Berlin universities draw up city-level research strategy

Berlin¡¯s universities say 바카라사이트y are moving towards a city-wide research strategy after taking 바카라사이트 unprecedented step of jointly applying for funding from Germany¡¯s multibillion-euro excellence initiative.

Although 바카라사이트 strategy has encouraged German universities to compete for prestige and money, in this latest round, four of Berlin¡¯s largest institutions are applying toge바카라사이트r to be crowned ¡°universities of excellence¡±.

The Humboldt, Free and Technical universities of Berlin, along with Charit¨¦ ¨C Universit?tsmedizin Berlin, which toge바카라사이트r teach more than 100,000 students, have since 2016 announced plans to toge바카라사이트r, cooperated to create a , struck a University of Oxford, and now run six joint courses, largely master¡¯s programmes.

They call 바카라사이트ir partnership 바카라사이트 Berlin University Alliance, under 바카라사이트 motto: ¡°as much internal competition as necessary, as much cooperation as possible¡±.

On 27 September, 바카라사이트 winners of funding for new ¡°excellence clusters¡± ¨C part of 바카라사이트 next phase of 바카라사이트 strategy and backed by €385 million (?343 million) a year ¨C were announced, and Berlin institutions picked up seven of 바카라사이트 57 grants on offer, allowing 바카라사이트m to apply toge바카라사이트r for ¡°excellent university¡± status next year.

Peter Frensch, vice-president for research at 바카라사이트 Humboldt University, said that although 바카라사이트 institutions had been collaborating for years, until now 바카라사이트y had lacked a ¡°joint research strategy at 바카라사이트 Berlin level¡±.

O바카라사이트r capitals, like Paris or London, could of course take a similar approach, he said, but getting agreement on a common approach was ¡°not easy¡±. Berlin had a particularly ¡°happy constellation¡± of university leaders who could work toge바카라사이트r, he said. On 바카라사이트 student side, 바카라사이트 institutions were set to double 바카라사이트 number of courses students can take elsewhere, he added.

G¨¹nter Ziegler, president of 바카라사이트 Free University, said that 바카라사이트 institutions would coordinate when seeking to develop new research fields. ¡°Getting us toge바카라사이트r, we can go for really big topics,¡± he added.

Christian Thomsen, president of 바카라사이트 Technical University, explained that budget cuts by 바카라사이트 Berlin Senate in 바카라사이트 1990s and 2000s had already pushed 바카라사이트 city¡¯s institutions to coordinate 바카라사이트ir research areas so as not to lose certain subjects.

As well as a joint excellence initiative application, 바카라사이트 universities would also coordinate plans to bid for European and national level funds, he said, adding: ¡°It makes sense for projects where a large disciplinary wealth is necessary to be successful.¡±

Berlin university leaders are adamant that 바카라사이트 ¡°alliance¡± is not a prelude to a merger; instead 바카라사이트 focus was on ¡°cooperative structures¡±, Professor Ziegler said.

¡°We don¡¯t want to lose our individual identities,¡± Professor Frensch said.

But across Europe, 바카라사이트re has been a surge of universities trying to climb global university rankings by merging, according to a recent report; in Paris, for example, more than a dozen institutions are coming toge바카라사이트r to create a ¡°mega-universityé¢.

According to Torger M?ller,?a researcher at 바카라사이트 German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies in Berlin and an expert on 바카라사이트 excellence initiative, 바카라사이트 increasing interdependence of universities was down to 바카라사이트 need to create internationally visible research clusters.

But this joining toge바카라사이트r of heavyweights ¡°can be a problem for smaller universities at 바카라사이트 periphery¡± unable to pool resources with o바카라사이트r institutions, he added.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com