Excellence Strategy: Science is the big loser

The Excellence Strategy is increasingly being critically questioned. The FAZ analysis shows: Its benefit for science is questionable, and its disadvantages are considerable. A concentration of research funds on a few universities creates a two-tier society and hinders smaller universities.

Excellence Strategy: Science is the Big Loser

The Excellence Strategy, which has been the central funding instrument for top-level research at German universities since 2007 (or in its current form since 2019), continues to exert its influence in the fall of 2026, an influence that is being increasingly scrutinized. Based on a recent analysis by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the benefits for the scientific system seem questionable, while the identified disadvantages are significant. This observation raises the fundamental question regarding the continued justification and actual added value of the program. The aim of the Excellence Strategy is to strengthen the international competitiveness of German universities and to establish beacons in research and teaching. However, its implementation has sparked a debate about its long-term consequences and the distribution of resources.

Critics particularly point to the impact on the breadth of the research landscape. The concentration of financial resources on a small number of universities and selected research clusters leads to an imbalance. Smaller universities and departments that are not part of the excellence network often face stagnant or declining budgets, which hampers their development and innovative capacity. This promotes a two-tier society within the German higher education landscape, where the "losers" of the strategy must struggle for recognition and resources despite solid basic research and teaching. The Excellence Strategy thus creates intense competitive pressure that is not always productive, but can in some cases lead to a narrowing of research perspectives, as projects must be geared toward short-term prospects of success and visibility.

For prospective MBA students and decision-makers in the education sector, this development is of particular relevance. A vibrant, broadly positioned research landscape is the foundation for innovation and the training of highly qualified specialists that the labor market urgently needs. If research funds primarily flow into lighthouse projects, this could impair the diversity of teaching and make the development of new course content more difficult, especially in interdisciplinary fields. The focus on specific areas of excellence can also negatively affect the reputation of universities outside this circle, even though many of them offer excellent MBA and Master's programs that are often more closely aligned with the needs of the regional economy and medium-sized enterprises.