- The CDU streses the importance of research and innovation for economic growth and prosperity and pledge to raise research and development spending from its present 3% of GDP level to 3.5% by 2025.
- The SPD proposes curbing the proliferation of study programmes, improving study counselling and creating more housing for students, it rejects fees, and pledges to improve federal government grant support for students.
- Die Linke is critical of funding pressure causing universities to turn into ‘entrepreneurial’ institutions. Chronic underfunding, it maintains, has left hardly any leeway for independent research. Die Linke rejects tuition fees and wants to provide better access to higher education for refugee students.
- The FDP proposes a federal-wide fund that each state would pay into according to its tax revenue intake and number of inhabitants. As a further source of income for universities, it proposes tuition fees that would be paid after graduating, based on income levels.
- The Greens explicitly reject tuition fees. Further proposals made by the party include greater co-operation between federal and state governments so that the quality of studying and research is ensured at all institutions, and not just among a select few.
- The AfD claims that the Bologna Process has failed, and calls for a replacement of the masters and bachelor degrees with the old German Diplom and Magister degrees. It also wants universities to be able to choose applicants for study courses via entry exams, and it stresses that German should be retained as the language of teaching and science.
More details in University World News
