ScienceNOW:
Berlin's mayor, Klaus Wowereit, likes to joke that the city is
"poor but sexy." He may now want to add "and smart." Despite
chronic budget shortfalls, Berlin's city government has pledged
€160 million ($250 million) over the next 4 years to
attract top researchers to the city's four main universities as
well as its research institutes.
The impetus for the "Berlin International Forum for Excellence" came from Jürgen Zöllner, the city's senator for science and education. He initially proposed a new "superuniversity," but the city's existing universities feared that the new institution would lure away their best talent. Instead, the city will set up a foundation that will identify existing "areas of excellence" and distribute funds to top up salaries of world-class researchers, set up graduate schools, and attract visiting scholars to the city.
The impetus for the "Berlin International Forum for Excellence" came from Jürgen Zöllner, the city's senator for science and education. He initially proposed a new "superuniversity," but the city's existing universities feared that the new institution would lure away their best talent. Instead, the city will set up a foundation that will identify existing "areas of excellence" and distribute funds to top up salaries of world-class researchers, set up graduate schools, and attract visiting scholars to the city.
