Consensus builds to reduce fixed-term contracts

Cross-party agreement in German Bundestag shows strong support for fairer academic hiring practices

Germany’s research minister Anja Karliczek has come under fire during a debate in the Bundestag, the German parliament, over her support for fixed-term contracts in academia.

During the debate, opposition parties strongly condemned a video released this month by the German research ministry, which praised the benefits of short contracts at universities. The debate was organised by left-wing party Die Linke after an outpouring of anger on social media, where academics posted about their negative experiences with fixed-term contracts.