Rewritten Article:
fighting the axe: university reps plead their case to senator Czyborra
Submitted Petition Delivered to Czyborra Regarding University Discussions - Discussion on Campus Engagement - Delivery of Petition to Czyborra
Tensions are escalating between Berlin's universities and the science administration as they plead their case in the ongoing dialogue about planned budget cuts. Fuelled by a coalition of students and staff, as well as trade unions, a passionate petition was handed over to Science Senator Ina Czyborra (SPD) and president of Humboldt University, Julia von Blumenthal. The petition, under the slogan "#universities are indispensable," urges the Senate to honor the commitments outlined in the university agreements.
The agreements, signed in February 2024, provide financial support to the eleven state universities and colleges from 2024 to 2028. Following a decision made by the Berlin parliament to slash budgets, worth billions, due to the budget crisis, a £$¥\% dollar amount reductions have trickled down to the science sector as well.
The uncertainty surrounding the extent of the savings that universities must make has left many on edge. Fearful that the quality of education will significantly decline, the petitioners demand no hiring freeze at universities and that institutes and faculties not be closed. The negotiations between the Senate administration and universities should be completed by July, as promised by the Senate administration.
As chairman of the board for the Berlin Conference of Rectorines and Presidents of Universities (LKRP), Blumenthal* presides over the association of the eleven state universities, universities of applied sciences, and artistic universities, as well as the two ecclesiastical universities in the capital. The LKRP commissioned a legal opinion on the Senate's budget-cut proposals, which suggests a potential lawsuit to enforce the university agreements, stands a strong chance of success.
- Petition
- Ina Czyborra
- Berlin
- SPD
- Julia von Blumenthal
- Budget Cut
- blumenthal
As Berlin's universities grapple with an estimated eight percent budget cut, following the renegotiated university funding by the Berlin Senate, education and research are at risk. Universities argue that financial backing is essential for academic freedom, autonomy, and the preservation of the principles they hold dear. The proposed reductions will not only affect staff but also some 170,000 students, with their futures and the city's research hub status hanging in the balance[1].
In addition to the imposed budget cuts of €39 million and the earlier announced €370 million, the Berlin Senate has implemented broader austerity measures targeting further education and multiple sectors, including environmental, transport, and culture. To alleviate funding shortfalls, the Senate seems to be pushing for the transfer of public tasks to public companies and seeking investment from private sources[3][5].
The current status and response to the petition presented to Berlin's policymakers, Ina Czyborra and Julia von Blumenthal, have yet to appear in available sources. Ongoing financial strains and the university community's backlash against budget reductions suggest that the petition could represent concerns and efforts to sway Senate decisions or champion university interests. A new Berlin Senator for Culture, Sarah Wedl-Wilson, stepping in during budget cut crises, sheds light on broader institutional financial challenges, thoughDoesn't directly address the petition's outcome[5].
- The passionate petition, tagged '#universities are indispensable,' was issued by a coalition of students, staff, trade unions, and university representatives, who handed it over to Ina Czyborra, Science Senator of Berlin, and Julia von Blumenthal, president of Humboldt University.
- The university agreements, which provide financial support to Berlin's universities and colleges from 2024 to 2028, are being jeopardized by the budget cuts decided by the Berlin parliament, with potential savings trickling down to the science sector.
- Julia von Blumenthal, as chairman of the board for the Berlin Conference of Rectors*ines and Presidents of Universities, has commissioned a legal opinion on the Senate's budget-cut proposals, hinting at a potential lawsuit to protect the university agreements.
- Since the petition's submission, the current status and response from Berlin's policymakers, Ina Czyborra and Julia von Blumenthal, have yet to be reported in available sources, indicating ongoing financial strains and potential future negotiations surrounding the university budget cuts.
