Early Modern DiplomacyInstead of celebrating #WomensHistoryMonth and introducing you to another wonderful female #emdiplomacy historian, we want to talk about the legal working conditions in German and Austrian academia. (1)
On Friday, the German goverment published its plan to reform the infamous #WissZeitVG. In the current format it means, you have 6 years before and 6 years after the PhD. After that, if you didn’t get a permanent position, you are out. As there’re hardly any permanent jobs besides the professorships, you have to leave academia. (2)
About 80% of all the people in German academia are on non-permanent position. For the last two years, German researchers demanded to abolish this law and to introduce more permanent jobs. #IchBinHanna #IchBinReyhan #ResearchWonderland #WissZeitVG #WissSystemFehler (3)
The situation in Austria is very similar. Here it’s called §109 of the #UgNovelle. In it’s current version that worsened the situation significantly, it was introduced last year. Here we have 4 years before and after the PhD. #IchBinHannaAT #FristIstFrust #109MussWeg (4)
The reformplans of the German government now aim for 6 + 3 years. Meaning if you have no permanent position after 3 years, you’re out. The goverment says introducing limits for non-permanency would lead to more permanent positions. It won’t. The universities must be obliged to introduce them. As long as they don't have to make them permanent, they won't, whether after 12 or 3 years. #WissZeitVG (5)
What makes German researchers so angry (besides that the new #WissZeitVG would make their situation significantly worse), is that the goverment sells their reform as improving their situation.
The proposals formulated in the key points paper worsen the situation for #IchBinHanna & #IchBinReyhan and will further exacerbate social exclusivity in academia and prevent equality and more diversity. #classmatters (6)
The proposals formulated in the key points paper worsen the situation for #IchBinHanna & #IchBinReyhan and will further exacerbate social exclusivity in academia and prevent equality and more diversity. #classmatters (6)
Almost everyone in German academia knows that. So, for the first time a significant number of professors openly takes side with their non-permanent colleagues and voices their discontent.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1orgaZDC04YoH2PtDJBP5Ko1DgP-IWFIFPt8Ch3CDRME/edit
#ProfsForHanna ProfsFor Reyhan (7)
Nivellierung statt Novellierung: Kritik an der geplanten Reform des WissZeitVG aus Sicht der Profs_19_3_23
Nivellierung statt Novellierung: Kritik an der geplanten Reform des WissZeitVG aus Sicht der Professorinnen und Professoren 19.3.2023 Social Media: #WissZeitVG #ProfsfürHanna #ProfsfürReyhan WENN SIE ALS TENURE / TT PROF ZEICHNEN WOLLEN, TUN SIE DIES ÜBER https://ipz.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV...
The #WissZeitVG not only affects employment & personal fates, it will also affect research. Who will still conduct risky research? Who will have time for the innovations that the German (or for that matter the Austrian) government has been praying for?
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Under the new #WissZeitVG, we would not have been able to do a project such as the #emdiplomacy handbook. We would have to focus exclusively on our 2nd book. This book would be superficial, as we would not have the time to conduct our research properly. We would not have found any authors (at least not from Germany/ Austria), as they would have to prioritise on important papers for the habil, while the profs would be busy finding new Postdocs & administrating the collapsing system. (9)
Before we started with the #handbook, we applied for funding for a research-network. For this the DFG required that one of us need atleast a 3 years-contract, otherwise we could not have applied. Moreover, the number of proposed network members on fix-termed contracts should not be too high – how should this work with the #WissZeitVG in a system with almost no permanent positions? Under the proposed changes it would even get worse. This is true for networks and for other projects as well. (10)
The #WissZeitVG and #UgNovelle reform will change research in Germany and Austria profoundly. It will affect personal lifes as well as the subjects and the way research is conducted. It will favour white male researchers with a priviledged background, because everyone else just can’t afford to do it. This will limit the questions asked. (11)
And even these few who try to survive the system, won’t be able to work properly. Everything has to go quickly. But all research needs time. Research needs cooperations, but such a system only nourished competition.
#WissZeitVG #UgNovelle (12)
#WissZeitVG #UgNovelle (12)
We are both very priviledged. We both left the German system. @dorotheegoetze quite recently went to Sweden where she has a permanent position as assistant professor in history.
@LenaOetzel went to Austria. Here she was lucky enough to get one of the tenure-positions before the reform of the #UgNovelle. Under the current §109 this would not have been possible. (13)
@LenaOetzel went to Austria. Here she was lucky enough to get one of the tenure-positions before the reform of the #UgNovelle. Under the current §109 this would not have been possible. (13)
The brain drain abroad will increase with the reform of #WissZeitVG and #UgNovelle, #hannagehtinsausland. Germany and Austria will lose their attractiveness as science and business locations. But the brain drain also favours already privileged groups without visa restrictions or care obligations (#IchBinReyhan). The waste of taxpayers' money associated with brain drain and drop out will therefore continue to increase. (14)
At the moment @LenaOetzel @dorotheegoetze and Jan Süselbeck prepare a statement about the impacts of the proposed reform of the #WissZeitVG from the perspective of #IchBinHanna and #IchBinReyhan abroad (#HannaGehtInsAusland). If you like to contribute to or to sign this statement please get in touch! And boost! (15)
If you want to know more about the disasters of German and Austrian research please read: #IchBinHanna #IchBinReyhan #IchBinHannaAT #researchWonderland #WissSystemFehler #WissZeitVG #109MussWeg #unterbau
And follow:
@NGAWiss
@JenniferHenke
@historiavocis
and many others here on mastodon! (16)