The President of the German Rectors' Conference, Prof. Dr. Walter Rosenthal, welcomes the decision that the United Kingdom will rejoin the European Union's Erasmus+ programme from January 2027. After years of intensive talks between the British government and the European Commission following Brexit, an agreement has been reached today that will re-establish valuable mobility and exchange opportunities, particularly for students from the United Kingdom and the European Union.

“The United Kingdom’s return to the Erasmus+ programme is a strong signal in favour of closer cooperation in European higher education. I very much welcome the fact that this agreement has been reached. Erasmus+ is a flagship European project. Like no other programme, it offers unique opportunities for intercultural exchange and personal development to particularly young people in Europe. Students and researchers can immerse themselves in a different academic culture and sharpen their own profile. These are life-changing experiences. The German and British higher education and research systems will benefit immensely from the United Kingdom’s re-entry into the European mobility programme.”

The European Union is currently setting the course for the next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10) from 2028 onwards. The DFG, HRK and the Leibniz Association welcome the EU Commission’s decision to maintain a standalone programme of research and innovation funding. However, they call on the Council, the Commission and the European Parliament to improve this programme, which is of central importance to the European Research Area. In the further legislative process, a strong focus should be placed on improving its connection with the new European Competitiveness Fund. FP10 must stand for excellent science, reliable funding programmes and strong collaborative research.

Statement by Prof. Dr. Walter Rosenthal, President of the German Rectors‘ Conference, on the personal threat to Israeli and Jewish academics via an anonymous, now-closed website that offered financial rewards for intimidation and harassment attempts, including death threats, related to the Middle East conflict:

"This inhumane action is breaking taboos and shocks me deeply. Right now, we need a constructive, academic discourse and a rule-based culture of debate instead of boycotts, intimidation, open threats and hatred. Academic freedom and the personal integrity of scholars must be protected at all costs, even in situations of political conflict. That a bounty has been placed on the heads of individual academics, explicitly because they are leading Israeli and Jewish researchers, is intolerable, unprecedented and cannot be justified by any means. My solidarity is with the colleagues affected and their families."

The General Assembly of the HRK approved the admission of the Saxony Cooperative State University and the Medical University of Lausitz – Carl Thiem. Membership of the HRK is open to higher education institutions operating in Germany that are public or state-accredited universities in accordance with state higher education legislation. Furthermore, they have to be similar to the higher education institutions in the HRK member group to which they are assigned upon admission in terms of organisational structure, management structure and quality assurance.

The General Assembly of the HRK elected or re-elected seven Vice-Presidents for one-year terms on the recommendation of the HRK President, Professor Dr Walter Rosenthal. Professor Dr Ingeborg Schramm-Wölk, President of Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSBI), was newly elected. From 1 December 2025, the biologist and medical informatics specialist will focus on the topics of transfer and sustainability as HRK Vice-President. She succeeds Professor Dr Dorit Schumann, President of Trier University of Applied Sciences, who did not stand for re-election after a total of five years on the HRK Executive Board.

The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, the world’s biggest multi-sport event of the summer, kicks off on Wednesday in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region and in Berlin. From 16 to 27 July 2025, almost 8500 student athletes, coaches and officials from around 150 nations will come together at 23 different locations to compete for medals in a total of 18 disciplines. In addition to top sporting performances at the highest international level, it is also about an unforgettable community experience.