Hessen relies on excellence: six new research clusters for Hawen!

Hessen relies on excellence: six new research clusters for Hawen!

At the current meeting of the Science Council in Fulda, significant progress of the Hessian university landscape was presented. Hessen has developed impressively in recent years and can now proudly say that the number of clusters of excellence has increased from one to six. The success would not have been conceivable without the sustainable support of the state government, especially the Loewe program. For almost 20 years, this program has been investing between 60 and 70 million euros annually in top research in Hesse.

A central aspect of funding policy is the targeted cooperation in research and the expansion of institutional networks. Two significant allies, the Rhein-Main universities and the Middle Hessian network, have the opportunity to submit applications in the second funding line of the excellence strategy. This close cooperation includes universities in Darmstadt, Frankfurt, Mainz, Gießen and Marburg, which not only initiate joint research projects, but also establish coordinated appeal policies and numerous common courses.

doctoral law for universities for applied sciences

Another ray of hope in Hessian university policy is the right to doctorate for universities for applied sciences (HAW). Hessen was the first federal state to introduce such a right, albeit for a limited and bound to criteria. There are currently seven doctoral centers in Hesse that offer students the opportunity to write their doctoral thesis. Almost 300 doctoral students are already inscribed in these centers, and the tendency is rising. The middle building on the Hawen has been funded annually since 2021 with over 13 million euros to support research.

A look over the Hessian national borders shows that the Hamburg citizenship has also taken a step in this direction. The change in the Hamburg University Act now enables HAW Hamburg to do a doctorate independently in research areas that are considered particularly strong. The Science Council evaluated this positively and confirmed the suitability of the planned structures for the right to doctorally right. The facilities intend to create new qualification options through their research school, which includes various interdisciplinary promotional programs with topics such as climate protection and data analysis.

a nationwide doctoral right?

Interest in promotional opportunities in HAW is growing steadily. Around one percent of doctoral students in Germany are involved in a HAW. Almost half of the beginners now choose a HAW as their training location. And although many graduates still had to switch to university in order to obtain their doctoral title, several federal states now offer regulations that enable HAW an independent doctoral right. A total of eight federal states, including Hessen, are active, while in other federal states such as Bavaria, Berlin and Bremen, the right to doctorate is theoretically available, but is not yet practiced.

Overall, it can be seen that the topic of doctoral law is increasingly losing importance not only in Hesse, but also in other federal states. More and more HAWs are perceived as serious actors in the academic landscape who are able to make their own research contribution. For the future of the Hessian university landscape, it is clear: this continues up!

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