The Wissenschaftsrat

Functions

The Wissenschaftsrat is an advisory body to the Federal Government and the state (Länder) governments. Its function is to draw up recommendations on the development of higher education institutions, science and the research sector as regards content and structure, as well as on the construction of new universities. These recommendations involve considerations concerning quantitative and financial effects and the implementation of such considerations; they must be in line with the requirements of social, cultural and economic life.

The Wissenschaftsrat issues recommendations and prepares reports which primarily concern the two major fields of science policy, namely

• the scientific institutions (universities, higher technical colleges and extra-university research institutions), in particular their structure and performance, development and financing, and
  
  
• general questions relating to the system of higher education, selected structural aspects of research and teaching as well as management of specific fields and disciplines.