Founding
Colloquium 2027
Are we still capable of common ground and a shared judgement?
The first edition
The “Founding Colloquium” takes place in preparation for the first Annual Forum in autumn 2027. Rooted in the tradition of the European Enlightenment and its appeal to have the courage to use one’s own understanding, it is organised around the question of judgement.
Sensus Communis is to be the place where perspectives from business, academia, politics, culture and the public sphere come together to develop ideas in the face of the fragmenting social developments of our time.
Are we still capable of common ground and a shared judgement? This question, together with the questions each Founding Member brings, will be the subject of the Founding Colloquium.
The venue
AXICA on Pariser Platz
Pariser Platz 3, Berlin-Mitte — architecture by Frank Gehry
Experience the signature of architectural pioneer Frank Gehry; enjoy the interplay of regional and innovative cuisine; discover a place of encounter where people come together with a passion for a diverse, sustainable future oriented towards the common good. This is what makes the AXICA event venue an experience for everyone who visits.
Are we still capable of common ground and a shared judgement?
The Founding Colloquium
The Founding Colloquium is the intellectual opening of Sensus Communis. It brings together a carefully selected circle of figures from business, politics, academia and civil society who share the conviction that democratic societies depend on judgement, plurality and a serious exchange of perspectives.
Sensus Communis stands for debate, reflection and the shared sharpening of judgement. For the Founding Colloquium, we create a protected space in a seminar-based format for in-depth discussion, productive dissent and interdisciplinary reflection.
A central outcome is the joint development, with the participants of the Founding Colloquium, of the guiding theme of the coming Sensus Communis Annual Forum; it sharpens the concrete formats and direction of Sensus Communis.
The members of the Founding Colloquium are co-founders of a long-term institution dedicated to fostering political judgement, intellectual plurality and an open, cosmopolitan public sphere.
As a Founding Member, you become part of a special circle and receive:
- A say in determining the Zeitgeist of the coming forum year
- Priority access to all colloquia and events
- Invitations to exclusive dinners and roundtables
- The Annual Report as well as selected essays and working papers
- Permanent recognition as a Founding Member of Sensus Communis (public on request)
A Founding Membership is not support for a single event. It is a contribution to building an independent institution that creates spaces for serious dialogue, strengthens political judgement and fosters European debating culture over the long term. Through their commitment, Founding Members lay the foundation for an institution designed to endure far beyond individual events — as a place of shared reflection, orientation and responsible judgement.