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Interfaculty series of lessons on people, society and science 'United in diversity' is the motto of Europe. Today, the Union has 28 Member States that differ profoundly from each other not only culturally but also socially. For a long time, the basic motive for unification was economic: the Europe of the free market. Since the crisis has struck, there has been a growing awareness that Europe also needs to be more ambitious in social terms. In her opening lecture of this series of lessons, European Commissioner Marianne Thyssen explains her vision of a social Europe. The university is also a house with many rooms. The Lessons for the twenty-first century reflect the variety of research questions and disciplines that characterize academic research today. Whether it concerns new family forms, psychological well-being or the supply of energy or raw materials, only scientific pluralism will be able to cope with the many social challenges. At the same time, many scientists are driven by similar ideals, such as the pursuit of insight into man and his interaction with the environment, the search for truth or - often more realistic - probability, pushing the boundaries in what we know and are able to do. In this sense, there is unity in the diversity of academic knowledge.