For a Future-Proof University of Hamburg

(Last updated: 10 June 2026)

The University of Hamburg stands for excellence in research and teaching. Its renewed success in the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments testifies to its high performance in top research and its progress in innovative teaching, knowledge exchange, sustainability, and digitalization.

In the past several years, the effects of various crises and ongoing geopolitical tension, including, in particular, the energy crisis, inflation, and the growing need to invest in cybersecurity, IT infrastructure, and digitalization, have conspired to significantly increase costs and expenses.

The University’s basic funding cannot keep up, meaning a growing portion of expenses are not covered. The core budget will not increase even while expenses skyrocket. This has resulted in a structural deficit in the tens of millions. To facilitate the necessary investments and ensure our own ability to continue operations, the University of Hamburg has made targeted use of its reserves in consultation with the Ministry of Science, Research and Equalities.

The University of Hamburg, like the entire German academic system, is facing enormous pressure to consolidate. The Executive University Board is pursuing constructive, honest exchange and negotiations with Hamburg’s education and finance ministries. The goal is to ensure, in the long term and to the best of our ability, that the University can continue its core operations in research, teaching, and knowledge exchange within these challenging conditions. The University committees also continue to discuss the situation.

Frequently asked questions and answers

1. Why does the University of Hamburg have to save money?

Despite an overall increase in our budget, the available funds do not address growing expenses or investment requirements. This has lead to a structural deficit. In the past several years, the University of Hamburg, in agreement with the education ministry, has used its reserves to facilitate investments and ensure continuity.

2. What is the extent of the savings measures? Why are different percentages circulating?

The faculties currently have to save 4.5 percent, the administration 5 percent. The restructuring process also includes a major adjustment to take place over several years: By 2032, faculties have to save at least 10.5 percent, the administration at least 11 percent. This is not a short-term savings goal but a long-term development.

3. What cost increases require these savings?

In the University of Hamburg’s budget, there are significant cost risks, especially in IT security (increasing cyberattacks), properties (renovations, new buildings, investment backlog), and energy (substantially higher and volatile prices). Then there is the wage agreement of 2023, which has led since 2025 to a real cost increase of 8.35 percent and which the City of Hamburg cannot fully compensate. There are further cost burdens such as licenses and databases. These factors only exacerbate the structural deficit.

4. To what extent do increased costs for cybersecurity play a role?

Cyberattacks on universities have risen sharply in the past several years due to geopolitical tensions. The Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg), for example, was badly hit. Legal requirements have also risen dramatically. The special conditions related to scientific operations require additional protective measures. Of the higher additional costs, cybersecurity accounts for €4 million per annum.

5. How high is the University of Hamburg’s structural deficit right now?

The current structural deficit is roughly €22 million.

6. How are the faculties currently addressing the savings requirements?

The faculties are addressing them according to their particular conditions. Because a large portion of HR funding is binding due to permanent jobs and tenured professorships, positions that become vacant are often not filled right away or filled at all and temporary vacancies largely go uncompensated. For equipment and supplies, financing has become very restrictive, for example, with regard to procurements, job-related travel, professional development, and licenses.

7. Did these problems arise unexpectedly? Why can’t Excellence funding be used to address the deficit?

The structural under-financing of the higher education institutions has long been well-known and our University addressed this openly and early with education policymakers while also consulting intensively with its committees. The Academic Senate has also testified to this in multiple statements. Excellence funds are earmarked for specific purposes. They may be used only for the research projects specified in the funding concept.

8. Will degree programs be discontinued? Will places for students at the University be reduced?

There are no current plans to discontinue degree programs. We must ensure a sustainable balance between student numbers and educational quality. This is why changes will not take place across the board but on the basis of sound objective criteria. The University of Hamburg’s goal is to continue to offer students excellent conditions for study and training at the highest possible academic standard.

9. How does the current situation affect teaching and studies at our University? What about tutorials? What about doctorates?

The quality of teaching at the University of Hamburg remains high, but in some departments and degree programs, groups may become larger, supervision ratios more demanding, and organization more complex. Tutorials will continue to be offered, although they will be reduced in some departments. Doctorates can be continued, but vacant doctoral positions financed from the University budget could remain temporarily unfilled.

10. What does the restructuring process involve?

The goal of the restructuring process is the further development of the University of Hamburg in the mid- and long-term in the face of changing financial conditions; to ensure University operations in research, teaching, and knowledge exchange; to critically assess the existing organization; and to develop it with an eye to the future. At the same time, the goal is to strengthen sustainability and digitalization and to balance infrastructure and funding.