The workshop series International Dialogue on Education Berlin is a joint initiative of the British Council Germany, the German Academic Exchange Service, the German-American Fulbright Commission, the Australian Group of Eight and the Canadian Bureau for International Education in Berlin.
Through the contributions of international participants the series aims to enrich the debate on science, research and higher education policy in Germany, to place German perspectives in a global context and to learn from positive examples from other countries.
Monday, 11 October 2010, Ludwig-Erhard-Haus in Berlin
For some time the discussions on reforming postdoctoral careers in Germany have focussed on the following issues; early independence, clear and well-structured career paths, increasing flexibility in and diversity of qualification requirements.
Despite the introduction of assistant / associate professorships (Juniorprofessur) and the removal of the obligatory second phase (Habilitation) the German system is still viewed critically by its young academics who continue to regard Anglo-American universities as a highly attractive alternative.
The seventh conference in the ID-E Berlin series examined the challenges facing postdoctoral careers in global academia. A detailed understanding of the different systems and new developments was elicited from participating speakers from Australia, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Three central questions guided the conference proceedings:
