The corona and climate crisis pose huge challenges for all of us. At the same time, important tax revenues collapse. That is why we really have to invest in our future now. The pandemic has shown us how much we depend on innovative research that has brought us new vaccines, for example. Funding cuts in the areas of science and education are therefore the wrong way to go!
For the cultural, economic and political vitality and attractiveness of the state of Bremen, the promotion of the science location plays a central role. That is why we as the Greens have been working intensively in recent years to ensure that universities are well equipped, with more investment funds, a moderate increase in basic equipment, stabilization of employment relationships and an improvement in the living and learning situation of students.
However, if you take into account the simultaneous increase in students in Bremen, it becomes clear that these successes are not enough. The average funding per student is below the national average. We are also lagging behind the other federal states in terms of staff and supervisory relationships, investments and teaching rooms. We as Greens want to change that in the long term!
The fact that Bremen as a science location can still keep up with other, better financed university locations is primarily thanks to the enormous commitment of all employees in the scientific community. The universities of the State of Bremen are extremely successful in raising federal and third-party funding. So far the disadvantages of the basic financing could be compensated. However, project funds of this kind do not sustainably finance the state’s scientific institutions and infrastructures.
It was therefore the aim of the Science Plan 2025 to enable reliable planning. On the basis of this objective, the state’s universities have established their structural planning. Therefore, together with the universities, we now have to look for ways in which the science location Bremen can be maneuvered through the corona crisis and its future can be secured. The 2025 Science Plan must be the guideline. Advance payments and processes started by the universities, which were carried out in reliance on the Science Plan 2025, must be taken into account.
Planning security is the order of the day!
Specifically, this means:
1. The 420 million that have been promised so far are not sufficient for adequate science funding. As the Greens, we therefore advocate significantly higher allocations of funds.
2. We demand that, in addition to the draft budget, threatened closings of courses and a deterioration in the support situation or the conditions of employment are prevented. An additional instrument for funding beyond the science budget is the Bremen Fund, which is available, for example, for renovation measures in the university sector. If urgent investments in buildings and infrastructure are financed quickly and reliably from the Bremen Fund, budget funds for other tasks in the basic budgets of the universities are released. With these funds, courses of study and projects can be secured and scope created to plan the future of our scientific landscape sustainably and with the involvement of those involved.
3. The science department is now responsible for an honest inventory and clear communication with the universities. As Greens, we stand by the side of science and demand from the science department
- (1) That it is quickly examined which renovation measures in the university sector can be financed through the Bremen Fund to secure the future.
- (2) that the components of the Science Plan 2025 are prioritized together with the universities and the coalition groups in such a way that planning security is created and secured what has already been established.
4. We need an open and nationwide discussion about sustainable science funding in Germany. So far, the financial resources of the federal states have largely determined the equipment of their universities. It is time to break new ground here, because the pandemic will leave its mark on Bremen and raise issues of distribution not only in Germany, but also worldwide.
For us Greens it is therefore clear that fundamentally instruments for sustainable financing and stronger support for science and education must also be discussed with federal funds. Even financially weak countries must be put in a position to finally achieve the target set at the Dresden Education Summit for 2015 of investing 3% of GDP in science and research and 7% in education.
It is about nothing less than the question of how we can shape a society worth living in together with future generations. Right now, educational opportunities, infrastructure and prospects for young people must not fall victim to a budget crisis.
BÜNDNIS 90 / DIE GRÜNEN Bremen State Board, LAG Science and Green Youth Bremen
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