Ten Years of Doctoral Centres in Hesse

On 12 May 2026, a ceremonial event was held at the Museum Wiesbaden at the initiative of the Hessian Ministry for Science and Research, Arts and Culture (HMWK) to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the doctoral centres in Hesse. Under the title “Ten Years of the Right to Award Doctorates at Universities of Applied Sciences in Hesse: Past, Present and Future,” the state government invited representatives from the participating universities and doctoral centres to attend the event. 

As one of the first doctoral centres established in this context, the Fulda Graduate Centre for Social Sciences (Department of Social and Cultural Sciences) was also represented by a delegation consisting of Prof. Dr. Eva Gerharz (Head of Centre), Prof. Dr. Kirsten Nazarkiewicz (Deputy Head), Dr. Sebastian Garbe (Scientific Coordinator), and Shafiqullah Shafiq (doctoral researcher and HessenFonds scholarship holder). 

Following a welcome address by State Minister Timon Gremmels, a panel discussion took place with Dr. Christine Burtscheidt (HMWK), Prof. Dr. Uta Gaidys (German Council of Science and Humanities), Timon Gremmels (HMWK), Prof. Dr. Karim Khakzar (Fulda University of Applied Sciences and Chair of HAW Hessen), Prof. Dr. Matthias Kleiner (former President of the German Research Foundation, DFG), and Prof. Dr. Alexandra Zein (graduate of the Doctoral Centre in Social Work and currently at Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences). The discussion focused on assessing achievements to date, identifying current challenges, and exploring future perspectives for the right to award doctorates at Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW). 

In his opening remarks, Minister Timon Gremmels emphasised that granting HAW in Hesse an independent right to award doctorates has triggered a profound and sustainable structural transformation of the state’s research landscape. As a result, research activities at the participating institutions have been significantly strengthened, new research fields and strategic profiles have emerged, and the of HAW in addressing societal, technological, and economic challenges has grown considerably. 

During the panel, participants highlighted key priorities such as safeguarding academic quality, expanding doctoral programmes, strengthening research cooperation, and further developing networks among HAW with doctoral-awarding powers. In this context, Prof. Dr. Karim Khakzar, President of Fulda University of Applied Sciences and one of the initiators of the independent doctoral-awarding right for HAW in Hesse, stressed that creating appropriate framework conditions for doctoral training makes a substantial contribution to strengthening the higher education system as a whole. It was also emphasised that HAW-specific research areas - often not covered at traditional universities - can make an important contribution to scientific knowledge production beyond a purely application-oriented focus. The continued success of this development, the panel concluded, will depend on strengthening mid-level academic staff structures, increasing financial resources, and expanding joint programmes and funding initiatives at both federal and state level.