For this short blog post we collected some of your reactions to the BMBF panel discussion on the WissZeitVG reform on March 30th 2023 (mainly from Twitter). If you need some background on the topic see our previous post. Not every opinion expressed here necessarily represents the views of the steering committee of the Leibniz PostDoc Network.

First of all, we don’t think it reflects well on the BMBF’s intentions that not a single postdoc nor doctoral student representative was present at the meeting. We have stated this explicitly in our joint statement with several German postdoc networks.

“…[W]e are frustrated that none of the large German postdoctoral networks have been consulted on the [#WissZeitVG] by the BMBF, even though this law will directly affect us.”https://t.co/y21qZivY8s

Why were no postdocs invited today to speak? We continue to be ignored.

— Max Planck Postdocnet (@MPGpostdocnet) March 30, 2023

The decision to live-stream the whole discussion without subtitles was also not very inclusive for thousands of international students and postdocs in Germany (to put it mildly). Thankfully, Michael Gerloff (doctoral student at MPI for Molecular Genetics) provided a subtitled version to be shared just before midnight. Thank you Michael!

If inclusion doesn’t come from above, we are lucky to have colleagues who take THEIR TIME to make yesterday’s discussion accessible. This has also been my experience in Germany as well. I owe so much to my fellow PhD candidates and postdocs 💜 https://t.co/OMdLayswy2

— Flor Yannelli *typo queen* 👽🌱 (she/her/ella) (@floryannelli) March 31, 2023

Barbara Orth (doctoral student in human geography at FU Berlin) provides a longer thread with several critical comments about different aspects of the discussion. You’ll have to click through to see all of it.

First of all, as @LadyBitchRay1 and others have pointed out, in a room full of mostly white German employers’ representatives, #IchBinReyhan #IchBinTina and probably #firstgen were quite literally not given a seat at the table. @BMBF_Bund you should do better! 2/x

— Barbara Orth (@BarbaraOrth) March 31, 2023

Given all the feelings of frustration it’s not surprising that people turned to sarcasm and irony as did Ayushi Nayak (doctoral student at MPI of Geoanthropology)…

tbqh I don’t get all the complaints about the lack of diversity at the BMBF panel this morning. You can clearly see a diversity of ties, blazers & hairstyles here! Plus the inclusion of more than one life form! What more can one ask for? #WissZeitVG #IchBinReyhan #IchBinHanna pic.twitter.com/TwW0WTZO74

— Ayushi Nayak ଆୟୂଷୀ ନାୟକ (@ayushi_nayak) March 30, 2023

… or Lea Hartwich, postdoc in social psychology at the University Osnabrück.

Postdocs watching the BMBF panel this morning #WissZeitVG #IchbinHanna #IchBinReyhan pic.twitter.com/Ma4RkubBqY

— Lea Hartwich (@leahartwich) March 30, 2023

At least, the discussion surely won’t stop here and the topic even made it into the major news show in German TV. 

Von wegen Nischenthema – #WissZeitVG #IchBinHanna #Dauerstellen in der 20-Uhr-@tagesschau mit @jenniferhenkeHB @AmreiBahr & @gew_bund-Fahnen: Wir kommen in Fahrt!https://t.co/QkBJFz84Nw pic.twitter.com/yx4w7Xpx5P

— Andreas Keller (@AKellerGEW) March 31, 2023

As a final note, it needs to be highlighted that the three year rule that was announced two weeks ago, is dead. At least that is what Stephan Seiter stated according to reporting by education journalist and blogger Jan-Martin Wiarda.

Erste Reaktion:
FDP-Wissenschaftspolitiker @StSeiter: Drei Jahre Höchstbefristungsgrenze nicht mehr zu halten
> siehe sein Statement im Blog https://t.co/msIZYMfMIC

— Jan-Martin Wiarda (@JMWiarda) March 30, 2023

The story doesn’t end here. We will keep you updated!