The Science Ball is more than a celebration – it is a strong symbol of the freedom of science and the diversity and openness that characterizes it. Especially on a ball evening when we celebrate science together, it is more important than ever to send a clear signal against those forces that threaten science and education.

If right-wing ideologies and anti-democratic tendencies try to infiltrate our universities and research institutions, then we must take a clear stance: Our universities are places of free thought, critical exchange and social responsibility – not hatred and exclusion.

Let us celebrate the importance of science and its unshakable value for an open, free society on this ball evening. Together we stand for a future in which research and teaching can remain independent and diverse – in Vienna, in Austria and beyond.

Sarah Rossmann is chairperson of the Austrian Student Union