Young scientists in Germany are still far from ideal working days: they must not only do science, but also desperately fight for a place under the academic sun. Often these highly skilled specialists after 12 to 15 years of hard work are left with nothing. The German government plans the reform and collects proposals. The German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) released its ideas to change the situation – but it caused a wave of outrage. What’s wrong?

A scientific career in Germany – a futile dream?

Those who decide to dedicate themselves to science will have a rocky and foggy path, young scientists complain. They actively voice their protest on Twitter, in particular, under the hashtags #IchBinHannah and #GegenWissZeitVG10. Part-time jobs, temporary contracts, overtime – work at German universities is endless and prospects are uncertain. If you’re lucky, you can work as a researcher (assistant) in the department for six full years (no longer allowed!). “If during that time, along with teaching, administrative workload and organizational assignments, you manage to defend a dissertation, that is great progress,” says PhD linguist Anastasia Bauer from the University of Cologne.

Then you can take on the achievement of the next “peak” and start writing a second, more voluminous scientific work – a doctoral dissertation (Habilitation), mandatory for obtaining a professorship. This also takes six years. That’s exactly what a Krasnodar native did after graduating from a master’s program in Cologne. Having defended her doctorate, she continues to work on her second dissertation. “The sad thing is that, after graduating from a university, it is difficult for scientists not only to make a career, but in general to get a job in their specialty in the future, as there are very few permanent fees at universities. contract is concluded for only one semester”, says Anastasia Bauer. This semester is often enough just to adjust to the next job, she explains.

(Anti)reforms in German universities?

A wave of indignation from scientists reached Berlin: the government intends to reform the Law on the Conclusion and Duration of Employment Contracts for Associate Researchers (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz, WissZeitVG). It is thanks to this law that more than 80% of employment contracts for researchers at German universities are temporary, according to a survey carried out by the German Ministry of Education and Research. Approximately one third of contracts at universities and colleges of applied sciences are for a period of less than one year.

The situation is unacceptable, says Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger. She advocates reducing the percentage of temporary contracts, especially for those with a scientific degree. On the initiative of the Ministry, the Conference of Rectors of German Universities has compiled a list of proposals for the next reform. One of the items on the list is the reduction of the time devoted to writing dissertations and, consequently, of the term of the temporary contract: instead of six, five years for researchers.

“Complete nonsense”, “cynicism” and “it’s just hostile” – this is how scientists responded to these proposals on Twitter. There are more than enough jobs in universities, but the number of places is very limited, it is almost impossible to dedicate yourself exclusively to science. And doctoral students, for whom there wasn’t even a temporary vacancy in the department, anyway, have to work somewhere, says Anastasia Bauer. Reducing the time to write a dissertation will only worsen this situation, believes the linguist. But the president of the Conference of University Rectors, Professor Peter André Alt (Peter André Alt), such a violent reaction is not at all surprising, they say, heated debates are inherent in the academic environment. According to him, the objective of the reform is to help those who complete their master’s degree at the age of 25, at most at the age of 35 (whether or not they have defended both dissertations!), possibly in a completely different field.

The problem is German federalism?

The next point is the reform of the chair. Existing department head positions in Germany are planned to be replaced by a well-established American-style scheme called the Tenure Track, which increases postdocs’ chances of obtaining a professorship. According to Peter-André Alt, this will be a real support for talented researchers who aspire to become professors, allowing postdocs to better plan their future. Will the number of flat rates increase during the renovation? The President of the Conference of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions finds it difficult to answer this question. Fact: If a professor signed a permanent contract at age 40, he will head the department until he retires, until age 67.

The problem, interestingly enough, is federalism: in Germany, federal states are responsible for the basic funding of universities. The main problem of education (school and higher) lies in the absence of uniform criteria, some kind of general structure, believes Anastasia Bauer. Each university in Germany has its own charter, its own rules that determine the number of permanent and temporary jobs and those that teach on a fee basis. Thus, a scientist’s work experience at different universities (eg in Cologne and Hamburg) is taken into account and evaluated in different ways, says Anastasia. Thus, salaries are charged at different rates.

In addition, as in other areas, and in academia, women’s salaries are often significantly lower than men’s. During her maternity leave (Anastasia has three children), the talented scientist continued to check graduation papers and write scientific articles. But that doesn’t count as work experience, the HR department told her. Therefore, she will have to wait a long time for the same salary as her male colleagues. Without creating additional permanent positions (in each department!) for researchers, the planned reform will do nothing, the linguist is sure. It would be more sensible for universities to allocate the available budget differently, focusing not only on who writes a thesis, but also creating working conditions for those who have already defended it, emphasizes Anastasia Bauer.