Fight for the civil clause: universities between peace and military research!

Fight for the civil clause: universities between peace and military research!

The Ring Christian Democratic Students (RCDS) recently called for financial resources to be provided from a new financial package in order to advance the development of state-funded combat drones at German universities. Lukas Honemann, the Federal Chairman of the RCD, is convinced that military research at universities could bring decisive advantages for Germany. He sees the abolition of the civil clause, which prohibits military research at many universities, a necessary step to strengthen innovations in the country.

The RCDS points out that 77 out of 318 German universities and universities of applied sciences have their own civil clauses. Honemann leads the University of Kassel as an example, where a cooperation with the armaments companies Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall had to be ended due to such a civil clause. This regulation not only hinders research, but also weakens Germany's innovative strength at an international level.

political demands and coalition negotiations

In the ongoing coalition negotiations between the CDU/CSU and SPD, the RCDS calls for incentives to abolish the civil clause. These conversations could last until the end of March. Voices that support military research at universities also come from the SPD. Bettina Martin, the President of the Science Ministers' Conference, has also spoken out for this direction. Their support shows that the topic is gaining in importance both within the Union and the Social Democrats.

In Bremen, the local CDU takes similar steps to abolish the legal prohibition of military research at universities. She brought an application that demands the cancellation of the civil clause. This clause was originally introduced in 1986 by the University of Bremen as a commitment to ensure that universities serve “exclusively peaceful purposes”. However, according to the arguments of the Bremen CDU, such a ban is no longer up to date in view of the current geopolitical challenges.

commitment to universities and criticism

The academic Senate of the University of Bremen still rejects military research and calls for the rejection of research topics that serve armaments purposes. Despite this attitude, there was cooperation with the armaments industry between 2003 and 2011. The Bremen University of Applied Sciences also shows activities in this area by working with the Bundeswehr in 2016 and taking over parts of the basic training for administrative employees. In addition, the armaments company OHB donated a professorship for space technology that includes both civil and military applications.

critics argue that the so-called "dual-use projects" represent a gateway for military research, even if there are civil clauses. These concerns are taken seriously by the Greens and the SPD, which reject the CDU application. They advocate maintaining the civil clause and emphasizing that even with the existing regulation, synergy effects between military and civilian sectors can also be present without having to fall back on military research.

The debate about military research at German universities clearly shows how strongly the opinions within the political parties and the academic community differ. While some emphasize the need to adapt to modern challenges, others warn of the possible consequences of loosening the existing regulations.

In order to continue the discussion, it remains to be seen which decisions will be made during the coming weeks during the coalition negotiations. In this context, the role of universities in military research will probably remain a hotly controversial topic.