Universities and student representatives fear there will be staff cuts, particularly in terms of staff, as a result of the state government’s austerity plans. “In the medium term, the cuts will mainly impact the personnel structure – both in professorships and mid-level academic staff, especially in terms of temporary employment relations,” the chairman of the Conference of State Rectors in North Rhine-Westphalia and Chancellor of the University of Münster, Johannes Wessels, told the “Rheinische Post” (Tuesday).
“Staff reductions will inevitably have a real impact on the already poor student-teacher ratio, teaching capacity and, as a result, on the range of subjects on offer,” he stressed. Service areas such as student guidance, internationalization, or IT security should also be reduced. With funds due to be withdrawn as early as January 1, 2026, some universities have also had to postpone construction projects, halt investments and postpone research projects.
The background is the discussion of the upcoming 2026 APBN which will be held in the state parliament starting Wednesday. According to the black-green state government’s plan, the basic funding of universities will be reduced by 120 million euros. According to the Ministry of Science, this amount is equivalent to almost 2.3 percent of universities’ basic funding of five billion euros planned for 2026. Universities have criticized the cuts for weeks.
Students also worry about worsening learning conditions: “We are losing the positions of student assistants and research assistants,” Katrin Greiner from the state of Astentreffen in North Rhine-Westphalia told “Rheinische Post”. There will also be more students per seminar. He also warned that limiting counseling services could lead to hardship and social injustice. “This is the hardest blow for those who do not come from an academic background.”
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