Hamburg, June 8 – The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Hamburg has expressed serious concerns regarding the continuity of the ‘Technical Building Equipment with Digital Infrastructure’ bachelor’s program at HafenCity University (HCU). The party points to a significant number of unfilled student places and a shortage of permanent professorships, urging the Senate to intervene and safeguard the program.
Concerns Over Student Enrollment and Staffing
The bachelor’s program, launched in 2023, is designed to train specialists in intelligent building technology, focusing on energy-saving heating and cooling systems. Each year, it has the capacity to admit 60 students. However, according to information provided by the Senate in response to a CDU inquiry, two-thirds of the places in the current academic year remain vacant.
Adding to the concerns, the program is also facing staffing challenges. Only one of the five professorships is permanently filled, with three others being temporarily covered and the fifth remaining entirely vacant. The Senate has stated that the high number of temporary positions is intentional, aiming to avoid an oversupply of staff should the program need to be discontinued.
CDU Blames Senate’s Austerity Measures
Anke Frieling, the CDU’s spokesperson for urban development, attributes these issues to the Senate’s
