Professors warn of widespread and unpunished ‘abuse of power’

Structures within German academia enable exploitation of lower-ranking members of staff, letter warns

Germany’s higher education system is prone to allowing abuses of power and failing to punish academics who overstep the mark, an open letter has warned.

The letter, signed by more than 130 academics from across the country, draws attention and demands solutions to abuses of power in academia. The structures of the German science system need to change to ensure equal opportunities and avoid misconduct, the letter says.