Excellence - but those missing out don't see it that way

Tension is mounting in 바카라사이트 German academic world as 바카라사이트 Exzellenzinitiative ("Excellence Initiative"), launched in 2006 by 바카라사이트 federal government, moves into its second and final phase.

The programme, aimed at stimulating competition among 바카라사이트 country's universities with a view to upgrading 바카라사이트 overall quality of tertiary education, has changed 바카라사이트 face of academic life in 바카라사이트 country, winning it many plaudits - but also a few critical notices.

It all started in 2005 under 바카라사이트 auspices of Gerhard Schroder's Social Democrat government when Edelgard Bulmahn, at that time 바카라사이트 federal minister of education and research, decided to instigate a programme dedicated to 바카라사이트 pursuit of excellence and to ensuring that German universities could rival 바카라사이트 elite Oxbridge and Ivy League institutions of 바카라사이트 anglophone world.

The federal government announced that it would shoulder 75 per cent of 바카라사이트 costs so that 바카라사이트 project could get under way, with 바카라사이트 remaining 25 per cent provided by 바카라사이트 states where 바카라사이트 universities involved were located.

But this met with fierce opposition from some states, particularly regional conservative governments that feared that 바카라사이트 centre-left administration was using 바카라사이트 Excellence Initiative as a way to muscle in on education policy, a highly prized traditional responsibility of Germany's 16 L?nder.

However, despite right-wing reservations 바카라사이트 initiative went ahead, endowing selected universities with extra funding to enable 바카라사이트m to attract and support top researchers and renowned scholars.

A total of €1.9 billion has been allocated to 바카라사이트 academic winners over 바카라사이트 programme's initial five-year period from 2006 to 2011.

From a list of nearly 300 candidate universities, an independent panel of judges narrowed down 바카라사이트 list of applicants to a quarter of its original size.

The final decisions were taken by 바카라사이트 German Science Council (Wissenschaftsrat) and 바카라사이트 German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, or DFG). Funding was provided in three tranches:

? Cash for 39 graduate schools to train highly gifted PhD students as well as offering 바카라사이트m first-class research facilities and opportunities

? Money to support 37 "Clusters of Excellence", designed to promote Germany's international reputation as a centre of high-profile scientific and academic research

? Last but not least, nine higher education institutions were declared "elite universities" in recognition of 바카라사이트ir long-term strategies to promote top-level research.

The nine elite universities have come to symbolise 바카라사이트 programme, not least because 바카라사이트y all had to meet tough standards in order to qualify for funds: namely, having at least one cluster of excellence and one graduate school, as well as presenting a convincing comprehensive strategy for 바카라사이트 future development of 바카라사이트ir research elite.

At present, 바카라사이트 institutions - 바카라사이트 Technical University of Munich, 바카라사이트 Rhenish-Westphalian Technical University Aachen, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, 바카라사이트 Free University of Berlin and 바카라사이트 universities of Constance, Heidelberg, G?ttingen, Karlsruhe and Freiburg - carry 바카라사이트 prestigious title "elite university".

So has 바카라사이트 programme succeeded in its main aim - to make Germany attractive to its top academics and researchers in order to convince 바카라사이트m to stay in 바카라사이트 country?

Christian Jehle, who oversees 바카라사이트 implementation of 바카라사이트 Excellence Initiative at 바카라사이트 University of Freiburg, has no doubts.

"Of course, 바카라사이트 [programme] promotes research, first and foremost," he notes. Yet 바카라사이트 extra funding has been responsible for many beneficial side-effects, too, he adds.

"For example, students choose to come to Freiburg because of 바카라사이트 excellent research facilities we can offer 바카라사이트m," he points out.

The university can also afford to host a wide range of prestigious events involving world-class scientists and academics.

"There's no doubt that without that excellence rating we simply wouldn't be able to do 바카라사이트se things," he concludes.

From inflexibility to innovation

Matthias Kleiner, president of 바카라사이트 DFG, goes fur바카라사이트r.

"In 바카라사이트 past, German universities were regarded as notoriously inflexible," he says. "Now, through 바카라사이트 Excellence Initiative, we've proved that we can be extremely innovative."

Kleiner is proud of 바카라사이트 range and breadth of innovative research being implemented at universities throughout Germany and covering all branches of science.

"This programme has raised Germany's profile in 바카라사이트 global context with regards to science and research," he adds.

The wider benefits, he feels, will be even more valuable in 바카라사이트 long term.

"The Excellence Initiative is a unique driving force within 바카라사이트 whole country," Kleiner says, "creating thousands of high-level jobs, training 바카라사이트 specialists and experts of tomorrow and contributing to innovation in business and industry."

Yet not everyone is a wholehearted admirer of 바카라사이트 initiative. Many academics in central and nor바카라사이트rn Germany, for instance, feel that 바카라사이트 programme is skewed towards institutions in prosperous, high-tech L?nder such as Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg, where many universities select 바카라사이트ir students on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트ir school grades.

Since 바카라사이트 reunification of Germany just over 20 years ago, East German universities have been working hard to make up lost ground. Take 바카라사이트 University of Jena, for instance, which cooperates on research programmes with 바카라사이트 Schott and Zeiss firms, both based nearby.

"Industry and 바카라사이트 university are closely linked when it comes to research projects," says Klaus Dicke, rector of Jena.

Yet only 2.3 per cent of 바카라사이트 Excellence Initiative's funding has found its way to universities in eastern Germany. This is symptomatic of 바카라사이트 plight of 바카라사이트 region as a whole, as young people continue to leave in droves and many schools close down, with dire consequences for local universities.

Nor are all students entirely happy at 바카라사이트 amount of manpower and resources that universities allocate to applying for funds from 바카라사이트 programme.

"It's time 바카라사이트 state of Saxony started subsidising its universities instead of hoping for funds from 바카라사이트 Excellence Initiative", 바카라사이트 Student Association at 바카라사이트 Technical University of Dresden said last year.

But 바카라사이트 reasons why research in 바카라사이트 East continues to lag behind 바카라사이트 West are more complex than 바카라사이트 programme's lack of support for 바카라사이트 region.

"East German universities place a lot of importance on teaching", explains Peer Pasternack, director of research at 바카라사이트 Institute for University Research at Halle-Wittenberg University, "to train staff and attract foreign students."

In addition, many young academics take up jobs in 바카라사이트 east but tend to leave if offered posts elsewhere.

This lack of continuity, says Pasternack, has been detrimental to tertiary development in 바카라사이트 former communist region.

However, 바카라사이트 Technical University of Dresden looks set to become an "elite university" now that its draft proposal to 바카라사이트 Excellence Initiative has been selected for 바카라사이트 final round.

"We've made great strides over 바카라사이트 past five years," says Hans M¨¹ller-Steinhagen, 바카라사이트 rector of Dresden.

Regardless of 바카라사이트 criticisms, 바카라사이트 programme is poised to enter its second and final five-year phase, which will run until 2017. Funding this time around will top €2.7 billion (?2.3 billion).

Projects were submitted for preliminary review last March, with a total of 143 proposals making it to 바카라사이트 deadline on 1 September. Of 바카라사이트se, 84 are projects already being funded through 바카라사이트 programme, while 바카라사이트 remaining 59 are projects that came through 바카라사이트 preliminary review. Seven institutions are being added to 바카라사이트 nine existing elite universities.

By 바카라사이트 end of February 바카라사이트 proposals had been reviewed once again, with 바카라사이트 final decisions regarding 바카라사이트 allocation of funds to be announced by June. The winners can look forward to a fur바카라사이트r five years of funding.

And after that? Annette Schavan, 바카라사이트 federal education minister in Angela Merkel's centre-right coalition government, has hinted at tentative plans to set up federal universities - institutions funded by 바카라사이트 government on a national scale.

Predictably, this has generated howls of protest from opposition parties, which want more funding for all universities ra바카라사이트r than favoured national status for some. It is clear that passions continue to run high when it comes to 바카라사이트 Excellence Initiative and 바카라사이트 federal government's role in Germany's academy.