After several years of debate and much argument, the state parliament passed a major university reform for the Free State. The CSU and Free Voters pushed through the legislative package on Thursday with their majority – accompanied, however, by a lot of criticism from the opposition. Science Minister Markus Blume (CSU) spoke of a “mammoth reform” and a “mammoth package” for Bavaria’s universities. The reform will create Germany’s most modern higher education law.
The Greens, SPD, AfD and FDP, on the other hand, criticized the reform – for a wide variety of reasons. Among other things, the opposition complained that the basic funding of the universities was not being improved. According to the will of the state government, the Higher Education Innovation Act is intended to help future-proof the scientific landscape in Bavaria for the next 20 to 30 years and raise it to a top international level.
Among other things, the reform is based on extensive organizational autonomy for the universities – also in the use of their funds and the construction of new buildings. The university apparatus is to be debureaucratized and, for example, the appointment of professors should be made possible more quickly. In addition, professors and their employees should be able to invest more easily in companies or better support spin-offs.