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Kick-off Event 16th Round of the ProFiL Programme

Event on 29 September about the topic "Does the Amendment to the Berlin Law on Higher Education Create Viable Career Prospects for Postdocs in Academia?"

The Presidents of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin together with the Chairperson of the Board of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin cordially invite members of the public to the opening event marking the 16th round of the ProFiL Programme on 29 September at 5 pm.

Thematically, the event picks up on current discussions about the Amendment to the Berlin Law on Higher Education (BerlHG). The new version of Section 110 BerlHG, Paragraph 6, Sentence 2 obliges the Berlin universities to transform fixed-term contracts of post-doctoral researchers on qualification positions leading to eligibility for professorship into permanent contracts provided they achieve the qualification goals set in advance. The regulation applies to first-time appointments from 1 October 2023 and does not apply to postdocs who are mainly financed from third-party funds or from programmes by the Federal and the Länder governments or by the Land Berlin. With this reform initiative, the Land Berlin is reacting to an intensive debate within higher education policy that is focusing on the lack of permanent academic positions in the German higher education system and is increasingly demanding more permanent positions for high-achieving postdoctoral researchers. The momentous imbalance in the ratio of third-party funding and basic funding of the universities is identified as a basic problem cause for precarious job structures, which at the same time raises the question of a more fundamental system change.

At the event, we aim to discuss the positive and negative effects of the Berlin tenure regulation and to what extent it leads to viable career prospects for postdocs in academia. How many academics will benefit from it and can equal opportunities also be ensured with a view to future cohorts? Which design of the new permanent positions would be appropriate to the qualifications of their holders? And finally: What further reform initiatives are necessary to solve the fundamental problem of the imbalance between third-party funding and basic funding for universities? After the welcoming by TU President Prof. Dr. Geraldine Rauch, the introductory lecture will be held by Prof. Dr. Birgitt Riegraf, President of Universität Paderborn. In the ensuing panel discussion, the following guests will share their insights:

  • Dr. Julia Asbrand, Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
  • Dr. Geraldine Rauch, President, Technische Universität Berlin
  • Dr. Birgitt Riegraf, President, Universität Paderborn
  • Dr. Jule Specht, Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Moderation: Dorothea Jansen, Head of the ProFiL Programme, Dr. Antje Dallmann, Coordinator of the English ProFiL Line

Date

Thursday, 29 September, 5 pm

The event will take place at Technische Universität Berlin, Lecture Hall A 053, Straße des 17. Juni 152, 10623 Berlin and will be held in German with simultaneous English translation.

Registration and Contacts

About the Profil programme 

Dorothea Jansen
Head of the ProFiL Programme

Phone: 030-314-29304
jansen@tu-berlin.de

Dr. Antje Dallmann
Coordinator of the English Programme Line

Phone: 030-314-70151
dallmann@tu-berlin.de