Ten years of independent right to award doctoral degrees

Hesse broke new ground ten years ago: It was the first federal state to give its universities of applied sciences (UAS) the opportunity to obtain independent right to award doctoral degrees in research-intensive areas. Fulda University of Applied Sciences was the first HAW in Germany to be granted this law. At the invitation of the Hessian Minister of Science Timon Gremmels, the Hessian UASs celebrated the introduction of the independent right to award doctoral degrees at their universities and looked back on the successful model, which has now set a precedent in almost all federal states, at a panel discussion in Wiesbaden.

2016: Launch of the independent right to award doctoral degrees in Fulda
In 2016, the award of the independent right to award doctoral degrees to a UAS triggered a small revolution in the German higher education system. On 10 October 2016, Boris Rhein, then Minister of Science and now Minister President of the State of Hesse, presented Fulda University of Applied Sciences President Prof. Dr Karim Khakzar with the first certificate for the exercise of the independent right to award doctoral degrees at a German university of applied sciences. This enabled the doctoral research centre "Social Sciences with a specialisation in Globalisation, European Integration and Interculturality" to be established in Fulda. Fulda University of Applied Sciences was the first UAS in Germany to be authorised to award doctoral degrees.

Until then, the right to award doctoral degrees had been a privilege of traditional universities. Their resistance to the introduction was correspondingly fierce. The Hessian state government was not deterred by this, but as a precautionary measure provided for a time limit of five years with subsequent evaluation by an independent panel of experts. The high-calibre jury was managed by the former president of the German Research Foundation, Professor Matthias Kleiner. At the beginning of 2022, after an intensive examination, he certified"that viable structures for the supervision of high-quality doctoral degrees have been established in the supervised doctoral centres of the Hessian universities of applied research, and in a very short time". The evaluators spoke of a "remarkable achievement". The Hessian state government cancelled the right to award doctoral degrees.

Hesse's successful model a model for almost all federal states
The Hessian experiment had consequences for the entire German higher education system. After the review, almost all federal states followed the Hessian model. This Hessian success story was reason enough for Minister Gremmels to invite Presidential Board Offices, representatives of Hessian doctoral centres and state politicians as well as doctoral candidates to an anniversary celebration in Wiesbaden. "Universities of applied research develop solutions for specific challenges - whether in industry, the health system or the social sector - and contribute to bringing innovations into application more quickly. The right to award doctoral degrees and the associated research achievements of doctoral candidates strengthen this role," summarised Gremmels.

The words of welcome were followed by a panel discussion with a review of the last ten years, in which Gremmels was joined by the Chairman of the Evaluation Commission, Professor Matthias Kleiner, and the President of Fulda University, Professor Dr Karim Khakzar. As spokesperson for the Hessian UASs, Khakzar was in charge of lead-management at the time of the introduction of the right to award doctoral degrees and negotiated the framework conditions with the Ministry, which the other federal states were later to follow.

Around 300 doctoral students are currently conducting research at the eight Hessian doctoral centres at the five UASs. Fulda University of Applied Sciences currently has the most doctoral candidates with over 110.