsibility for the peaceful coexistence of people and strengthening the free democratic basic order.

At the same time, the text acknowledges that it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between civilian and potentially military uses of research findings, given, for example, technological developments and hybrid warfare. Against this backdrop, the new text emphasizes the responsibility of individual researchers to consider the potential consequences of their research.

The preamble to the University of Kassel’s Basic Charter now states:

The University of Kassel is committed, in its research, teaching, and knowledge transfer, to the preservation of peace, the prevention of war, and the strengthening of the free and democratic basic order. In this spirit, research, teaching, and knowledge transfer at the university shall serve peaceful purposes. Researchers and faculty members are particularly aware of the challenge of distinguishing between the civilian and potentially military applications of their work. They act with a sense of responsibility to contribute to the peaceful coexistence of people. In this regard, the University of Kassel supports them through a structured process within the framework of academic self-governance.

The vote was preceded by an intensive internal discussion process at the university. The Senate itself had been addressing the issue for more than a year. A final vote, originally scheduled for July 1, was ultimately postponed to allow for further university-wide debates. As a result, two discussion forums were held in recent weeks with several hundred participants, which highlighted the full range of positions.

The Senate is a body of academic self-governance. It comprises faculty members, students, and staff. By law, it is responsible, among other things, for the university’s constitution. The University of Kassel’s Basic Charter regulates, within the framework of the Hessian Higher Education Act and in accordance with the Basic Law and other applicable legal provisions, the fundamental organization, the responsibilities of the university’s governing bodies, and essential aspects of university self-governance. The preamble, which has now been amended, serves as a statement of intent. It is not legally binding on individual faculty members.