Graduates collect 800,000 euros for crises University.

It's about survival of the private University of Witten / Herdecke. Ex-students have collected a lot of money to a "hostile takeover" by an investor to thwart. The do not want to stand as a baddie - a crisis summit will be the solution. Psychological profile of a university at the abyss.

 

Daniel Berger can not believe it: "800,000 euros in just four days. That is mistaken." The 38-year-old sits in the office of his small biotechnology company in Witten, a town in the Ruhr area. Berger lives in the neighborhood, in weather Volmarstein. He is not far away from his former university, Privatuni of Witten / Herdecke - also emotional.

DPA
Search for the millions: Alumni and current students want the University of Witten / Herdecke rescue

Shortly before Christmas, North Rhine-Westphalia state funds of 4.5 million euros einbehielt, contributed Germany's oldest private university
to insolvency. "I was appalled," says Berger, my friends, alumni, as I did so too. "

At the University appreciate it very, Berger says that "Witten students undertaking their studies than to understand." And because the alumni of this study acute threat, they have something. On last Friday klemmten they stick to the phones: collect money and save the university. There, they founded the alumni association initiative UW / H. 250,000 euros should come together to Thursday, until another crisis meeting at the Ministry of Science Düsseldorfer. And after four days they had donated more than 800,000 euros commitments.

The university is on the brink, so are the objectives of the association clear. "Witten / Herdecke investors need a model," says Berger. But not just any investor model.

A battle of good and evil forces?

From the perspective of the alumni association, there is the struggle for survival exactly two parties: the fighter for the ideas of the university, the good, the special
Witten mind and want to preserve the culture. And there influential and high-yield-hungry investors with selfish interests.

Is it really this front? And who are these sinister forces? His camp is one of the Berger Foundation as operator of the university, the board of trustees, the new alumni association and the students, but also the foundation of the Darmstadt Software AG. On the other hand, graduates and students observe the approximation of the Group Holding SRH full of suspicion, as well as interference of NRW Science Minister Andreas Pinkwart (FDP).

It is about a redistribution of the shares, related to participation at the university - that collects the alumni association. "If the game is played, we want to retain 50.1 percent," said Berger. But 25.1 percent would still suck - as a blocking minority.

The Board of Trustees has the alumni pledged donations euros each with a further increased. Thus, the account is already at 1.6 million. Mitmischen want the alumni and other investors boundaries: "Who wants our money, to get it to do with us," says Berger combative.

EX-PRESIDENT IN INTERVIEW

University of Witten / Herdecke

In the wake of the crisis came as President Birger Priddat Privatuni of Witten / Herdecke back. Against the Uni-line expressed the NRW Ministry of Science harsh accusations. On blogs ONLINE Priddat talks about the money, the new beginning and countered: "The country has significant contribution to the crisis." more ...

A "Basic Law" he calls the provisional Charter Association, the peculiarities of the university said: So be it, according to Article 4 "to ensure that only the individual fitness on the approval for the study to decide," not about the money a candidate. Also, the university should undertake to "socially acceptable alternatives to completing the tuition fees during the study provided". Must also remain the fundamental studies with weekly classes on cultural, artistic and social education.

SRH: "Not interested in an overarching role"

These points are for the alumni at the core of the university, investors want it by the Charter ausbremsen - especially the Foundation Rehabilitation Heidelberg (SRH) Holding. The Hekking led by Dieter Health and Education Group operates seven hospitals and 30 educational institutions, including six private colleges with a total of approximately 5000 students. Already in the summer of 2007 she tried to Wittener shares. Infighting could break the deal, partly because the university no great influence on her approach would allow.

Today, says Nils Birschmann, spokesman and negotiator for the SRH, the university did was "impossible" behavior. Now you sit at a table again - with very different visions for the future.

According to internal records of the university, the blogs are available online, is the liquidity at the end of February to secure the
February salaries were not covered. The SRH urge an expansion of the canon of subjects and a rapid increase in the number of students in 3000 (approximately 1200) and "market-driven tuition." Precise: The university should be "sight" to 70 percent from student fees to finance the SRH students accept the company in its present form is not.

And above all: "The SRH wants until the end of the restructuring process shaping a majority of 75 percent to take the necessary measures to be implemented expeditiously," as stated in the minutes of a conversation from last Thursday. This could be the only group on the fortunes of the university determined. From the perspective of the alumni would be a "hostile takeover".

Only describes the SRH it quite differently and wants the baddie role no assumptions: "We are not a major shareholder available," said spokesman Nils Birschmann blogs online, "we want one of five or six equal partners." Even a share of 25 percent or more was not sought. Birschmann: "We have no interest in a broader role."