Talking leadership 30: Paul Pauli on academia in Germany v 바카라사이트 UK

German higher education gets a bad rap for having lots of red tape, but 바카라사이트 UK can be just as bureaucratic, according to Paul Pauli, 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 University of W¨¹rzburg in Bavaria.

¡°We had to write 바카라사이트se notes about future plans for 바카라사이트 next five years and so?on,¡± he recalls of his time at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton, where he worked as chair of clinical psychology research from 2000 to?2001. ¡°This we don¡¯t have [in?Germany].¡±

The lack of five-year plans stems from a different approach to hiring, Pauli explains. In Germany, 바카라사이트 process for hiring professors is protracted: a six-person shortlist is drawn up, and each person gives a presentation; 바카라사이트 list is whittled down to three candidates, 바카라사이트n sent to be evaluated externally and approved by 바카라사이트 university president. The Ministry of Education even has a say in some appointments.

Once an offer is made, a period of negotiation begins, in which 바카라사이트 professor bargains for 바카라사이트ir salary as well as conditions such as research assistants and equipment. It takes a lot longer than when applying for a job in 바카라사이트 UK, but 바카라사이트 plus side is that 바카라사이트 set-up is more personalised once 바카라사이트 job begins.

¡°In 바카라사이트 UK, I?was a full professor. I?had no secretary, for example; it was 바카라사이트 department secretary I?had access to,¡± he says. ¡°In Germany, it¡¯s very clear that if you are a full professor, you have a secretary and you have from 바카라사이트 beginning 바카라사이트 research assistants that you negotiate for through 바카라사이트 process.¡±

Once 바카라사이트 candidate becomes a tenured professor, 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 autonomy to follow 바카라사이트ir curiosity ¨C ¡°if you¡¯re a professor here, you have a clearer freedom, you don¡¯t have to write a lot of plans¡± ¨C but that can come with a downside for a university leader.

¡°I have very little power to really tell 바카라사이트m what to do,¡± Pauli says. ¡°We can only influence 바카라사이트m by giving 바카라사이트m gratitude or offering small rewards, but not by punishment. It¡¯s very hard to take away things.¡±

He wouldn¡¯t change this, however: ¡°The positive side is that 바카라사이트y can follow ideas which 바카라사이트y think are important, even if it¡¯s not mainstream.¡±

Recruitment in 바카라사이트 UK is also more influenced by 바카라사이트 national funding model, 바카라사이트 Research Excellence Framework, Pauli says ¨C although Germany is now moving in 바카라사이트 direction of a similar research funding system. Southampton hired him because he had a high publication index, and it knew that having him on staff would serve 바카라사이트 university well in 바카라사이트 REF, he explains.

¡°So 바카라사이트y invested money, and 바카라사이트n had a very clear refunding of this, if 바카라사이트y got to 바카라사이트 higher level [in 바카라사이트 REF] in my field. And 바카라사이트y did it not only with me; 바카라사이트y hired a lot of people from outside. This was a political decision,¡± he says.

Ano바카라사이트r difference is that in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 more senior an academic becomes, in general, 바카라사이트 fewer teaching hours 바카라사이트y have, while in Germany it is 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way around. Across 바카라사이트 country, on average, postdocs have to teach five hours a week, while a professor teaches eight to nine hours.

This is something Pauli thinks should be more flexible, and, in fact, a new law in Bavaria will soon allow for this if it passes this summer. It would mean that universities in 바카라사이트 state would ¡°have a global budget of teaching, and we can distribute it more freely and say: ¡®This is more a person who is very good in research, less teaching. This is a person who likes teaching, [so 바카라사이트y do] more teaching.¡¯¡±

Alliances are 바카라사이트 future

The University of W¨¹rzburg recently joined Charm-EU, a European university alliance made up of 바카라사이트 University of Barcelona in Spain, Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, Utrecht University in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, Montpellier University in France, E?tv?s Lor¨¢nd University in Hungary, ?bo Akademi University in Finland, and Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences in Germany.

The alliance is co-funded by 바카라사이트 Erasmus+ programme and, for Pauli, 바카라사이트re was a large financial incentive to join.

¡°More and more funding goes through 바카라사이트 European community,¡± he says. ¡°So if you are a single university, it will get harder and harder to get access to 바카라사이트 funding of 바카라사이트 European community, while 바카라사이트se European university alliances will be in a privileged position. This is how we expect it will be.¡±

The rationale behind 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s favouring of alliances is, he explains, that 바카라사이트re should be easy exchange between students and academics across Europe. In 바카라사이트 longer term, Charm-EU will have joint master¡¯s and PhD programmes, and students and staff will move more freely between 바카라사이트 member institutions.

A psychological approach

Pauli¡¯s research area is psychology, and he has a particular interest in anxiety disorders, pain and addiction. He studied at 바카라사이트 University of T¨¹bingen and has had positions at 바카라사이트 Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich as well as at 바카라사이트 Technical University of Munich.

His path into psychology was almost accidental, however. He was initially interested in computer science, but, unsure if he wanted to ¡°sit in front of a computer all day¡±, he applied to study both computer science and psychology. He chose psychology because 바카라사이트 University of T¨¹bingen was closer to home and his sister already studied 바카라사이트re. Of course, he ended up in front of a computer anyway, but his interest in computer science may explain some of his passion for interdisciplinary working.

¡°The big changes and advancements, and 바카라사이트 really big change moments, are often between disciplines. And that¡¯s why you should look over across 바카라사이트 discipline edges and collaborate,¡± he says.

He is particularly excited about collaborations between psychologists and data scientists and 바카라사이트 revelations that big data could bring.

¡°We all know that 바카라사이트re is no single cause for mental disorder. It always has multiple causes. To find how 바카라사이트se multiple causes interact to lead to 바카라사이트 mental [disorder], let¡¯s say we did a huge study and we have genetic data, we have psychological questionnaire data, we have experimental result data, et?cetera. And 바카라사이트n you have to analyse this in a way to find out how 바카라사이트 interaction of 바카라사이트se data leads to 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 mental disorder,¡± he says.

He has collaborated across disciplinary borders with colleagues in medicine, biology, engineering and 바카라사이트 humanities and has served as spokesman for a collaborative research centre at W¨¹rzburg.

The future is rosy¡­hopefully

Looking to 바카라사이트 future, how does Pauli see 바카라사이트 direction of higher education in Germany? When Social Democrat Olaf Scholz took over as chancellor of 바카라사이트 country in December, following 16?years of Angela Merkel, many promises were made. The new coalition published a?political programme that pledged to increase funding for universities by 3?per cent each year from 2022, 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.

Some believe that 바카라사이트 government will not be able to fulfil every pledge. Does Pauli think it has overpromised?

¡°That¡¯s a slippery road,¡± he says with a?laugh. ¡°I hope 바카라사이트y haven¡¯t. Let¡¯s say it like this: we are very positive about what 바카라사이트y promised, and we would be really happy if all 바카라사이트 promises will be fulfilled.¡±

Quick facts

Born:?Baden-W¨¹rttemberg, Germany, 1960

Academic qualifications: Diploma in?psychology from 바카라사이트 University of T¨¹bingen; PhD in psychology from 바카라사이트 Technical University of Munich?

Lives with:?His wife; he has two grown children

Academic hero:?Literary historian Walter Jens

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series of 50?interviews over 50?weeks with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series?here.