Senate comments on plans to reduce federal state funds

Neuruppin, 4 April 2025

Ever since its foundation in 2014, the Brandenburg Medical School (MHB) has made essential contributions to ensuring the provision of healthcare in the State of Brandenburg. Several hundred graduates of the non-profit university with state recognition but for the most part without public funding have successfully completed their studies of medicine and psychology and help to ensure medical services in the region. Since 2020, the Brandenburg government has supported the MHB with 5 million Euro for research projects per year plus 1.6 million Euro for the Faculty of Health Sciences FGW. This financial backing played an essential role in the highly successful accreditation by the Federal Government‘s Science Council in October 2024. Their expert report underlined how important it is to continue this support: “The future progress of the university will heavily depend on whether funding can be ensured. If the current level of public funding cannot be guaranteed and as a consequence the university is forced to reduce academic staff or research performance, then the level of academic instruction would be threatened.” Bericht Stellungnahme zur Institutionellen Akkreditierung (Promotionsrecht) der Medizinischen Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane des Wissenschaftsrats (10/2024)

The Senate reacts with deep concern to reports that cuts in funding for the MHB from 6.6 to 5 million Euro are scheduled for this year^1,2. This step endangers the future of the MHB and thus the immediate provision of healthcare specifically in the north of Brandenburg. A reduction of funding by 1.6 million Euro per year would affect the jobs of up to 50 research assistants.

Prior to the foundation of the MHB in 2014, the State of Brandenburg had no facility of tertiary education to train physicians. The MHB closed this gap for the benefit of the entire region and since then has educated approximately 150 medical doctors and several hundred graduates of psychology. Currently enrolled are more than 1100 prospective physicians, dentists, psychotherapists and outcomes researchers.

Surveys among graduates indicate that about two thirds of MHB graduates remain in the State of Brandenburg. Moreover, in 2024 the MHB started the first – and in the foreseeable future only – program of dental medicine, and further programs are in the planning stage. The intake of medical students has continually increased over time, from originally 48 to 138 beginners every year. The effect will be of tremendous benefit to Brandenburg and the local population in years to come.

The foundation of the MUL (Medizinische Universität Lausitz) in Cottbus was a comprehensible step on the part of the Brandenburg government to further ensure healthcare in the region, specifically in the southern part. Funds of ca. 3.7 billion Euro are scheduled to go the MUL until 2038, with 1.9 billion of these to come from the Federal Government’s structural funds^3,4. Compared not only to the MUL (3.7 billion until 2038), but also to other state universities, the MHB offers an extremely favorable cost/output ratio for Brandenburg. After federal funding has expired, ca. 160 million Euro per year are scheduled to finance the MUL, based on today’s purchasing power. An intake of 200 medical students per year is the final target (MHB: 6.6 million Euro/138 new medical students per year).

Ever since the MUL was initiated and founded, the MHB has shown an open-minded approach and willingness for dialogue, and repeatedly declared its availability for cooperations in teaching and research.

In the run-up to the latest regional elections, representatives of all parties made commitments to a continuation of public funding for the MHB. Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke was quoted as follows from a campaign speech⁶: "The Prime Minister assures that he sticks firmly to the MHB and the university location Brandenburg an der Havel. And he confirms that there will be rather more, and not less, money.”

In view of the factual supply situation in Brandenburg, the demonstrable performance of the MHB, the Science Council’s assessment and the statements from policy-makers, the MHB Senate reacts with consternation to plans to cut regional government funding. Such cuts would directly endanger the existence of the MHB as described by the Science Council, and ultimately the provision of healthcare particularly in the north of the region. The MHB Senate therefore urgently appeals to all who carry political responsibility to revise the planned decision and continue funding the MHB with at least 6.6 million Euro.