- 33 Promotionsstudiengänge in den Doktoratszentren in Hessen
Seit sieben Jahren können junge Forscher in Hessen auch an Fachhochschulen ihren Doktortitel erwerben. Bis zum Ende des vergangenen Jahres wurden an den ehemaligen Fachhochschulen erfolgreich 33 Promotionsverfahren abgeschlossen, wie die Antwort des Hessischen Ministeriums für Wissenschaft auf eine Kleine Anfrage der Grünen Fraktion im Landtag in Wiesbaden zeigt. Currently, there are 330 Promotionsverfahren in der Betreuung.
Since universities have been able to award doctoral degrees independently, seven doctoral centers have been established, three of which operate across universities. The doctoral center for Social Work has supervised 96 doctoral procedures and completed 19 promotions. The Applied Informatics center has supervised 93 procedures and completed 11 promotions, while the Sustainability center has supervised 27 procedures and completed one promotion.
In the fields of Engineering Sciences with a focus on Life Science Engineering and Public Health, 22 procedures and one completion each have been registered so far. In the Social Sciences, there have been 57 procedures, and 13 in the Mobility and Logistics center - none of which have been completed yet.
Das Hessische Ministerium für Wissenschaft bewertet die aktuelle Bilanz der Promotionszentren sehr positiv, wie ein Sprecher mitteilt. Das Recht, Promotionsabschlüsse zu vergeben, ermöglicht es Fachhochschulen, eigenes wissenschaftliches Talent auszubilden und generell ihre Attraktivität für wissenschaftliches Personal und Studierende zu erhöhen. "Das ist insbesondere vor dem Hintergrund des zunehmenden Wettbewerbs um die Besten wichtig."
The number of completed doctoral degrees so far should be seen in the context of the specific situation of the doctoral centers and general developments in science. "The doctoral centers are still quite young," the spokesperson explained. Four of them started in 2017, and three more were added in 2019 and 2020.
Therefore, the period covered by the current record is only five to seven years, the spokesperson clarified. "Within this period of operation, the majority of doctoral projects were not started at the time the centers were established, but rather began later in the centers' active period - also because the structures first needed to become known."
Constraints due to the Corona pandemic
Moreover, the often-assumed doctoral duration of three years in the academic system is an ideal type. "In reality, many doctoral projects often take much longer." Due to the Corona pandemic, which has significantly restricted research from 2020 to 2022 and continues to have an impact today, completing a doctoral degree in three years has become even more challenging for many ongoing projects. Overall, the number of completed doctoral degrees is within the expected range.
Hessen war das erste Bundesland, das seinen Fachhochschulen 2016 das Recht einräumte, in forschungsintensiven Bereichen den Doktortitel zu vergeben. Bisher war dies ausschließlich den Universitäten vorbehalten, die dies zunächst für diese Institutionen abgelehnt hatten, wie von der Landesregierung beschlossen.
The doctoral centers in Hesse, including the one for Social Work in Hessen, have been playing a significant role in the acquisition of doctoral degrees. The Ministry of Science in Hessen, located in Hesse, has reported a positive assessment of these centers' performance.
