德國大學的最後碉堡？－－應用科學大學博士學位授予權之爭

THE FINAL BASTION OF GERMAN UNIVERSITY? THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE RIGHT OF UNIVERSITIES OF APPLIED SCIENCES TO AWARD DOCTORAL DEGREES

研究目的：在傳統德國高等教育領域中，應用科學大學／大學的辦學特色分屬兩極之不同類型學校，前者教授的職責聚焦於應用導向之教學、培育高級應用型人才，而學術研究僅隸屬於後者教授的任務，並著重於學術型人才之培育。而後，二者的發展在某種程度上彼此趨近，原本分工明確的不同類型學校間之界限越來越模糊，但博士學位授予權依然由大學與部分學院所壟斷，應用科學大學僅能仰賴大學、透過「合作式博士生培育程序」授予博士學位；因此很多人將該權限視為大學防守應用科學大學逐步進逼的「最後碉堡」。未料2013年起，有些邦陸續提出擬賦予應用科學大學博士授予權，因而在德國社會頓成為熱門爭議話題。本文即探究此爭議的背景與相關論點，並提出問題解決之建議。研究設計／方法／取徑：本文研究方法為文件分析法。研究發現或結論：本文從學術性／非學術性、理論／應用導向研究、師資與工作條件、資源競爭等角度，檢視在博士授予權上，對大學／應用科學大學做區別對待並無正當理由。尤其隨著知識生產模式轉型的趨勢，應用科學大學具有博士授予權不僅符應學科發展的需要，也能滿足其碩士畢業生攻讀博士學位的需求。再者，擬賦予應用科學大學博士授予權的幾個邦，並非全面性賦予該類型學校博士授予權，而是僅有學術研究能力強的教授和專業領域具有該權限，因此相應地在高等教育資源的重新分配亦僅涉及此部分。研究原創性／價值性：本文提出，大學可以為應用科學大學教授擬定認可的具體標準，通過者可以平等地參與博士學位授予程序，但大學還是在制度上具有博士授予權，所以其仍能持續穩當地佔有其「最後碉堡」。這樣一來，不僅大學教授可以保質保量地參與應用科學大學之博士學位授予程序、提高自身的博士學位授予人數，並可以儘早結束博士授予權之相關爭議。

Purpose Germany's traditional system of tertiary education consists of two very different types of institutions: Regular universities and universities of applied sciences (UAS). The former emphasizes academic education and research, and the latter focuses on training in specialized technical skills. Originally the difference was quite distinct, but over time these two types of schools have developed in such a way that it's now often difficult to see the difference. Nonetheless, only universities and certain colleges (Hochschule) have the right to award doctorates; UASs can only offer doctoral degrees in cooperation with a regular university. Many see this monopoly on the conferral of doctoral degrees as the universities' final bastion for stemming the advance of UASs into their territory. When in 2013 several German states, one after another, unexpectedly proposed to extend to UASs the right to independently award doctoral degrees, this set off a heated controversy throughout German society. In this paper I present the background of this controversy, discuss related issues, and offer a suggestion for resolving the problem. Design/methodology/approach This research was conducted using document analysis. Findings In this paper I compare German universities and UASs in terms of educational emphasis (academic/non-academic), research orientation (theoretical/applied), faculty (qualifications and duties), and resource competition. I conclude that the differences between these two types of tertiary schools are insignificant and that there is therefore no valid reason to allow universities to continue to monopolize the conferral of doctoral degrees. Especially with regards to the changing mode of knowledge production, allowing UASs to award doctorates tallies with the requirements of scientific development, and would also facilitate graduates of master's degree programs to enter doctoral programs. Moreover, no states have proposed allowing all programs at all UASs to award doctorates, but rather only granting the right to existing programs which emphasize academic research in a particular discipline. Thus no redistribution of resources for higher education would be required. Originality/value I propose that universities set up a vetting process for approving qualified UAS faculty to act as faculty members of cooperative Ph.D. programs offered by universities, but that the actual conferral of the doctoral degree should still remain the exclusive right of the university. This way properly qualified UAS faculty can be brought into the Ph.D. conferral process, increasing the number of doctorates granted while allowing university professors to maintain a degree of quality control over the process, thereby bringing an early end to the controversy over the conferral of doctoral degrees.