In view of the postponements of the lecture timetables now approved by all federal states and the uncertainty surrounding the required length of these measures, the HRK is calling for a differentiated approach to be adopted for the 2020 summer semester in order to minimise disadvantages particularly for students and early career researchers. Research activities will continue to the greatest possible extent. HRK President Peter-André Alt: “The intensification of contact restrictions, in effect throughout Germany since Monday, to contain the coronavirus crisis highlights the dynamics of the current situation."

HRK-President Peter-André Alt made the following comments regarding the situation of German universities in view of the risk of infection posed by the pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19): “In the interests of general health protection, the postponement of the start of lectures at universities, as is now stipulated or planned by the federal states for the summer semester, is sensible and unfortunately there is no alternative. In spite of the resulting constraints for students and challenges for all university members, these measures are very welcome."

“If the programme to create European university networks is to be a success, the European Union must see and support the participating universities in their entirety as educational, research, innovation and cultural institutions,” said HRK-President Peter-André Alt at an HRK conference. The creation of European University Networks is an important initiative that has considerable potential for the forward-looking development of European higher education systems, he added.

“The United Kingdom's exit from the European Union marks a watershed in the history of European unification. Together with our British partners, we want to do everything in our power to ensure that academic relations remain as unimpeded as possible by this deep and painful cut,” HRK-President Peter-André Alt said. “It is now vitally important for German universities, too, that the framework for future cooperation between European and British partners is quickly resolved in the transition phase which is now beginning.

Springer Nature and MPDL Services GmbH on behalf of Projekt DEAL today announce that the formal contract for the world’s largest transformative Open Access (OA) agreement to date has been signed. Dated 1 January 2020, the agreement provides OA publishing services and full reading access to Springer Nature journals to scholars and students from across the German research landscape. It follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the two parties on 22nd August 2019, and is a giant step forward in the OA transition, enabling greater visibility, impact, efficiency, transparency and sustainability in the dissemination of the fruits of German research, for the benefit of researchers everywhere.

The proportion of degree programmes on offer subject to admission restrictions remains stable at around 40 per cent. This is a finding from a survey by the HRK. In the current 2019/2020 winter semester, admission restrictions applied to 42.3 per cent of the around 10,500 undergraduate programmes on offer. This means that the proportion has remained virtually the same (2018/2019: 42.1 per cent). To compare: ten years ago, in the 2009/2010 winter semester, more than 52 per cent of undergraduate programmes on offer (those that lead to an initial professional qualification) were subject to admission restrictions.