Working conditions in universities: “anti-human and anti-science”

Series contracts, extra work and lack of possibilities: Under the hashtag #IchBinHanna, scientists mobilize against difficult working conditions. Under their pressure, the Bundestag is also tackling this topic today.

tagesschau.de: With #IchBinHanna, working conditions in science make it to Parliament. How did the hashtag come about?

Sebastian Kubon: Until recently, the homepage of the federal Ministry of Education and Research had a video in which an animated figure named Hannah explains the Science Contract Act, the legal basis for employment. It is a special right of fixed-term employment that governs that researchers in Germany may be employed for a maximum of six years and six years before completing their doctorate.

After that the time limit should be extended. But that doesn’t happen because of the lack of jobs, so most of them are kicked out of the system by then – with all their qualifications and knowledge lost to science. And besides this immense loss for Germany as a research place, there is always a personal fate.

If there is such an explanatory video to explain this absurd situation, it is anti-human and anti-science in my opinion. So, Dr. Amrei Bahar, Dr. Kristin Eichhorn and I give a face to scientists – with the hashtag #IchbBinHanna.

tagesschau.de: What are the main points of your criticism and what are your specific suggestions?

Kubon: I hardly know where to start. Short-term contracts are especially bad. You have to keep writing new applications and proposals instead of doing research in peace. We need actual contract terms, i.e. unless you really need a doctorate, eg.

And those who have a doctorate should be employed on a permanent basis – or at least receive a clear and transparent view. In addition, there is a lot of unpaid overtime at universities. Many associates only have half the job – and still work as much as they have a full job to keep the business running. We need reliable and adequate basic funding. This doesn’t mean more third-party funding, i.e. project-related funds that have to be implemented and raised at larger expense.

“So you shouldn’t waste time with professors either”

tagesschau.de: The Ministry of Education justified the temporary positions with the fact that research is always in need of new impulses.

Kubon: The argument that innovation arises only from constant fluctuations has been scientifically verifiable for decades. According to this logic professors should not be avoided. I think this is an exaggerated argument. Because it is – at least in the short term – easier and cheaper for young scientists to work unpaid overtime. But it literally burns them, which is expensive and not sustainable in the long term.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not about kindness. But this system means that important research projects are put on hold, teaching is affected in terms of material and students keep losing touch. When asked if he could see himself in science, many talented people gave thanks.

tagesschau.de: Another argument of the Ministry of Education is that if all positions are expelled, one generation will “stop” the system …

Kubon: But no one is asking that all positions be permanent – not even union ones, as far as I know. It’s about transparent norms and a concrete perspective: termination, in other words, and under circumstances. Certainly it cannot happen that every new generation has to repeatedly struggle with precarious working conditions and could not do research properly.

“No wonder so many people seek their happiness elsewhere”

tagesschau.de: Is this really a purely German problem, is it better to deal with young scientists abroad?

Kubon: “Descent” is a terrible word. Some people in their mid-40s are not newcomers, but highly qualified specialists who have long held high-paying management positions elsewhere. No wonder many people seek their happiness elsewhere. Foreign universities have already tried to hunt down German scientists as part of #IchBinHanna.

But to get back to the question: Overall, science is a precarious system around the world. But I can’t figure it out in detail. But the ministry’s job may also be to set up a commission to deal with working conditions elsewhere to see what can be learned from there. But this would assume that the shortcomings are recognized in their own country.

tagesschau.de: Now today is the current time in Bundestag. What do you expect from this?

Kubon: I hope this puts science back on the political agenda. If it is to provide the urgently needed orientation, we can no longer operate in such conditions. But I think many politicians don’t know anything about it. That’s why we say: Wait – it can’t go on like this. And some parties may see this as an opportunity to establish themselves on questions of science policy.

Workers’ rights, as for all others

tagesschau.de: It is the last week of the session, then there will be general elections in September, so there will be no quick solution. How do you want to pursue the topic?

Kubon: The Science Contract Act is currently being evaluated. However, the respective forms are designed in such a way that I can’t imagine that valid data will come out of them. Still: the law is on the agenda for the next legislative term. Therefore, the deficit must now be described as accurately as possible in order to propose possible solutions.

This is done in the traditional way, i.e. through local events, party work or unions. But thanks to social media, initiatives can happen quickly and spontaneously too – this is what we also learned from the success of #IchBinHanna. You have created the Ministry of Research to deal with our criticism. And at this point we won’t give up: Scientists should have the same employee rights as everyone else.