The universities of applied sciences in Saxony-Anhalt have been able to award doctoral degrees for around a year. The interest is great. The first works have already been approved.
Magdeburg (dpa/sa) - About a year after the start, the opportunity for young scientists to do a doctorate at the universities of applied sciences in Saxony-Anhalt is being well used. The Ministry of Science in Magdeburg announced on request that 28 doctoral students had been admitted to the doctoral centers of the four universities. Her research work leads to a PhD.
Minister Armin Willingmann was satisfied. "I assume that there will be significantly more in the coming years," said the SPD politician.
According to the Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, there is great interest in doing a doctorate. For the first time, an academic career can be continued at the university. "The young scientists and the associated know-how remain at the university and in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, which is particularly important in view of the demographic change and the massive shortage of skilled workers," said a spokesman. Numerous consultations are currently being held at the university.
A spokeswoman said that many students and graduates of the Harz University of Applied Sciences were also interested in the topic. Overall, the right to confer doctorates increases reputation and makes universities in Saxony-Anhalt more attractive. The interest does not only come from our own students, there are also many inquiries from all over Germany and abroad, according to the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences.
Since May 2021, doctoral students in Saxony-Anhalt have been able to do their doctorate not only at universities, but also at research-intensive universities of applied sciences. The federal state is therefore one of the pioneers in the German scientific landscape, said Willingmann. The basis for this is the new Higher Education Act from 2020. According to this, certain areas of the four universities of applied sciences - the universities of Anhalt, Harz, Magdeburg-Stendal and Merseburg - or mergers of different university areas can be awarded the right to award doctorates. Hesse first introduced a similar right to award doctorates for universities of applied sciences in 2016, and North Rhine-Westphalia followed suit in 2019.
Two of the five doctoral centers in the state work across universities. This contributes to stronger networking among each other, said the spokeswoman for the Harz University of Applied Sciences. According to the Ministry of Science, a prerequisite for the establishment and approval of a doctoral center is that there are sufficient professors available for supervision. Currently, 87 professors are involved in the centers nationwide.
