German universities at the stage of their radical reforming

Abstract

The present state of the German universities in the context of their actual reformation, which is carried out through the introduction of Anglo-Saxon models of university education, is researched. First of all, it concerns university education transformation in accordance with the American higher education model, since the American university model is considered to be the most successful in European academic circles. However, German university scholars criticize this model (or models) for marketization of the university activities and for mercantilising scientific knowledge. It is determined that German scholars are skeptical about these processes, because in their opinion, this can lead to an increase in the McDonaldization of society, that leads to the unification of social forms of society life and to the loss by the German university as a sociocultural institution of its national identity and its achievements. As you know, this culture was formed under the influence of the ideas of Wilhelm von Humboldt and was the to the success of German universities for many decades. Many influential representatives of German academic science do not accept the idea of turning universities into factories for the production of an educational product with a certain set of market qualities, which is envisaged by the implementation of the main components of the American university model and program provisions of the Bologna Declaration. In this case, it concerns, first of all, the professional training of specialists, mainly undergraduate graduates who do not have a broad scientific world outlook and the necessary personal qualities to solve complex daily problems, but possess formed key competencies. Secondly, it concerns producing knowledge, which is necessary, first of all, for international corporations, and not for society as a whole. In addition, German scientists do not imagine the possibility of planning scientific knowledge production or the realization of scientific discoveries, which, in their opinion, is not a predictable process, but a result of the constant search for truth in conditions that exclude external influence and control. It has been established that German experts insist on the development of clear and objective criteria for the concentration of the results of the university activities, their units and individual scientists, which take into account not only the quantitative scientific research parameters, but also qualitative ones. The development of such criteria, in the opinion of German specialists, is the work of scientists themselves, not external structures in the form of accreditation agencies, supervisory boards, etc.