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Most Berlin Universities Sign Scaled-Back Funding Deals After Budget Reversal

The revised agreements trade smaller annual increases for the state taking over pension liabilities.

Overview

  • The amended contracts set roughly 3–3.5% yearly increases through 2028, replacing the 5% rises agreed in 2024.
  • TU Berlin’s outgoing president, Geraldine Rauch, did not attend the signing after publicly opposing the terms, with a separate appointment expected.
  • Universities will remove about 10–14% of roughly 170,000 study places and target around 2,300 teacher-training graduates annually instead of 2,500.
  • Berlin will assume all pension liabilities for university civil servants from early 2026, add €62 million in 2027–28, channel about €156 million via a solidarity model, and pursue a university construction company.
  • A court decision on the Hauptstadtzulage could create about €30 million in annual costs not covered by the contracts, and the science senator has signaled she will seek a remedy.