Saxony-Anhalt draft law opens door for applied science PhDs

Revised legislation also enforces gender balance on committees and simplifies startup funding

The state government in Saxony-Anhalt has agreed on a revised higher education law that would include a partial right for universities of applied sciences to award doctoral degrees.

The law is a compromise between traditional universities, who want to be the sole institutions that can train PhD students, and applied sciences universities who want a share of that right. The final agreement includes a partial right for applied universities to award doctorates in special circumstances.