New university contract signed

On 18 July 2024, University President Prof. Dr Matthias Barth and Science Minister Dr Manja Schüle signed a new university contract as an important instrument for strategic university management. Valid until the end of 2028, the agreement formulates eight university-specific fields of action for the development of the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE).

At today's press conference at the State Chancellery in Potsdam, Science Minister Dr Manja Schüle and the two chairs of the Brandenburg State Conference of University Presidents (BLHP), Prof. Dr Gesine Grande, President of Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) and Prof. Dr Matthias Barth, President of HNEE, presented the cross-university agreements.

The university agreement defines the cross-university development priorities negotiated between the Ministry of Science, Research and Culture (MWFK) and the presidents of Brandenburg's universities on the one hand and individual development goals in a university-specific section on the other.

"The universities in the state of Brandenburg have emerged strengthened and with great confidence from the constructive university contract negotiations. Based on the recommendations of the Science Council, important further developments and course-setting measures for strengthening Brandenburg as a centre of science were agreed with the Ministry of Science. The introduction of a Brandenburg doctoral college at the universities of applied sciences, in which independent doctoral procedures can also be carried out and doctoral degrees awarded in future, will open up attractive and transparent career paths for young academics at UASs and make the research achievements at the UASs even more visible," said University President Matthias Barth.

In a development process lasting several years, the Brandenburg university system was assessed together with the German Council of Science and Humanities, the most important science policy advisory body in Germany, and recommendations for further development were presented. Based on this, the following decisions were made to sharpen HNEE's profile:

To carry out further development of the university organisation.
To carry out strategic internationalisation that takes into account the academic success and prospects of international students.
To remain a successful research university in the long term.
To develop the expansion of scientific research and formats for sustainability transfer.
To organise the further development of the range of courses on offer and a reform of the quality assurance system.
To further develop lifelong learning programmes.
To drive forward the expansion and upgrading of the technical infrastructure and digital support structures.
To continue the "Good Work" model at HNEE.

HNEE is a high-impact university with a consistent and holistic focus on sustainability and a national reputation. This unique selling proposition must be consistently developed and sharpened. To this end, HNEE will continue to expand its interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research strength through research-supporting structures and the targeted promotion of young scientists. In addition, by establishing new and further developing existing programmes, it will continue to sharpen its sustainability claim in the area of study and further education and thus create a distinctive portfolio in the future. With the introduction of a department-school structure, HNEE will also continue to develop structurally in order to be optimally positioned for the coming years.

Further information can be found at:

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