Professorial salaries must reflect performance, say university leaders

Leaders of Germany’s universities have called for the continuation of a system that allows them to set professorial salaries according to performance.

The German Rector’s Conference (HRK0 has criticised a decision by the Bundesverfassungsgericht, Germany’s constitutional court, which ruled in February that the so-called W2-salary law is against Germany’s constitution, as the basic salary for professors is too low. During a meeting on 12 June the HRK called on the government to maintain the general structure of the W2 law, but adapt basic salaries after consulting universities.