On 8 December 2021, Bettina Stark-Watzinger was appointed and sworn in as Germany’s new Federal Minister of Education and Research. Subsequently, she took over from her predecessor Anja Karliczek during a ceremony at the Ministry’s Berlin Office.

“The 8th of December 2021 is an important day for me,” Stark-Watzinger said. The 53-year-old economist has ambitious plans for the coming legislative term. Her work will be based on the Coalition Agreement. The Agreement describes numerous projects for the area of education, science and research. This starts with the chapter on education, which mentions a Digital Pact 2.0 for schools and a fundamental reform of BAföG training assistance.

An Education Summit is planned to improve cooperation between the Federal Government, the Länder, local authorities, the science community and civil society. Equal opportunities in education for all children will be a special focus in the minister’s term of office. The “Startchancen” programme for a better educational start in life is aimed at socially disadvantaged school students in particular. As set out in the Coalition Agreement, the Federal Government wants to support about 25 percent of German schools by financing social workers for this purpose.

Another aim is to promote progress in science and research, which includes exploring new ways of encouraging innovation. The Minister has repeatedly pointed to the particular necessity of improving the transfer of scientific findings. A German Agency for Transfer and Innovation will serve to achieve this aim.  

Handover ceremony at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research

Saying good-bye, the predecessor in office, Anja Karliczek, thanked the Ministry’s staff: “Excellent education and research are the basis for ensuring that Germany remains a country of innovation in the next decades. It was a great pleasure to work together with you at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and contribute a great deal to the modernization of our country over the past few years,” she said as she pointed out the joint achievements. Support for schools and universities was expanded. Vocational education and training have become a more attractive option. Research support was strongly increased in the field of emerging technologies. Karliczek mentioned green hydrogen, quantum technologies and battery technology by way of example.

Health research had become another priority of the Ministry, also as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. “It was certainly a highlight that we were able to support BioNTech’s vaccine development,” Karliczek said.

“It was an honour and pleasure for me to work for the people as Federal Minister,” she concluded her farewell and wished her successor every success. Bettina Stark-Watzinger took over “with great pleasure and respect”. “I would like to thank Anja Karliczek for the warm welcome and in particular for her great commitment to education and research in our country,” she said upon taking office.

“The coalition’s plans are ambitious”

“The coalition’s plans are ambitious,” said Stark-Watzinger. The aim now is to dare more progress in a joint effort in which education and research will play a key role. “They are the most important drivers of progress in our country. It is my ambition to build on past achievements and quickly initiate the projects of the Coalition Agreement in my area.”

The coronavirus pandemic has made clear that we need a modernization boost in education.

Stark-Watzinger emphasized that her special focus is on helping the Digital Pact and the mobile air purifiers programme take up speed by reducing bureaucratic hurdles. “This will enable more digital, modern and safer teaching.”

She also wants to do more for Germany’s multi-faceted research landscape: “Science and research contribute substantially to progress. This is why we aim to increase government expenditure on research and development to 3.5 percent of GDP.”