Berlin’s institutions of higher education face significant budget cuts totaling over €140 million for the 2025 fiscal year, prompting concerns about the city’s future competitiveness and talent pool. The cuts, announced by the Berlin Senate, are expected to necessitate reductions of 10 to 15 percent in the number of available study places, the elimination of numerous professorships and potentially the closure of entire academic departments.
Further limiting the outlook, funding for 2026/2027 will also be lower than initially promised by the state in 2024. A crucial decision regarding the universities’ commitment to a new financing plan stretching to 2027 is scheduled for Wednesday.
In a joint appeal published in “Tagesspiegel”, Sebastian Stietzel, entrepreneur and President of the Berlin Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK Berlin), Juri Rappsilber, Professor of Bioanalytics at the Technical University of Berlin and Günter M. Ziegler, President of the Free University of Berlin and spokesperson for the Berlin University Alliance, have urged the Senate to reconsider the cuts.
Stietzel cautioned against the potential long-term economic consequences of prioritizing short-term savings, warning that reduced study places could lead to a scarcity of qualified personnel for Berlin-based companies.
Professor Rappsilber expressed hope that the challenging circumstances could stimulate necessary reform, advocating for accelerated digitalization, bureaucratic streamlining, improved governance structures and a shift in mindset towards innovation and development within the universities. He stressed the need for collaborative partnerships and reduced bureaucratic hurdles.
Günter M. Ziegler criticized the Senate’s proposed double budget for 2026/27, pointing out the continued strain on university finances and the resulting need to curtail programs and shrink their scope. He questioned the feasibility of demanding increased quality from institutions facing such significant cuts, suggesting that Berlin risks forfeiting opportunities to leverage its strengths.