The direction of the dispute : Economists warn of one-sided orientation of the HWR Berlin

the Berlin school of Economics and law (HWR) argue for months about the alignment of your business discipline area (we reported). In an open letter, the social-ecological coalition of the HWR as well as the nationwide network of apply now Plural Economics at the HWR-President Andreas Zaby, to the Dean of the faculty of Otto von Camphausen, to the Secretary of state for science Steffen noise and to the Public:
"the University of Economics and law, Berlin is unique. In particular, the Economics Department stands out for the interdisciplinary Curriculum, plural curricula, a wide range of Economics-theory schools and its strong relation to practice with diverse research opportunities. For decades, the HWR is for many students and Researchers a place of free science, of the important social stimulus.
However, currently this uniqueness in teaching and research in question. There are increasing signs of a Depluralisierung of the Economics Department at the HWR, as it has been since the seventies at many German universities. The balance between the various economic flows, which established the progressive nature of the HWR, threatens to be lost.

Not only the gender research weakened

would be Particularly dramatic, and the risk of multiple professorships and courses of study that ensure academic diversity within the school of Economics and law over the years. In the areas of social policy and distribution, Gender, and Sustainable Economy, a reasonable replacement of the professorships is prevented. This has consequences for the economic doctrine. A total of three international and plural-oriented degree programmes. The interdisciplinary Harriet Taylor Mill Institute for Economics and gender research would be weakened.
In recent years, was repeatedly forced with questionable methods trusted in the pioneering bodies in a substantive realignment of the Department of Economics at the HWR. The decision-making culture has changed from a more consensus - and compromise-oriented procedures to the majority decision, in which the large minorities are increasingly being ignored. This one-sidedness has led to numerous personnel decisions and the selection of teaching content to an unfortunate thematic narrowing.
All of this is very unfortunate. In view of the increasingly complex relationships, it is essential to meet these with a wide range of methods, ideas and theories. Also in large Parts of the economy and policy, this is arrived in the meantime. To accompany the necessary adaptation of our economic system to address global challenges such as climate change, just need students of the economic Sciences, skills in issues of sustainability, social inequality, and international relations. The same is true for the ability of different perspectives to work on an interdisciplinary basis and to interpret the differing results as appropriate.

social issues in the Bachelor's address

In this spirit, we demand that at the HWR societal issues will get in the bachelor's programme, more attention and with the appropriate theory schools from across the spectrum of Economics, processed. In particular, interdisciplinary courses such as International Economics or Political Economy play a special role and should not be due to a shift in the elective area will be marginalized. Quantitative methods, qualitative and institutionalist analysis, reflection, and reasoning ability are all to a good economy, scientific education, and must not be played off against each other.
in Addition, it is essential that in controversial fields, Professor*teach in, the different methodological approaches dominate. Only in this way, students can develop the necessary awareness of the fact that there are ways to go within the Economics different approach and learn to compare the productive and critical to each other. To achieve this, should be strengthened diversity within the teaching body.

Controversy address

For the conservation of a diverse faculty of Economics at the HWR requires a transformation of the decision-making bodies. Students should have a stronger voice and opinions of large minorities to be better taken into account. Appellate and research Commission should have equal representation and transparency of decision-making processes be increased as a whole.
We are in favour of the ongoing moderation process. He must, however, lead to a real change in thinking and ensure that the decision of the Board of Trustees of the HWR from the 8. November, in the explicit ,maintaining and strengthening the successful diverse profile of the faculty of Economics' calls for real action to follow.
The orientation of a state educational institution as the school of Economics and law is a public matter. How University teaching should look like, it is always a question of how the company imagines education. The bag Bacher consensus, a basic document of the political education in Germany, teaches that What is in the science and policy communities, it must also appear in the classroom controversial.’ This motto applies more than ever for the economic Sciences, in the business for over ten years, the Calls for more plurality louder. We sincerely hope that those responsible at the HWR of these future-oriented developments in time.“