The German higher education system is facing a massive personnel shift in the coming years. This is evident from an analysis published on Wednesday by the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHE).
According to the analysis, at least 2,000 professors in Germany will reach the age of 65 every year from 2029 to 2033. In subjects like Evangelical Theology, more than half of the professorship is expected to retire by 2033.
“In the next ten years, more than 40 percent of professorships in Germany will need to be refilled due to demographic changes” said CHE researcher Frank Ziegele. “This generational change with the corresponding recruitment and selection processes costs time and money. Personnel changes must not be used as an excuse for cost-cutting measures” said the head of the CHE.
The analysis of the age data from the Federal Statistical Office also shows large differences at the level of federal states, types of higher education institutions and ownership, as well as in subject groups and fields of teaching and research. The percentage of professors who are expected to reach the age of 65 by 2033 is highest at 55 percent in pedagogical universities. Private universities of applied sciences or HAW, on the other hand, have a significantly younger staff with a quote of 34 percent.