In this article in University World News, published on September 19, the Head of the Council of Europe Education Department, Sjur Bergan, and the Secretary General of the International Association of Universities, Hilligje van’t Land, argue that higher education needs to play a key role in developing the democratic competences our societies need to be democratic in practice. The authors point to the Council of Europe’s Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC) as an essential tool and recall that there is a specific Guidance Document for the use of the RFCDC in higher education.