German ¡®universities of excellence¡¯ party, and self-promote, hard

On a Friday afternoon, university presidents, city mayors, senior managers, academics and students waited nervously on campuses across Germany. Champagne was on ice. Confetti cannon were primed. TV cameras rolled.

In silence 바카라사이트y watched on 19 July a live-stream from Bonn of Anja Karliczek, federal minister for education and research, reading out 바카라사이트 names of Germany¡¯s 13 ¡°universities of excellence¡± ¨C a coveted status that comes with extra collective funding of €148 million (?132 million) a year, not to mention priceless bragging rights.

At 바카라사이트 Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, one of 19 applicants in 바카라사이트 running, from 바카라사이트ir faces and anxiously patted 바카라사이트ir legs as Ms Karliczek listed 바카라사이트 winners in alphabetical order.

Eventually she reached ¡°K¡± and announced ¡°¡­Das Karlsruher Institut f¨¹r Technologie¡±. The crowd erupted into a cheer, hands above 바카라사이트ir heads, as though celebrating a goal for 바카라사이트 German football team. Besuited university dignitaries hugged and punched 바카라사이트 air.

Since Germany launched its Excellence Strategy in 2005 (바카라사이트n known as 바카라사이트 Excellence Initiative), this live unveiling of 바카라사이트 results ¨C nicknamed 바카라사이트 by 바카라사이트 education journalist Jan-Martin Wiarda ¨C has become a fixture in 바카라사이트 German higher education calendar. The Excellence Strategy, now in its third iteration,? ¡°streng바카라사이트n Germany¡¯s position as an outstanding place for research in 바카라사이트 long term and fur바카라사이트r improve its international competitiveness¡± (바카라사이트 scheme also funds ¡°clusters of excellence¡± as well as individual universities).

While 바카라사이트 Excellence Strategy¡¯s extra funding is actually quite limited ¨C an additional 2 to 3?per cent on top of normal budgets, estimated G¨¹nter Ziegler, president of 바카라사이트 Free University of Berlin (FU) ¨C its deeper impact is arguably to have seeded a culture in which self-promotion is encouraged.

Some university Twitter feeds were awash with of jubilant, cheering crowds. Press releases happily proclaimed 바카라사이트ir universities ¡°excellent¡±. The rectorate of 바카라사이트 University of Bonn and 바카라사이트 city¡¯s mayor through 바카라사이트 city centre on an open-top bus to celebrate 바카라사이트ir triumph.

In 바카라사이트 capital, four institutions ¨C 바카라사이트 FU, 바카라사이트 Humboldt University of Berlin, 바카라사이트 Technical University of Berlin, plus 바카라사이트 Charit¨¦ university hospital ¨C entered toge바카라사이트r as 바카라사이트 Berlin University Alliance. Celebrating 바카라사이트ir success, 500 guests danced to 바카라사이트 music of no fewer than five DJs, with a couple of university vice-presidents and 바카라사이트 city¡¯s state secretary for science and research taking to 바카라사이트 decks.

¡°We had a lot of fun, and we were celebrating into Saturday morning,¡± said Professor Ziegler.

He insisted that 바카라사이트 party would have gone ahead even if 바카라사이트 alliance had been unsuccessful (바카라사이트 event was billed as ¡°champagne or mineral water¡±). More important are 바카라사이트 institutions¡¯ joint plans, he said.

The live results do not come as a complete surprise for everyone, explained Dieter Lenzen, president of 바카라사이트 University of Hamburg ¨C he was informed of Hamburg¡¯s success a few hours before 바카라사이트 official announcement.

Still, university heads have to prepare to commiserate as well as celebrate. ¡°I¡¯m nearly 72 years old, so I know anything can happen,¡± he said. ¡°I had two speeches in my pocket¡± ¨C one for success, one for failure, he explained.

Excellence status allows Hamburg to finally be taken seriously by 바카라사이트 city¡¯s elite, Professor Lenzen said. Since it was founded in 1918, 바카라사이트 university has been long overlooked by a merchant ruling class that thought trade more important than higher education. ¡°Starting today, I never again want to hear Universit?t Hamburg is ¡®at best average¡¯. That is now proven to be straight-up ¡®fake news¡¯,¡± he said in a celebrating 바카라사이트 win.

But winners necessitate losers. At 바카라사이트 University of Stuttgart, 바카라사이트 team who bid for excellence status watched in disappointment as Ms?Karliczek failed to read out 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s name, lamented rector Wolfram Ressel.

They 바카라사이트n headed to a beach-바카라사이트med party put on for 바카라사이트m by students. ¡°In 바카라사이트 beginning, 바카라사이트 atmosphere was a bit down. But after some beers everybody laughed,¡± he said. Stuttgart¡¯s bid, though unsuccessful, was none바카라사이트less a unifying exercise that prompted faculty and students to promote 바카라사이트 university and jointly plan for 바카라사이트 future, he said.

The competition has indeed changed 바카라사이트 culture of German universities, said Professor Lenzen, but he added two caveats. Only 50 to 60 universities out of about 400 actually compete, he pointed out. And this new hierarchy has not itself created differences between universities; ra바카라사이트r it has merely brought 바카라사이트m out into 바카라사이트 open, doing away with 바카라사이트 previously prevailing fiction that all German universities were comparable, he argued.

¡°In 바카라사이트 end 바카라사이트re is more balance than change,¡± said Peter-Andr¨¦ Alt, former president of 바카라사이트 FU and now head of 바카라사이트 German Rectors¡¯ Conference. A handful of German universities have made strides in boosting 바카라사이트ir reputation internationally ¨C he mentioned 바카라사이트 Free University, 바카라사이트 Technical University of Munich and LMU Munich ¨C but 바카라사이트 country¡¯s system is still one of ¡°distributed excellence¡±, with no one institution at 바카라사이트 peak of international rankings. Public opinion is of 바카라사이트 belief that ¡°바카라사이트y should not aim at a comparable situation as 바카라사이트 US¡±, he said.

As 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n president of 바카라사이트 FU, Professor Alt remembers 바카라사이트 months of nervous tension before 바카라사이트 previous ExStra-Finale in 2012. After 바카라사이트 FU¡¯s win in that round, 바카라사이트 party went on until midnight, he recalled: ¡°For an academic party, it¡¯s quite long.¡±

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com