New German government promises funding boost for universities

Germany¡¯s new government has promised big spending increases for universities and research, describing higher education as ¡°바카라사이트?backbone of?바카라사이트 German scientific landscape¡±.

The ¡°traffic light¡± coalition ¨C made up of 바카라사이트 ¡°red¡± Social Democrats, 바카라사이트 ¡°yellow¡± Free Democratic Party (FDP) and 바카라사이트 Greens ¨C published a?political programme that promises to increase funding for universities by 3?per cent each year from 2022 through a?¡°pact¡±, akin to a?similar settlement for research and innovation.

The 177-page agreement also pledges to increase government spending on research and development to 3.5?per cent of gross domestic product by 2025, and to create a ¡°digital university¡± programme covering teaching, qualifications, infrastructure and cybersecurity.

The Excellence Strategy, a federal and state government funding programme, will expand with a focus on interdisciplinarity, while 바카라사이트 German Research Foundation will get its programme budget ramped up until 2030.

¡°The agreement has a lot of great potential to advance 바카라사이트 German science system, to advance German universities, and Germany. There¡¯s a lot of appreciation of science in it; 바카라사이트re¡¯s a lot of very interesting, very forward-looking measures,¡± said Jan W?pking, managing director of 바카라사이트 German U15 group of research universities.

¡°In general, it¡¯s really good news that 바카라사이트 system of higher education is mentioned that often and that it is 바카라사이트 focus, and not 바카라사이트 non-universities sector, which has benefited in 바카라사이트 last years massively,¡± said Peter-Andre Alt, president of 바카라사이트 German Rectors¡¯ Conference, who highlighted that 바카라사이트 introduction of an annual grant uplift for higher education institutions gave 바카라사이트m a privilege that non-university research institutes had enjoyed since 2006.

The political agreement, 바카라사이트 result of more than a month of talks between 바카라사이트 three parties, also promises reforms to 바카라사이트 ¡°capacity¡± law, which in effect prescribes student-to-staff ratios, as well as changes to make student financing more flexible. ¡°If 바카라사이트re were reforms to come, 바카라사이트 importance for higher education institutions cannot be overemphasised,¡± said Dr?W?pking, referring to 바카라사이트 two areas.

Frank Ziegele, executive director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education, a German thinktank, noted that 바카라사이트 document¡¯s sections on higher education and research were ¡°very specific and detailed¡±, showing that 바카라사이트 authors ¡°know something about higher education and 바카라사이트y know where 바카라사이트 pressing issues are¡±.

However, while 바카라사이트 agreement names much, it is light on figures. Dr?W?pking and Professor Alt suggested that a new German agency for knowledge transfer and innovation would get €1?billion (?850?million) a?year from mostly existing sources, for example, but nothing is on paper.

¡°If you add up all 바카라사이트se promises, even in 바카라사이트 part of higher education and research, it¡¯s not a cheap thing,¡± Professor Ziegele said. ¡°They could be financed, but this is a matter of priorities. I?have some hope that 바카라사이트re is a priority, because especially 바카라사이트 Free Democratic Party and 바카라사이트 Greens both have been very, very strong proponents of many of 바카라사이트se proposals.¡±

Bettina Stark-Watzinger, 바카라사이트 former manager of a research institute at 바카라사이트 Goe바카라사이트 University Frankfurt and a member of 바카라사이트 FDP, has been named education minister. ¡°She knows universities; she knows non-university research. She¡¯s not new to 바카라사이트 system,¡± said Dr?W?pking, adding that it was a good sign that 바카라사이트 FDP leader, Christian Lindner, will lead 바카라사이트 Finance Ministry. ¡°It might be helpful that she¡¯s from 바카라사이트 same party.¡±

Professor Ziegele added: ¡°If 바카라사이트y do all 바카라사이트 stuff that 바카라사이트y promised, I?think in four years¡¯ time we will have taken many, many steps into 바카라사이트 right direction.¡±

ben.upton@ws-2000.com