Changing German universities

Friday I attended a student meeting for Bavaria's largest political party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), with my friend Thomas Uhlen, a friend made during my yearlong study abroad and a CDU member. I went to film for a piece on the changing face of the German university system, which was, of course, discussed at the meeting. Universities in some Bundesländer (German states) have recently implemented tuition fees for the first time in history and, in accordance with the Bologna Process, are making the switch to the Bachelor's-Master's system, shortening years of study by almost half in some cases. The conference was held in a towering former monastery in Kloster-Banz. Other topics of discussion included the need for conservative embrace of innovation, how tuition fees should be applied in cases of study abroad, and what the changes' implications for Fachhochschulen (advanced technical schools) are.

Taking time out for lunch:



A member just elected president for the new year.


Thomas works as a journalist for his CDU branch --
probably why we get along so well!

By Mary Pinckney Waters