The current price increases for natural gas, district heating and electricity continue to pose enormous challenges for German universities, despite ambitious energy-saving measures of their own and politicians' first additional promises of assistance. The General Assembly of the HRK therefore welcomed and acknowledged the support measures already taken at federal and state level, but at the same time, made an urgent appeal to those with political responsibility at federal and state level to follow up with further steps to relieve the burden on universities and to quickly provide reliability in this regard.

At its meeting, the General Assembly of the HRK expressed its dismay at the continued state violence in Iran against peacefully protesting citizens, including many students and academics. The assembly of German university leaders declared its solidarity with Iranian university members and with citizens demonstrating for human rights and explicitly also for women's rights and equality in Iran. It appealed to the Iranian leadership to immediately refrain from the use of violence, to seek dialogue and unconditionally to respect freedom of expression and academic freedom.

Commenting on the agreement between the German federal and state governments on an emergency aid programme and an emergency aid programme and a cap on gas and electricity prices, the President of the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), Prof. Dr Peter-André Alt, said:

“The federal and state governments have agreed on an emergency aid programme and a cap on gas and electricity prices from which, in principle, everyone who consumes gas or electricity is to benefit. The HRK particularly welcomes the fact that the Federal Cabinet, on the initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, has decided that the support programme, which is now in the legislative process, should in any case also take comprehensive account of universities and the science sector as a whole. Despite their own determined efforts to cut costs, the universities are by no means able to bear the current increases in energy prices from their own budget. They are urgently dependent on diverse financial support, both from the states and from the federal government. I therefore appeal to the members of the German Bundestag to now swiftly implement the proposed sector exemption for universities and research institutions."

On the occasion of the international conference of the G7 and the EU Commission on the recovery, reconstruction and modernisation of Ukraine, the rectors' conferences of France (France Universités), Germany (HRK) and Poland (CRASP) have called for the importance of education and research to be given due consideration in the planning process. In a joint declaration, the rectors' conferences underline their readiness for long-term cooperation to support Ukraine in establishing modern and internationally attractive universities.

Which methods can be used to evaluate and appreciate the quality and impact of research achievements? And what criteria should be used as a basis for assessing scientific research? These questions were the focus of a joint event organised by the Einstein Foundation Berlin, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW) and the HRK. The participants in the panel discussion agreed that a fundamental reform of the research evaluation system was necessary. In the course of this reassessment, indicators such as diversity, sustainability and open science should be taken into account. Nevertheless, scientific excellence must remain the all-important criterion in the evaluation of research achievements.

As part of its project "MODUS – Enhancing student mobility across educational boundaries through recognition", the HRK has launched a new website for students and prospective students that provides information about recognition of competences acquired at higher education institutions as well as recognition of competences acquired outside higher education institutions, so called recognition of prior learning. The website "AN! Recognition and Recognition of Prior Learning for Studies" (www.an.hrk.de) offers explanations that apply across higher education institutions and nationwide.