„Die Linke“ is against a further increase in the prices of canteens, student dormitories and the semester fee at the Studierendenwerk. Students are already heavily burdened by high rents and price increases in all areas of life and should not have to compensate for the lack of support from the state. Die Linke is therefore calling for an increase in the state subsidies to the Studierendenwerk by 10 percent and for the prices of canteens to be lowered to the level of 2017.We recently advocated for this in a motion within the framework of the budget consultations (Drs. 22/17233).

In Hamburg, we are committed to healthy, sustainable and affordable canteens at the universities. The aim is to ensure the quality of the food and to help ensure that students do not face excessive price increases in times of rising costs. Given the rising cost of food and the running of the canteens, the Studierendenwerk are facing challenges that could be overcome by stable funding. We Greens therefore significantly increased the subsidy to the Studiedenwerk in the last legislative period, so that there will continue to be affordable canteens and affordable dormitory places. As the cost of dormitories in Hamburg continues to rise, we continue to advocate at the federal level for structural reform of the BAföG, which, for example, significantly increases the number of eligible students, among other things, by raising the age limits and by emergency mechanisms for housing costs. Since the flat-rate housing costs are far from sufficient for a shared room in Hamburg, we continue to demand a flat-rate housing costs, as well as more dormitories for students and trainees. Since the rents and housing situations in the cities are sometimes very different, a location-based housing subsidy should be examined and implemented. This is what we demanded from the federal government with a Hamburg proposal in 2024. It is also our goal to consistently push forward the expansion of dormitory capacities in Hamburg and to create 2,000 new dormitories by 2030.

As the STW itself sets the rates mentioned, it would be highly unethical to provide a guarantee that the amount will be maintained by any party. STW Hamburg is significantly underfunded compared to comparable institutions in Germany. A realistic corridor is needed to increase funding. The supply of residential accommodation in Hamburg is too small. We will work to increase it to provide relief in the housing market, which is particularly challenging for low-income groups.

We are supporting the Studierendenwerk as a social focus institution for universities and their students with a grant increase of 1.2 million euros from 2025. With an increase of 76 percent compared to 2024, the funding has already been significantly increased. We remain in discussions for the grant increase in the following years, thus putting the Studiedenwerk in a position to better cope with the economic challenges and provide sustainable work for the students.

Prices for canteens, dormitories and the Studierendenwerk semester fee have been kept stable since autumn 2022. To counter rising costs, we have decided on moderately adjusted price increases in consultation with students and the authority. For example, basic meals have only become 2% more expensive and semester fees are rising moderately for the first time in seven years. Affordable housing for students remains an important concern for us. If new facilities for Studierennenwerk are added, funding could be adjusted accordingly to ensure a socially acceptable implementation. We will continue to work to create conditions that are financially sustainable for students, both within Studierendenwerk and beyond. We aim to stabilise meal prices and student contribution to Studierenwerk at the currently agreed levels and increase between 2026 and 2030.

We are committed to stable prices for canteens and dormitories for students. We do not support higher tuition fees. Housing for students must be available and affordable. The housing policy of the red-green senate is driving up costs by placing additional requirements on construction. We need a reduction in these high requirements, and the senate must finally stop selling land on leases to make housing attractive to investors again.

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Instead of an effective increase in basic allocations, the Hamburg Senate continues to rely on third-party funding, the Excellence Strategy and the financing of so-called lighthouse projects. This not only leads to a drastic underfunding of the universities, but also to an unequal distribution of funds within the universities. Even the last higher education agreement did not cover the cost and pay rises of the previous seven years. The left party „Die Linke“ wants to strengthen the basic funding of universities and increase it by a further 6 per cent to a total of 8 per cent in addition to the increases already contractually agreed (Drs. 22/17233).

Despite the important academic and social contribution to the reappraisal of colonial history, the Senate is planning to close the research centre and cut funding - from 200,000 euros a year to 75,000 euros for just two years. In the opinion of Die Linke, this is a considerable step backwards. We therefore call for the planned cuts to be reversed and for the funding of the Research Centre for Colonial History to be secured at 200,000 euros per year in the future.

We will maintain and further expand the high level of investment in our science and research - from universities to non-university research, in research and studies, but also in university construction and infrastructure. We are convinced that the key to new, sustainable prosperity and a democratic, self-determined future lies in science and our students.

Our universities are the heart of science in Hamburg: from the universities to the universities of applied sciences to the private institutions. Even and especially in difficult times, our state universities need reliable and growing basic funding. We will create a strong foundation for this from 2027 with the next future contracts.

The basic funding of Hamburg's universities must be raised above the level of inflation. However, it is up to the universities themselves to secure certain facilities or subjects within the framework of university autonomy.

The basic funding of Hamburg's universities has been strengthened by taking over the high pay rises from 2023. This step includes not only the core budget and public companies, but also grant recipients such as universities, the State and University Library (SUB), art colleges, the student union and the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). The additional requirements resulting from the pay rises are thus comprehensively recognised.

We also attach great importance to research into the (post-)colonial past. The work of the project network ‘Research Centre Hamburg's (post-)colonial heritage and early globalisation’ is to be continued and further developed in an expanded interdisciplinary and global context as part of the profile initiative ‘(Post-)colonial provenances’. A coordinated workshop and the establishment of a permanent research coordinator position are planned to support this process. In addition, the successful ‘Colonial Places’ app will be taken up again in the context of the further development of the research area. We have made additional funding of up to 150,000 euros available for the further development of this position. Our current plans also include securing the operational maintenance measures of the Hamburg State and University Library Carl von Ossietzky (SUB). This includes extensive investments in fire protection, IT infrastructure and building technology, as can be seen in the budget plans for 2025/2026. The long-term basic funding of Hamburg's universities is part of the general university and science funding.

We are in favour of increasing the basic funding of universities and colleges. The CDU Hamburg is also planning to involve the city's universities, other higher education institutions and research institutes more closely in economic development. For example, we want to further expand the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) and the University of Hamburg as innovation centres and promote the establishment of new start-ups and research partnerships. We are in favour of establishing a Hamburg Science Foundation with an endowment capital of at least 500 million euros (this corresponds to approx. 0.3 percent of Hamburg's GDP).

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Universities play a central role in social transformation and can act as pioneers for climate protection and sustainability. Die Linke is in favour of actively promoting the climate-neutral transformation of universities. This includes targeted financial support for measures such as energy-efficient refurbishment or the greening and unsealing of surfaces.

In Hamburg, we „Grünen“ are taking responsibility for implementing the 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs). Even before the United Nations, we were the first federal state to make history with a voluntary local sustainability report. We are building on this and continuing to focus on concrete measures - from binding criteria for sustainable events to strengthening civil society in political processes. Hamburg is an excellent location for climate and sustainability research and is to be further expanded. To this end, we are networking climate expertise such as the CLICCS Cluster of Excellence, the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, the Fraunhofer Centre for Maritime Logistics and the Climate Computing Centre. In particular, we want to support universities in the development and implementation of sustainability strategies. Education for sustainable development is of crucial importance in equipping our students for the transition to a sustainable society. We also prioritise high sustainability standards for new buildings and renovations, including modular construction wherever possible.

The principle here is: as much room for manoeuvre for the universities as possible and as little detailed control by the authorities and politicians as possible. The key lever here is to increase basic funding above and beyond inflation.

We are committed to actively supporting universities in the development and implementation of sustainability strategies. We promote the climate-neutral transformation of universities through targeted measures that strengthen universities in their individual structures. This includes support for sustainability and climate reporting as well as the implementation of the Hamburg Masterplan ESD 2030 and the Climate Plan. There is a particular focus on linking digitalisation and sustainability as well as taking climate protection into account in teaching, research and building management.

We want to support our colleges and universities in coping well with all upcoming tasks. In order for them to be able to concentrate on good teaching and research, they first need adequate funding. If this is guaranteed, it will also have a positive effect on the implementation of measures to promote sustainability.

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Die Linke is in favour of strengthening, unsealing and greening the campuses as social meeting places. University campuses should become places of learning, recreation and social interaction that also contribute to climate protection and sustainability. Greening improves the microclimate, creates a quality of stay and offers retreats for students.

We support close cooperation between universities, districts and municipal companies. As the left party „Die Linke“, we have campaigned for districts to receive appropriate compensation for unsealed areas as part of a motion to launch an unsealing campaign in Hamburg. This creates incentives to sustainably restore sealed areas and transform them into green, social spaces.

Over the past ten years, Hamburg has developed into an important centre for science. Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld will create a science metropolis that promotes sustainable urban development, innovation and economic prosperity. We are continuing the holistic urban development that began with the urban planning for Campus West and the neighbourhoods in a participatory process. The construction methods and energy supply of Science City are intended to set an example in terms of climate protection and sustainability. We are gradually filling the neighbourhood with student and everyday life, and are linking science and business even more closely here. Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld is a flagship and role model for other campus development projects - whether in Bergedorf in the harbour or in Harburg. The health campus in Oberbillwerder, for example, will provide HAW with a location where it will have a formative impact on the newly emerging district. We promote neighbourhoods where research and innovation do not just take place behind fences and closed laboratory doors, but are part of local life, part of the cityscape.

The promotion of campuses as social meeting points should be a decisive factor in modern university planning. Insofar as politics is involved in corresponding architectural tenders, I will advocate appropriate planning.

It is important to us to see universities not only as teaching and learning spaces, but also as places where students feel comfortable and can grow in their community. However, the design of campuses as social places that promote encounters and exchange is a matter for the universities to decide.

Should the universities decide in favour of such measures, we are ready to enter into discussions with all stakeholders involved - the districts, the universities and municipal companies - and actively support these projects. Close cooperation is important to us in order to create the framework conditions for such projects and at the same time ensure that they meet the needs of students and teaching staff.

Our aim is to promote an environment that is both environmentally sustainable and socially enriching.

We are in favour of strengthening our campuses in any way we can. In particular, we are in favour of unsealing and additional greening throughout the city.

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Die Linke supports the demand for a collective agreement for student employees (TVStud) and has repeatedly brought this important demand to parliament with questions and motions.

Together with our universities and research institutions, we continue to advocate the ‘Hamburg way’: for fair, reliable and attractive career prospects. We have already made important progress with the Hamburg Declaration of 2023. Together with Hamburg's state universities, we are consistently pursuing our goal of modernising employment conditions in Hamburg as a centre of science. We are creating attractive and in some cases innovative career paths in science and modernising the qualification of outstanding talents in research and teaching. We are also committed to ensuring appropriate working conditions, fair pay and reliable contract terms for student employees. A key step here is the reform of the Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act (WissZeitVG) in order to abolish precarious employment relationships and promote young academics in the long term. In Hamburg, we have introduced a minimum contract term of 12 months as a rule for student employees. We are also examining how student employees can also be represented at staff council level. In addition, we continue to work within the collective bargaining organisation of the federal states to include student employees in the collective agreement of the federal states.

The debate surrounding the possible introduction of a collective agreement for student employees is complex. It is clear that fixed-term contracts and precarious employment contradict the objectives of ESD and that there is a considerable need for action in this area in order to ensure the sustainable organisation of the higher education sector.

We are clearly in favour of better working conditions for student employees. With the Code of Conduct process, we have established minimum standards in Hamburg such as fair wages and 12-month contract terms, which have been in force since spring 2024. We have also actively campaigned for greater co-determination for student employees. We will continue to campaign for the continuation of the path we have taken with the Code of Conduct.

Since the #ichbinhanna campaign at the latest, the issue of fixed-term employment contracts has moved centre stage. At the same time, the personnel policies of colleges and universities are being confronted with demands for more opportunities for women and more diversity. Added to this is the problem of short employment contracts for student employees. The ‘Hamburg Declaration on University Career Paths in Academia’ and the amendment to the Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act contain initial approaches to improving the situation. However, they do not yet seem to be having an effect in everyday university life. We will therefore enter into a close dialogue with the universities and colleges in order to find out where there are problems in implementing the goals we have set ourselves and where support may be needed. The CDU will not simply create permanent positions at the expense of young people who are interested in scientific work. There are good reasons why science in particular is a performance-orientated system.

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Die Linke is in favour of price stability for the semester ticket. In addition, Die Linke is calling for an immediate start to the gradual realisation of free public transport for all by 2030, as is already the case for students today.

We have successfully campaigned for the Deutschlandticket for students and converted the semester ticket to the Deutschlandticket at a reduced price in the 2024 summer semester. We will continue to campaign for its continuation.

The Germany Semester Ticket should be retained. The pricing depends on numerous factors. The semester ticket is no more expensive today than it was in 2019, which is a major social achievement in view of the general price trend. This low price should be maintained for as long as possible.

We will continue the semester ticket and only increase it to the extent that the price of the Deutschlandticket increases in percentage terms.

Students have belatedly benefited from the simplification brought about by the Deutschland-Ticket. Now there is already a threat of price increases. We are committed to ensuring that the price for students in Hamburg remains stable.

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Die Linke demands that anti-discrimination, diversity and accessibility become an integral part of all Hamburg universities. Only in this way can the university become a place free of discrimination - and thus a role model for the entire city.

In a motion, Die Linke has advocated that the universities address the issue of classism in their diversity concepts in accordance with Section 3 (4) HmbHG and, for example, set up mentoring programmes for students without A-levels and working-class children

Diversity enriches universities, just like our city. We are proud that we have more than 14% international students in Hamburg. But we are convinced that there is room for even more! That is why we support the activities of our universities to continue to attract international students to Hamburg and to make it easier for them to arrive by offering advice, tutoring programmes, peer-to-peer networks and an expansion of English-language Bachelor's and Master's programmes. At the same time, we are consistently opposed to anti-Semitism, racism and all forms of discrimination and support universities in establishing effective protective measures. This also requires strong participatory structures at universities. The ‘Education Specialists’ pilot project at the HAW promotes the topic of inclusion in research and teaching for Hamburg's universities, develops it further and anchors it sustainably in various fields of study such as technology, urban planning, culture and social work. We also consistently support barrier-free remodelling and barrier-free teaching in order to improve barrier-free access to our universities.

There are numerous programmes at universities that support students who are studying under difficult conditions. In times of super-diversity, I find it difficult to derive an automatic need for support solely from belonging to any one group. However, counselling and support services for problematic situations related to studying are very important so that the university can play its part in the promise of advancement through education.

We want to provide more support and protection for students with a migration background, from working-class households, from abroad, with disabilities or chronic illnesses, as well as FLINTA persons and students with diverse religious affiliations. Of course, we recognise the valuable work of the AStA, which is already making important contributions to promoting student diversity and counteracting discrimination. We would particularly like to emphasise the work of the anti-discrimination office at Universität Hamburg. It does a great job counselling students, promoting empowerment and advocating for a discrimination-free university landscape. We want to further strengthen this important work by working together with the University to ensure that the relevant offices have good framework conditions for their work. We also recognise the importance of external counselling centres that offer important support for students outside of the university. We are committed to promoting these structures more strongly and publicising them in cooperation with the universities. Our aim is to create a closer network between university and external services so that all students receive the support they need to be able to study successfully and without discrimination.

Everyone should be able to feel comfortable and develop at Hamburg's colleges and universities, regardless of their background or orientation. People with chronic illnesses and physical disabilities must also be able to study to their full extent.

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Die Linke demands a civil clause for all academic institutions in Hamburg, which will also be enforced. No third-party funding for armaments research and research into psychological warfare. No guest lectures and no co-operation with Bundeswehr universities. We have repeatedly put this forward in parliamentary initiatives in the past.

At a time characterised by global crises and new security threats and against the backdrop of current geopolitical changes and technological developments, it is important to address the issue of the potential dual use of research and development in order to safeguard European defence capabilities. Research can make an important contribution to this and corresponding synergies should also be utilised more than before at European level. The relevance of the topic of potentially dual-use technologies goes far beyond the mere aspect of synergies between civil and defence-related instruments and economic policy considerations and therefore entails a special responsibility. The increasing importance of dual-use technologies is accompanied by a special responsibility in conducting security-related research.

No, I reject any restriction of freedom of research. Furthermore, civil clauses are particularly difficult because it is virtually impossible to define their scope.

We support the approach of strengthening academic freedom and responsibility in equal measure. We consider it essential that universities and research institutions carry out a differentiated and transparent examination of security-related research. The recommendations of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Leopoldina on ‘Academic Freedom and Academic Responsibility’ provide a solid framework for this.

The existing ethics commissions and committees at Hamburg's universities fulfil an important role in appropriately assessing ethical and safety-related issues. They also promote the responsible handling of dual-use issues. However, a general civil clause could restrict the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of research and would be difficult to implement in practice, especially for externally funded projects.

Instead, we rely on the continuous development of ethical review mechanisms and active self-commitment on the part of research institutions, as is already practised through guidelines and ethical committees. This creates a balance between academic freedom and social responsibility

The demand for a civil clause may seem tempting to some; however, it is highly problematic in many respects and must be completely reassessed, especially since Russia's attack on Ukraine. The Bundeswehr belongs to the Federal Republic of Germany, is part of our society and has the task of maintaining peace and a free basic order. Attempting to decouple the Bundeswehr from the progress of modern technologies would mean jeopardising its peacekeeping mission and Germany's security. We reject a civil clause at Hamburg universities.

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