”Easing of the prohibition of cooperation is of historical importance to German science and opens up extraordinary opportunities for the further development of our university system and for Germany as a location of research,” the President of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Professor Holger Hanselka, says. “Science is a global and not a federal topic. The potential of this structural commitment of the Federation opens up new opportunities for German institutions as regards the orientation of research and education in international competition. The resources can be tailored optimally to the needs and synergies can be made use of across locations.“ In the opinion of Hanselka, easing the prohibition of cooperation will enable the Federation to support relations between universities and non-university institutions more strongly than before. “Establishment of the KIT as a unique model has profoundly changed the German research system,” Hanselka emphasizes. “We are very happy that also other institutions will now be able to follow this example. For the KIT, this political decision means the chance to reduce still existing administrative obstacles, such as the separation of the flows of funds. This will give us more room for action.”
As a result of the amendment of Article 91b of the German Constitution, the Federation will be in the position to permanently fund individual universities and institutes in the future. So far, this has only been possible under special programs and dedicated projects of e.g. the Excellence Initiative.
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.