Ten German Universities Short-listed in Competition for Millions of Extra €s. (January 22, 2006)

    Almost exactly two years ago TFW reported "German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's Social Democrats' recent publicising of proposals to set up a small number of elite universities similar to Harvard, Stanford, Oxford or Cambridge, has met with a mixed reception."

At the time the proposal was vague but with the change in government which brought to power the "Grand Coalition" headed by Angela Merkel as Chancellor on November 22^nd last year the matter has progressed rapidly. Just before Christmas German Education and Research Minister Annette Schavan in announcing the additional €6 billion funding for research and development said, "We must secure Germany's future as a place of innovation where outstanding scientists are forged." It is part of the €25-billion investment program the governing coalition of Christian Democrats and Social Democrats agreed to in forming their "Grand Coalition".

Now Deusche-Welle reports that ten German universities have been short-listed in a competition for millions of euros in extra funding for so-called 'elite universities' which the government wants in order to improve Germany's international standing.

Twenty-seven universities applied for consideration from which the short-list of ten was derived.

Not a single university in the eastern part of Germany including those in Leipzig and Dresden, as well as Berlin's Humboldt University qualified.

According to Deuche-Welle while many other institutions will still be able to compete for funding in specific areas, the 10 will receive money to improve their position as "elite universities".

Until 2011, the German federal and state governments plan to spend €1.9 billion (A$3.1 billion). The elite universities are to receive €13.5 million (A$21.9 million) annually. Additionally, 40 graduate schools and 30 clusters of excellence are expected to receive funding.

The elite 10 are:

·        Aachen,

·        Berlin (Free University),

·        Bremen,

·        Freiburg,

·        Heidelberg,

·        Karlsruhe,

·        Munich (Ludwig Maximilian University and Technical University),

·        Tübingen and

·        Würzburg.