Conference review: “Research work at Universities of Applied Sciences: Different from other types of university work?”

What sets universities of applied sciences apart from the rest? Is there in fact anything specific at all? To more closely examine these questions and others, representatives of various German universities of applied sciences met with members of the North Rhine-Westphalian Doctoral Research Programme and the German Council of Science and Humanities at the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), held at the event centre of Ruhr University Bochum on 19th March 2024. More than 60 guests, including university administrators, researchers and those responsible for research, discussed the future of research at Germany’s universities of applied sciences.

Professor Jörg Bagdahn, President of Anhalt University of Applied Sciences and UAS Speaker at the German Rectors’ Conference, summarised the results of the conference in his closing remarks: “With the massive increase in research and the exercise of the right to award doctorates, universities of applied sciences and standard universities have indentified a definite need to change the status-quo. At the same time, these developments provide great benefits to the science system and society as a whole.” He added that the key is now to further develop this process confidently and in a reflected manner.