"Hesse's competitive strength depends largely on the innovative capabilities of our universities They are the drivers of innovation", stated state premier Volker Bouffier at the signing of the Higher Education Pact in Wiesbaden on March 11, 2020. The state is providing a total of 11.2 billion euros in funding to the 14 institutions of higher education during this period. Bouffier continued: "Every cent invested here is important for the future of our state because today's research findings provide solutions to the challenges of the future."
Scientists at Hochschule Geisenheim are also tackling key challenges in their teaching and research projects: climate change, sustainable food production and logistics and the conservation of biodiversity and cultural landscapes. "Against this background, the sharp increase in what is referred to as the basic budget, i.e. the non-performance-related core funding, is one of the most important features in the current Higher Education Pact. It brings with it a high degree of planning security and reliability", says President of Hochschule Geisenheim University, Professor Hans Reiner Schultz.
Referring to the main objectives of the Pact, Schultz emphasized the already strong status quo at the University, especially in teaching and networking with industry practitioners. "Compared to other universities in Germany, Hochschule Geisenheim Universtiy has always had an above-average student-lecturer ratio in terms of the number of professorships to the number of students. Continuously improving the quality of study and teaching as well as establishing innovative ways of working together with various partners from the fields of research and industry are part of our philosophy", added Schultz. Practical relevance is also an essential component of the Geisenheim degree programs covering all aspects of food and beverages with a focus on viticulture, crops and ecology. In the coming months, Hochschule Geisenheim will be intensifying efforts to introduce new dual study schemes. It also intends to continue to promote access to higher education for professionally qualified people, i.e. young people with an intermediate school leaving certificate who have successfully completed vocational training.
Thanks to the new pact, Hochschule Geisenheim University will benefit in particular from the financial resources that the state has made available to refurbish buildings and improve energy efficiency over the next few years. A key concern of the state government is promoting ecological sustainability; in this respect, institutions of higher education and universities are called upon to make a substantial contribution to ensuring that Hessen becomes climate-neutral by 2050. They have committed to reducing greenhouse gas and CO2 emissions by at least ten percent by the end of the term of the Higher Education Pact solely by implementing operational and organizational measures. In order to integrate these sustainability targets more firmly with its teaching and studies, Hochschule Geisenheim University is establishing a tenure-track professorship in the field of sustainability sciences.
