The German higher education system provides another quality. It not only offers a particularly large number of higher education institutions and has truly elite universities among them. It is also distinguished by a very special quality that can be described as a unique selling point worldwide: There are also elite universities in other countries but usually these universities also have very poor offerings elsewhere. In Germany, every university offers a programme of study at a high level.
In that sense, there is no university that offers truly miserable courses. The hurdles you have to overcome in Germany to become a professor at a German university are too high for that. In addition, German universities have an internal quality management system that guarantees good study programmes. Finally, there are external agencies that also closely examine the study programmes. The overall result is a quality at all universities that enjoys a good reputation worldwide. Germany can be proud of this special quality. Instead of working towards differentiating the various universities with excellence initiatives and other measures, we should focus on this important quality.
It is what distinguishes the German higher education system worldwide. We can be proud of this quality and should make it the basis of every higher education policy decision. The targeted promotion of basic funding and the safeguarding of existing quality have also been promoted by many decisive measures in recent years. However, as with all other political decisions, there are fierce disputes about the best possible use of the money available. Some people advocate the targeted promotion of elite universities, other rectors advocate broad-based promotion and a good general basis. Who advocates what probably also has to do with the location from which someone comes. In any case, however, the high quality of German universities has so far been maintained. Germany is admired by many academics around the world for this. But students also like to do an exchange semester in Germany. Here they can simply be sure that they will be offered the appropriate quality locally.
The special research achievements of German professors also give the German higher education system an excellent reputation. Teaching staff at German universities are also well networked internationally. They collaborate in a wide variety of research projects and advance important studies. German academics are always welcomed to work together here because of their special thoroughness and comprehensive education. Many elite universities from the USA therefore also work together with researchers from Heidelberg or Berlin.
Last updated on 6. February 2023