Since 1 January 2023 the Bavarian Higher Education Innovation Act (BayHIG) has been in effect, which provides the higher education institutions in Bavaria more discretion and even more direct responsibility. With this development, the previously established tools for university steering have also been developed.

The first Bavarian higher education agreement (Rahmenvereinbarung) under the new Bavarian Higher Education Innovation Act was signed at the end of June 2023. It was prepared in a participative process involving the Bavarian State Ministry for Science and the Arts and the higher education institutions and university clinics in the state.

Based on the higher education agreement, the Ohm’s university objectives agreement for 2023 – 2027 was signed by the Science Minister, Markus Blume, and the Ohm’s President, Niels Oberbeck, on 21 September 2023 in the chambers of the Bavarian Academy of Science and Humanities.

The universities’ work and achievements are categorised into ten areas for the period covered by the higher education and the university objectives agreements:

1. Academic affairs; professional development
2. Research
3. Value for society and transfer
4. University staff; promotion of new and gifted talents
5. Equal opportunity, equity, inclusion
6. Internationalisation
7. Cooperation and networks
8. Digital transformation; digitalisation in science, academics, and administration
9. Sustainability; climate change mitigation
10. Quality assurance in research, academics, and administration.

The funds for institutional goals (so-called “Strategiefonds”) were increased by € 10 mn to a total of around € 55 mn for all Bavarian higher education institutions; the basic financing has been secured at minimally the level of the budget estimates from 2023 and wage increases have been guaranteed.

The Ohm set strategic priorities relevant to developing its profile in 6 of the ten areas that will be pursued with funds from the “Strategiefond”. 

The Bavarian higher education agreement and the Ohm’s university objectives agreement – along with the agreements from the other higher education institutions – can be found online on the Ministry website.