A hearing in the Saxon State Parliament on 5 October 2026 gave HAW and external experts the opportunity to present their arguments
The Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK Leipzig) has reiterated its call to the Saxon State Parliament for the introduction of independent doctoral degree-awarding powers for universities of applied sciences (HAW) in Saxony.
The Rector of HTWK Leipzig, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jean-Alexander Müller, had the opportunity to present his arguments in favour of this during a public hearing held by the Committee on Science, Higher Education, Media, Culture and Tourism.
The hearing was entitled ‘Removing the obstacle to growth for Saxony as a centre for research and business – introducing independent doctoral degree-awarding powers for universities of applied sciences (HAW)’. It stems from a motion by the Alliance 90/The Greens (Parliamentary Paper 8/7203) dated June 2026. This motion addresses key questions: What is the state of Saxony’s research strength? What practical experiences do researchers at the universities of applied sciences have? And what opportunities is the Free State missing out on due to the current regulations?
During the hearing, Prof. Müller’s arguments were supported by contributions from his counterparts, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kratzsch, Rector of Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, and Prof. Dr. Volker Tolkmitt, Rector of Mittweida University of Applied Sciences.
Prof. Dr Christian Facchi, Head of the Doctoral School at Ingolstadt University of Technology, and Steve Federow from the semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries also spoke in favour of independent doctoral degree-awarding powers.
In contrast, Prof. Dr Ursula M. Staudinger, Rector of TU Dresden, pointed to the existing option of co-optation, which allows professors from universities of applied sciences to be affiliated with university faculties in order to exercise the right to award doctorates there. This new system should first be given a thorough trial, according to Staudinger.
The HTWK Leipzig is one of the universities of applied sciences in Germany with strong external funding and research capabilities
Key arguments put forward by supporters: Saxony’s universities of applied sciences already possess the quality and capacity to supervise doctoral candidates. The lack of independent doctoral supervision rights is a competitive disadvantage for Saxony – both for the academic system and for the Free State’s economic development.
The independent expert Ulrich Müller, Head of Political Analysis at the CHE Centre for Higher Education Development, fully shared this view: “By the end of the year, Lower Saxony will also have amended its Higher Education Act. Saxony will then stand alone without doctoral rights for universities of applied sciences. That would be a serious competitive disadvantage for the state. Saxony should not permanently deny its universities of applied sciences something that would help them to further advance research-intensive areas,” said Ulrich Müller. Overall, he expressed surprise at the state of the debate in Saxony. He pointed out that the right of universities of applied sciences to award doctorates has long been accepted outside the Free State of Saxony, and that independent doctoral programmes at universities of applied sciences in other federal states meet very high quality standards.
Saxony’s universities of applied sciences are already among the strongest in Germany and make a significant contribution to the Saxon economy.
HTWK Rector Müller: “HTWK Leipzig is one of the universities of applied sciences in Germany with the highest levels of third-party funding and research activity. Our graduates are in high demand on the labour market because they already bring practical experience to the table.
We transfer two key assets: one is the results of our research; the other is our talented staff: those funded by external grants – and, above all, our PhD students – take these results directly into Saxon companies.”
Several speakers point out that there are also numerous subjects at universities of applied sciences that have no equivalent at traditional universities, which makes it difficult to find cooperation partners or faculties willing to collaborate.
Professors at HTWK Leipzig have been supervising a steadily growing number of PhD candidates for years. Currently, for the first time, more than 100 researchers are pursuing their doctorates simultaneously at HTWK Leipzig in collaboration with a university. For the past ten years, the GradZ Graduate Centre at HTWK Leipzig has been supporting prospective doctoral candidates and those already undertaking their doctorates with all matters relating to their research projects.
Background to the demand
To date, Saxony’s universities of applied sciences (HAWs) are not legally permitted to offer doctoral programmes independently. They may only do so in cooperation with a university. The Saxony State Rectors’ Conference (LRK) has also created the possibility for professors from universities of applied sciences to be co-opted into university faculties, thereby enabling them to exercise the right to award doctorates.
However, this is not enough for the universities of applied sciences in Saxony, as this model means they remain dependent on the goodwill of the universities.
Saxony is now the only federal state that still denies its universities of applied sciences the right to award doctorates independently.
Jean-Alexander Müller emphasises that this hinders the recruitment of outstanding researchers in the early stages of their careers, as well as the development of research networks, and makes it more difficult to transfer innovations to industry and society. Small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, which cannot maintain their own research departments, benefit from application-oriented doctoral programmes locally, ideally through direct cooperation.
“As a practice-oriented university of applied sciences, HTWK Leipzig is already involved in a wide range of research networks and, through applied research, generates concrete solutions for society and regional businesses. Independent doctoral programmes would further strengthen these activities. HTWK Leipzig is convinced that independent doctoral programme authorisation at universities of applied sciences would significantly boost research and knowledge transfer potential. We will continue to campaign for this,” Müller emphasises.
