Higher Education in Germany Current Status and Challenges

1. Higher Education in Germany Current Status and Challenges German-South African Rectors’ Forum 15 April 2013, Leipzig Professor Dr Horst Hippler, President, German Rectors’ Conference HRK Hochschulrektorenkonferenz

2. The German Higher Education System Different Types of Higher Education Institutions • 112 Universities and Higher Education Institutions that can award doctorates • 225 Universities of Applied Sciences („Fachhochschulen“) • 56 Colleges of Art and Music Altogether 393 higher education institutions (predominantly state institutions; few private universities, usually with limited range of subjects) • 2.5 mio students in total (WS 2012/2013) Source: Higher Education Compass 2013 HRK Hochschulrektorenkonferenz

3. The German Higher Education and Research System University Research and Extra-University Research as the Two Pillars of the German Research System German Research System Extra-University Research Institutions: Max Planck Society, Helmholtz Association, Leibniz Association, Fraunhofer Society Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences HRKHochschulrektorenkonferenz

4. Funding for Higher Education and Research Funding for Higher Education • Basic budget provided by the Länder (states) • Increasing student numbers for the next years (today 500,000 new bachelor students each year)  additional funding necessary by federal government and the Länder(2011-2015: about 7 bn €; 2011-2018: additional 1.2-1.5 bn €) • No tuition fees • Research budget by competition through the German Science Foundation (e. g. „Excellence Initiative“), but also by industry; German Universities spend more then11 bn € yearly on R&D, 1.4 bn € (13%) of which are from industry. HRK Hochschulrektorenkonferenz

5. Various Reform Processes at National and International Level HRK Hochschulrektorenkonferenz

6. On the Way to Autonomous Higher Education Institutions Increasing Autonomy by Modifying Legal Framework of the Länder Management by objective agreements– between Länder and universities– between university leadership and facultieswith regard to • opening new and/or close old degree programmes • admission of students • appointment of professors • salary of professors and academic staff • management of university property • organizational processes within the institution HRK Hochschulrektorenkonferenz

7. On the Way to Autonomous Higher Education Institutions New Budget Structures and an Increased Accountability • Introduction of global (yearly) budgets • Introduction of performance-based allocation mechanisms • between ministries and universities • within universities, between faculties • Introduction of performance criteria for the salary of professors • private contributions to higher education budget, e.g. private third-party funding for research, contribution of foundations, etc. HRK Hochschulrektorenkonferenz

8. Towards a Quality Culture in Higher Education From State Control to Science-Based Quality Assurance Systems Future challenges: • from quality assurance (minimal standards) to quality enhancement • from input to outcome orientation • Programme accreditation and system accreditation as alternative options for HEI • HRK‘s long-term goal is an improvement-driven Institutional Quality Audit. Accreditation assures basic quality standards of study programmes. Evaluation aims at promoting transparency, improving quality and benchmarking. HRK Hochschulrektorenkonferenz

9. Supporting Excellence in Research: The Excellence Initiative The Excellence Initiative • Aims to promote top-level research at German universities and research institutions • Three lines of funding: • Graduate schools to promote young researchers • Excellence clusters to promote world-class research • Plans for advancing top-level university research • Total of 1.9 b € funding from 2006 until 2011 (75% Federal government and 25 % state governments) • Total funding of 2.7 b € from 2012 until 2017 (75% Federal government and 25 % state governments) • The funding will end 2017: How to become sustainable? HRK Hochschulrektorenkonferenz

10. The European Dimension: From Bologna to Bucharest How Does „Bologna“ Alter The German Higher Education System? • Reform of degree programmes • Change of paradigm: from teacher to learner perspective (modularisation of study programmes, calculation of overall student workload, focus on learning outcomes and competencies) • Introduction of ECTS and Diploma Supplement • Introduction of quality assurance procedures • Strengthening of the European dimension in teaching, learning and research • Challenges: recognition, employability of graduates, admission to master programmes HRK Hochschulrektorenkonferenz

11. Internationalising Higher Education Institutions HRK Hochschulrektorenkonferenz

12. The Internationalisation of German Universities A Strategic Approach to Internationalisation • Increasing mobility of students and researchers • Increasing international collaboration in research and technology transfer • Shift to more structured forms of international collaboration (integrated study semesters abroad, joint degrees) • Building offshore campuses and bi- or multinational higher education institutions • National and international strategic alliances HRK Hochschulrektorenkonferenz

13. The Internationalisation of German Universities The Internationalisation of German Universities • Germany is a „global player“ in transnational education. • The number of international students has risen from 175,000 in 2000 to 265,000 in 2012 (rise by roughly 50 %; today 11.1% of all students). • At the same time, the number of mobile German students has risen from 46,000 in 1998 to 126,000 in 2010 (rise by roughly 170 %). • Political support for internationalisation is high, especially at the federal level(policy support and financial incentives). HRK Hochschulrektorenkonferenz

14. The Internationalisation of German Universities The Internationalisation of German Universities – Challenges • Study programmes have to be further internationalised (not only language, but also contents, „mobility windows“, double degrees, summer schools, etc.) • Recognition of international qualifications is a key issue. • The percentage of international staff at German universities has to be substantially increased (recruiting, administration, career paths). HRK Hochschulrektorenkonferenz

15. Thank you!praesident@hrk.dewww.hrk.de HRK Hochschulrektorenkonferenz