Elite university plan on track

Germany's controversial €1.9 billion (USD $2.3 billion) plan to create a band of elite universities to stimulate research and give German universities international reputations is on track for final approval next month after undergoing major revisions this week, according to the Federal Ministry of Research and Education. The ministry first announced the competition early this year, asking universities to submit concepts for becoming international leaders, "which today include names such as Oxford, Harvard, and ETH Zurich [Swiss Federal Institute of Technology]." Ministry spokeswoman Barbara Dufner told The Scientist the basic outline of a revised plan was approved last Monday (June 7) at a meeting between Federal Research and Education Minister Edelgard Bulmahn and representatives from German states. Dufner said only a few details remain to be finalized before the July 5 meeting of the Federal and State Commission for Educational Planning and Research Promotion, which would have to approve the plan before it could take effect. "The details will be worked out by July 5," Dufner said. Under the revised plan, around 10 universities would be named "top universities" in various fields and receive a boost of €25 million (USD $30.1 million) a year for 5 years. The original proposal announced in January called for only around 5 top universities, with each receiving €50 million (USD $60.3 million) a year. Ulrike Flach, a member of the opposition FDP party, criticized the increase from 5 to 10 top universities, telling Die Welt newspaper: "In this way, we will not achieve [top universities]." Dufner said that state representatives at Monday's meeting wanted the increase and that Bulmahn had agreed to the request. Bulmahn feels naming 10 universities would not hinder the main objective of the plan, which is to increase competitive spirit among universities in order to improve quality, the spokeswoman said. Universities interested in being selected for the scheme must submit detailed research concepts by the end of the year, with winners selected by a jury made up of national and international scientific experts, Dufner said. Funding would begin in 2006. The revised plan also would provide funding for graduate schools and for creating "excellence centers," to be operated jointly by universities and private research institutes or private companies, Dufner said. Annual spending would total €380 million (USD $457.8 million) per year, of which €250 million (USD $301.2 million) is for top universities, €100 million (USD $120.5 million) for excellence centers, and €30 million (USD $36.1 million) for graduate schools, Dufner said. That would total €1.9 billion over 5 years, with 75% covered by the federal government and the rest by state governments. Several opposition politicians disputed Bulmahn's claim that a basic plan had been approved. They maintained that Monday's meeting was not attended by representatives of all 16 German states and that "important details" still needed to be clarified. A list of participants provided by Dufner showed that representatives from only eight states attended the meeting. Dufner said: "These eight, however, represent the other eight, who were not there [at the meeting]. They could vote for them." Eva-Maria Streier, spokeswoman for the German Research Foundation, which would play a key role in the program, told The Scientist that the foundation supported the idea of increasing funding for universities and programs to spur innovation. But Streier would not comment directly on the new scheme until federal and state officials approved a final plan. "They haven't really reached an agreement," she said. "It's not a done deal yet."

Elite university plan on track

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