German Science and Humanities Council reaccredits KLU – particular praise for research and studying conditions
The German Science and Humanities Council (Wissenschaftsrat, WR) recently awarded KLU a ten year reaccreditation – and saw no need for subsequent evaluations following this term. This major vote of confidence, which is granted only rarely, represents the outstanding culmination of the several-year-long accreditation process with the Science and Humanities Council.
In November 2022, a commission of experts had also evaluated the studying conditions at KLU during a visit to campus.
“The ten-year reaccreditation awarded by the German Science and Humanities Council shows once again: studying at KLU pays off. We offer the leaders of tomorrow a state-recognized degree, together with the benefits of a dynamic private university with unparalleled research and education,” says Dr. Jörg Dräger, Executive Director of the Board of Trustees of the Kühne Foundation and Chairman of the KLU Supervisory Board. says Dr. Jörg Dräger, Executive Director of the Board of Trustees of the Kühne Foundation and Chairman of the KLU Supervisory Board.
In turn, University President Prof. Dr. Andreas Kaplan sees the external evaluation conducted by the WR as a valuable aid and motivation for KLU’s continual improvement: “In addition, it represents a trustworthy, external seal of approval for our student body. We’re very pleased about the reaccreditation. I wish to thank everyone involved for their excellent work. Especially the Kühne Foundation, and in particular, our founder Klaus-Michael Kühne for the extensive financial support, which offers us fantastic conditions to operate under, as well as Hamburg’s Ministry of Science and Research for its intensive efforts accompanying the reaccreditation process, which made this outstanding milestone for Hamburg as a research hub possible.”
Excellent conditions for research and education
In its evaluation, the WR especially underscored KLU’s work in education and research. In addition to the KLU faculty’s excellence in terms of research output, the university offers students an above-average percentage of professors and an excellent faculty-to-student ratio. Since 2017, KLU has been authorized to grant doctoral degrees, and has done so. This status was also extended for a ten-year period, to be followed by a reevaluation. According to the Council, also in this regard the university has established excellent framework conditions for doctoral candidates in terms of academic qualification and networking with peers.
Background: German Science and Humanities Council accreditation
In Germany, all private universities must successfully complete at least one institutional accreditation process with the German Science and Humanities Council. As an external quality assurance process, the institutional accreditation is intended to determine whether a given private university is capable of providing services in connection with education and research that meet established academic criteria, and whether it also satisfies the requisite financial and structural requirements. The purpose of institutional accreditation is to ensure that private universities deliver sufficient academic performance, which includes implementing their own quality assurance system. This is intended to protect students, as well as the economy and public institutions as graduates’ future employers.
Further information: