What the president of the University of Berlin expects from RGR: “ideally a department just for science”

There isn’t much to be found in Berlin in exploratory papers ranging from red, green and red to science. Seven lines are dedicated to the point. “Berlin must remain a worldwide place for science and research and develop further with its university and non-university institutions” is the general central statement – complemented by a few points aimed at: cooperation between science and society, Knowledge transfer and company spin-off, good working conditions at Berlin universities.

In the Presidia of the University, it is expected that old and possibly even new coalition partners will give a clear focus on the subject of science in their alliance agreement, which is now to be negotiated. This is shown by a survey by Tagespiegel among the presidents of three major Berlin universities.

“Be more aggressive with the might of Berlin”

“Someone with this strength of Berlin would have to act more aggressively,” says Christian Thomson, president of the Technical University. “Under Michael Müller, science was the city’s top priority. It has to stay that way,” says Free University president Günter M. Ziegler.

And Sabine Kunst, president of Humboldt University, says the alliance agreement should reflect how a research space of global importance like Berlin should be designed. He is eager to see how the subject of science will be “solidified in resource allocation and departmental design.”

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Thomson sees a good basis in the annual fiscal increase of 3.5 percent of the state fund, which Coalition members had promised before the election. However, all university presidents are of the view that additional funding is urgently needed for the renovation of university buildings. “If we have to finance it from the budget of universities, growth is no longer enough. It will have to provide additional money,” says Thomson.

“Country should not leave universities alone”

Art also considers the 3.5 percent increase to be “great.” However, this is “only barely enough for the amount of promissory notes we already have in the system”. Several initiatives of the country need to be consolidated. Even more, a 3.5 percent increase would not be enough to restructure the personnel structure, said Kunst, pointing to the controversial new post-doctoral rules in the Berlin University Act.

This anyway takes the university management further. Politicians and universities must now tackle the issue of career paths in science, says Ziegler: “The state must be open and not leave universities alone with the new BurlHG.”

TU president is self-critical when it comes to posting docs

From Thomson’s point of view, it is necessary to clarify the Berlin University Act on the subject of post docs. On the one hand, this involves a transitional arrangement and, on the other hand, planning another quality check in the tenure process before hiring postdocs indefinitely. However, in itself, university management deemed the “cues from the University Act” to give young scientists a more realistic perspective than before. “We didn’t take #IchbinHanna very seriously,” Thomson said self-critically.

Overall, Thomson would like those in the Coalition to affirm the autonomy of universities. And what about the Senate layout? The fact that Science is again based in the Rotes Rathaus with then-governing mayor Franziska Giffie (SPD) is as good as improbable.

Because of the importance of science to Berlin, the arts would like to see “an independent appreciation of Berlin’s distinct political field” – in other words: an independent science department. Thomson thinks so too. Should it not be so, it is possible to entrust science to culture or economy. “With an independent head of state as secretary, it could be good.” Should the department go to the Left, they only doubt whether the subject of excellence is in such good hands with the party.