Sinking treasure

social engagements. With the Bologna system, everything is fitted to match a 40 hour per week work schedule for the entire year allowing only for 6 weeks of holiday and one week of illness. Many students are now protesting against this reduction of university to a school-like system. Students also protested against tuition fees, which have been introduced only recently in a break with a long tradition of free higher education for all who qualify. Fees are the responsibility of the state (Länder) governments. Some of them have not introduced any fees yet, and Hesse has already abolished the fees it introduced. Students are also demanding better conditions in terms of staff funding and infrastructure. In theory, the Bologna reform was meant to improve the conditions for students, but there isn't much evidence that this has worked out as planned. Some also object to the excellence initiative by which some 'elite' universities are singled out to receive additional funding, while other institutions are left out in the cold. In addition to the students with their agenda, pupils of secondary schools have also joined the protests with another catalogue of requests. And not only are the demands quite vague and diffuse, the protesters are also lacking an address where to deliver them. Uniquely, education in Germany is funded by the federal government, but administrated with a high level of independence by the governments of the 16 federal states. Thus, if federal government cuts the education budget, the state governments have to figure out how to cope. University leaders, federal and state politicians have all expressed some sympathy with the student protests, typically by blaming one or all of the other parties involved for the failure of the system. Not quite knowing whom to attack, the students have directed their actions mostly against their own facilities, holding sit-ins in lecture halls and other university venues. Protests in several universities are simmering on, but still without much of a clear focus, much like the Bologna process which they protest against. But nothing like the 1968 protests which rattled the cage significantly more. Michael Gross is a science writer based at Oxford. He can be contacted via his web page at www.michaelgross.co.uk This year marks the centenary of the purchase of two small patches of rich wetland habitat in the east of England, marking one of the earliest attempts to create nature reserves. Charles …