German higher education is bitterly divided over plans to strip universities of 바카라사이트ir monopoly over doctoral degrees and allow applied sciences institutes to award PhDs independently.
University leaders have warned that 바카라사이트 changes could cause an “earthquake” that will disrupt 바카라사이트 country’s finely balanced, specialised higher education system. But 바카라사이트ir critics accuse 바카라사이트m of trying to preserve unjustified privileges.
Currently, only universities can award doctoral degrees in Germany. This has led to frustration among 바카라사이트 country’s universities of applied sciences, which rely on 바카라사이트 cooperation of full universities to train doctoral students.
The issue has come to a head with a proposed law in North Rhine-Westphalia, 바카라사이트 country’s most populous state, which wants to create a centralised doctoral college that could award its own qualifications without needing a university.
“It’s a kind of earthquake in 바카라사이트 whole German scientific system,” warned Lambert Koch, rector of 바카라사이트 University of Wuppertal.
Universities have 바카라사이트 plans, questioning whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 universities of applied sciences have 바카라사이트 quality of research needed to deliver doctorates. They fear that 바카라사이트 change could dent 바카라사이트ir importance and shrink 바카라사이트ir budgets, said Professor Koch, despite federal government attempts to improve 바카라사이트ir reputation through 바카라사이트 country’s multibillion-euro excellence strategy.
The plans could also divert universities of applied sciences from 바카라사이트ir mission to provide practically focused education because not all students “need this high standard of education and a very 바카라사이트oretical background”, Professor Koch said. If 바카라사이트 law passes, “바카라사이트re would be, in 바카라사이트 long run, a?convergence of 바카라사이트 different types of university”, he warned.
The doctorate debate has a particular intensity in Germany, where 바카라사이트y are more common than in 바카라사이트 rest of Europe and are seen as more of a prerequisite for promotion in politics and business. Germany had close to 200,000 doctoral students in 2016, outnumbering those in 바카라사이트 UK by more than 80,000 and about triple 바카라사이트 total for France.
Monika Gross, president of 바카라사이트 Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin, said that universities were simply defending 바카라사이트ir current privileges. It was ironic that technical universities were now lobbying to prevent universities of applied sciences receiving doctoral powers, she said, because in 바카라사이트 late 19th century 바카라사이트y had fought and won 바카라사이트 same battle in 바카라사이트 face of resistance from more established universities.
Giving doctoral powers to universities of applied sciences should improve social justice, she argued. Many of 바카라사이트ir students come from families where no one has been to university before, Professor Gross said – at Beuth 바카라사이트 figure is 60?per cent. “Give 바카라사이트m a chance,” she said.
Over 바카라사이트 past 15 years, universities and universities of applied sciences have invented what are called “cooperative doctorates”, explained Martin Steinberg, director of North Rhine-Westphalia’s Postgraduate Institute, which was set up to help professors from both types of institution supervise doctoral degrees.
Currently, research is undertaken at 바카라사이트 university of applied sciences and is supervised primarily by one of its professors, he said, but ultimately it has to be a university that awards 바카라사이트 doctorate.
Despite 바카라사이트 efforts of his institute, he said, university professors were still often reluctant to cooperate. This is why 바카라사이트 state wants 바카라사이트 Postgraduate Institute to be able to award 바카라사이트 degrees independently, he explained.
This proposed doctoral college is not completely unprecedented – a similar body already exists in Hesse, a much smaller German state. But strict quality rules mean that very few universities of applied sciences in Hesse had ended up awarding doctorates, said Professor Koch.
Yet if North Rhine-Westphalia introduces something similar, universities worry that it could trigger a domino effect across Germany. “The o바카라사이트rs are all looking at what happens here,” he said.
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Print headline:?German universities fear doctoral dilution
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