University types and their tasks

The German higher education system is highly differentiated: the various types of higher education institutions also possess different task profiles. Nevertheless, a convergence of universities and universities of applied sciences can be witnessed in part, especially in the area of teaching, while differences between universities of applied sciences have become greater. In addition, the private higher education sector has seen strong growth in recent decades. The German Science and Humanities Council (Wissenschaftsrat, WR) is closely monitoring the development of the various types of higher education institutions and makes recommendations based on the specific features of these types.

The WR supports the functional differentiation of the universities of applied sciences sector in particular and also the testing of new types of organisational models in this field; it advocates that the fundamental differences between the types be maintained. Furthermore, the WR attaches great importance to the universities of applied sciences sector for ensuring the provision of vocationally oriented education programmes in the future.

Higher education institutions fulfil a wide range of different tasks, all of which require their own framework conditions. For example, the WR has stated its position on how universities can to anchor teaching strategies institutionally, and it has also commented on its recommendations regarding the transfer as a separate performance area.

Further recommendations (in German only):

Stellungnahme zum Promotionskolleg für angewandte Forschung der Fachhochschulen in Nordrhein-Westfalen (Drs. 9860-22), Juli 2022 (PDF, 1MB, File does not meet accessibility standards)

Strategien für die Hochschullehre | Positionspapier (Drs. 6190-17), April 2017 (PDF, 324KB, File does not meet accessibility standards)

Private und kirchliche Hochschulen aus Sicht der Institutionellen Akkreditierung (Drs. 2264-12), Mai 2012 (PDF, 852KB, File does not meet accessibility standards)

Empfehlungen zur Rolle der Fachhochschulen im Hochschulsystem (Drs. 10031-10), Juli 2010 (PDF, 833KB, File does not meet accessibility standards)

Empfehlungen zur künftigen Rolle der Universitäten im Wissenschaftssystem (Drs. 7067-06), Januar 2006 (PDF, 312KB, File does not meet accessibility standards)