The consequences are already noticeable: the premiums of the semester and the prices of the cafeteria have increased, in some departments there are installation stops, and entire areas of research can be deleted in some sciences.
Marie B. and her fellow students in Fu do not want to accept this. According to the university’s plans, their subject must make a great contribution to the state government’s savings goal, they say: instead of 10 percent, originally estimated for all departments, almost a third of the funds could be lowered here.
One of the courses had to be immediately printed. Despite the fact that the programs of the bachelor and masters are always completely booked, sometimes even transferred. Students study critical ethnographic work, regional examination in Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, as well as about migration contexts in Germany.
Hansjörg Dilger, professor at the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Berlin, also confirms that reductions reached social and cultural anthropology especially difficult compared to others. “Reductions with us are completely disproportionate,” he says. Critical social sciences are “currently all over the world, as well as in Germany.” They are “especially important in the context of social events with proper pressure, with growing racism, anti -Semitism.”
However, from the part of Fu, they say that the abbreviations are “not limited to individual subjects.” All departments “equally affect the reduction by 10 percent.” There are currently strategic discussions between universities management and specialized areas. There are still no final solutions.
What are the consequences of a reduction?
If her course were reduced, Marie B. could no longer graduation in Berlin. But she is not only about her personal fate: “First of all, I find it so fatal that the education is reduced, and where the money flows instead, that is, at the federal level in the military with special funds in Berlin,” says Marie in late June with fellow students. In the meadow in front of the University of Humboldt, you are preparing a campaign for protest on a long night of science. In Plenum, you will discuss your strategy, distribution of responsibilities, demonstration images. About 30 people came.
They agree that this is mortal, all that you need to save during the growing disappointment with democracy and right. “We do not want to simply withstand reductions, we call for a special education fund,” says Sophie Witt from SKA Master.
“Many moved to Berlin specifically for social and cultural anthropology,” added Gundo K., 21, a bachelor’s student. He sees greater social value in these subjects. “Here we can influence the discourse, which, for example, Africa, always shows funny.”
Have a bite
Nevertheless, students protest not only against abbreviations, but also against the attitude to Fu. According to students, during the protest in front of the Presidium building with 500 participants, in fact there was a promise to President Gunter Siegler that he would come to a conversation – instead, the protesters encountered the police. Many students, as a rule, want a more serious way to cope with protests.
The Presidium Fu confirms the pelvis that the intention was to take part in the rally. But during the Mitin, “speeches and statements were partially loud in a hot mood.” “The exchange for reduction of households was no longer possible.” The police were “not placed before the Presidium on behalf of the university management.”
Support from science
As for the abbreviations, students require complete commitment to university management. Not everything was still lost. “Everything becomes more expensive at the university. Many students are still afraid of existence, ”says Tony L. Theater, German research, German research and philosophy, and also takes part in protests. Currently, he becomes “even more difficult for students of workers: internal families than it already is.”
Support also comes from science: in an open letter, which was signed by more than 2000 scientists, black and red government ask to rethink: “They threaten the scientific location of Berlin, economic and democratic future and social cohesion in this city!”
It is unlikely that the Senate of Berlin is coming. The Senator of the Science of Invilorra (SPD) confirmed on Monday at the Scientific Committee of the House of Representatives that universities would have to reduce 10 percent of current places in the field of research – this corresponds to 25,000 seats. However, the dishes can still be introduced. Berlin universities are currently preparing a lawsuit against the state of Berlin under the leadership of the Technical University of Berlin. You will see a violation of university contracts for the specifications of savings, which guarantees you basic financing of almost two billion euros.
The room also has abbreviations in other federal states. On Tuesday in Hess, there were protests in several university cities against a possible reduction in the budget within the framework of federal governments and government governments. According to universities, the plans of the Black and Red Government of the state tore a hole in the amount of about one billion euros to their budget for the next six years.
Gender studies hit hard
Which departments are especially affected by savings, for example, at the University of Gettingen. A professor study was removed there by diversity – and, therefore, a course with the same name. From the point of view of the gender research group in Gettingen, “there is no accident that, in particular, the reduction affects the floor and variety of research,” the letter says. These items were one of the most socially competitive – “they polarize, they question the power of power, they have less support in conservative academic structures.”
Financial incisions are justified by the University of Gettingen with savings. An open letter criticizes that, unlike other courses, the diversity and gender studies are disproportionately affected. For larger training courses, not only more resources, but also not so much influenced reductions. A specialized group criticized that reductions in their areas were resolved without verification, it would be controlled in other areas with less strong consequences.
This ensures disappointment in relation to the victims – and serious concerns. Lizu Pletnner and her colleagues Alisia Kopitski and Paulina Gauli from the group on gender research report the pelvis that the political climate at their university has changed. “These are clear attacks on the freedom of science, and this situation with a threat is not perceived by so much.”
They held negotiations with professors who openly say that gender studies should be closed because it is not a course of research from its point of view. If areas such as gender studies, studies of diversity and anthropology are reduced, they are afraid that sociology and political science are not far away. This can create a “precedent.”
You can currently see where this can lead to the USA. There, the freedom of science is very under fire. At the same time, abbreviations in Berlin are still discussed. For Marie B. and her fellow students it is clear that they do not give up without a fight. There is still time. Fu wants to clarify where to be reduced by the end of September – but where not.
