Higher education investment and accreditation

• State structure reviews
• Research buildings
• Institutional accreditation of non-state higher education institutions

Head: Dr Ralf Bläser

State structure reviews

One of the main tasks of this department is to prepare position statements on behalf of the states (Länder) on their higher education structures, taking into account financial, structural, infrastructural, subject-related and regional aspects. These expert opinions can address all or only some higher education institutions of a state, specific regions or individual higher-education institutions or subjects.

Research buildings

The joint “Research buildings at universities including large-scale equipment” task (Article 91b (1) of the German Basic Law), created as part of the Federalism Reform, has created the basis for a form of investment-related research funding. On this basis, the states can plan projects and submit applications for research buildings on an ongoing basis. Since 2007, the German Science and Humanities Council (Wissenschaftsrat, WR) has been making recommendations for the funding of supra-regionally significant research buildings at universities and is thus an important player in this programme.

Research Buildings Committee

Chair: Professor Dr Jürgen Heinze
Contact at the head office: Dr Meike Rodekamp

At the request of the federal government and the states, and on an annual basis, the committee examines applications for research buildings at universities, including large-scale facilities. Its task is to make “funding recommendations” for the individual projects submitted and prepare a “ranking” of cases worth funding as a basis for decision-making in the WR.

Institutional accreditation of non-state higher education institutions

Since 2001, the WR has been carrying out the institutional accreditation of non-state higher education institutions on behalf of the states (Länder). This is a quality assurance procedure that aims to clarify whether a non-state higher education institution is capable of providing services in research and teaching which meet recognised scientific standards. Since 2010, the WR has also been preparing reports on the proposal review for non-state higher education institutions in the foundation phase seeking state recognition as a higher education institution.

Accreditation Committee

Chair: Professor Dr Ing Martin Sternberg
Support at the head office: Dr Alice Dechêne

The task of the Accreditation Committee is to prepare position statements on the institutional accreditation of non-state higher education institutions and reports on the proposal review of non-state higher education institutions in the course of foundation at the request of individual states (Länder). It sets up working groups for this purpose. While the final accreditation vote for an existing private higher-education institution is made by the WR, the Committee is entitled to issue a final vote independently for the proposal review.

Current accreditation procedures (German version only)