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Must science become more political? Politics and science follow their own agendas. How can they communicate better with each other in the future? How can coexistence become cooperation? Norbert Röttgen, Member of the German Bundestag and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Hartmut Ihne, University President, argue from the perspective of politics and science respectively.
Ɏ The corona crisis has thrown the entire country into a state of emergency. How do you assess the situation with regard to higher education? Prof. Dr Hartmut Ihne: The crisis represents an immense challenge for institutes of higher education. First of all, scientists are trying to find answers – medical, economic, socio-political. We are also redefining the social role of science. “Unite behind the science” is the slogan of Fridays for Future. On top of that, we have to keep the university running in the face of great change. In the crisis, we managed a rapid switchover to e-learning opportunities. All of this is a major task for a complex, quasi-parliamentary organisation like a university of applied sciences. Norbert Röttgen: From a political perspective, one aspect deserves close attention. As early as mid-January, scientific journals were reporting on the possible dimensions of the crisis. In mid-January already! And when this scientific knowledge
