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Universities have urged the new German government to ensure higher education and research remain the responsibility of the same department, after plans to restructure the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) were announced.

The conservative CDU/CSU and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) agreed to form a government earlier this month after a fractious election in February, setting out their plans for research and higher education in a coalition agreement.

Under the proposals, the current BMBF will become the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), while responsibility for education will transfer to the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). While sector leaders say higher education is likely to be located in the BMFTR, the coalition has yet to make this explicit.

¡°We assume that higher education will continue to fall under the responsibility of the BMFTR,¡± said Holger Hanselka, spokesperson for the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany and president of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, an applied research organisation. ¡°Research and teaching must continue to be considered as one unit as this is the foundation of all innovation.¡±

Michael Hoch, chair of the German U15 research-intensive university alliance and rector of the University of Bonn, shared a similar perspective, telling Times Higher Education: ¡°Research and teaching belong together and should be within the purview of the same ministry to ensure coherence in policy and practice.

¡°From what we¡¯ve heard so far, the new government agrees with this view. Although there have been rumours of a separation, it now seems clear that a split is not under serious consideration.¡±

The planned restructuring indicates a ¡°recognisable will to take a more holistic view of science and innovation¡±, Hoch added. ¡°We all know that excellence in teaching, research, tech development and real-world application go hand in hand. The new structure of the ministry makes it possible to support this within a coherent policy framework.¡±

Overall, he said, the coalition agreement has ¡°huge potential to boost science in Germany¡±, welcoming initiatives including the ¡°1,000 Minds¡± programme, aimed at attracting international talent, as well as a planned modernisation of university infrastructure.

A promised rise in overhead funding, from 22 to 30 per cent, ¡°would bring us closer to international standards and significantly strengthen universities¡¯ ability to deliver outstanding research¡±, Hoch said. ¡°Combined with the commitment to reduce bureaucracy in research funding, this could have a real impact on researchers¡¯ day-to-day work and the overall efficiency of the science system.¡±

Hanselka highlighted the coalition¡¯s aim to increase research and development funding to 3.5 per cent of the country¡¯s GDP by 2030, calling it ¡°a clear commitment to Germany as a strong location for research and innovation¡±. The previous government, the ¡°traffic light¡± coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens, had set the same target for 2025.

A disappointing absence from the agreement, Hoch noted, is an ¡°unequivocal commitment¡± to continue the German Excellence Strategy, a funding programme for cutting-edge research, beyond 2032. Moreover, he said, while the ¡°tone and ambition¡± of the agreement is ¡°encouraging¡±, the new government does not set out ¡°costings and clearly defined financial priorities¡±.

Echoing Hoch, Hanselka said the success of the new government¡¯s pledges ¡°will ultimately depend on whether investments in science, research, and innovation are prioritised in the federal budget, ensuring sufficient funds for financing the numerous initiatives¡±.

emily.dixon@timeshighereducation.com