Performance-based pay at universities: Can the proposed reform prevent a brain-drain of young academics?

Edelgard Bulmahn, Minister of Education and Research, has presented her re-form plans for university employment. In future, university teachers' pay will be performance based, and better working conditions will be established for young academics. For Hans Zehetmair, Bavarian Minister for Science, Research and Culture, professors' pay should be more strongly related to performance, "since this is the only way to continue to be successful in the international competition for outstanding academics". Strong criticism, however, has come from those affected. Prof. Hartmut Schiedemair, President of the German University Fed-eration, Prof. Klaus M. Schmidt, University of Munich, and Prof. Alfred Kiesser, University of Mannheim, oppose the reform measures and fear that "these re-forms are not intended to shape new policies with the help of those affected but that policies are being made to the detriment of those affected".