The third Amendment to the Higher Education Law of the German Federal Republic

The article describes and analyses some of the important changes which have been brought about by the most recent Amendment to the 1976 Higher Education Law. It attempts to show the rationale for some of these changes and to give a flavour of the public debate surrounding the new legislation. The following issues are discussed: university democracy, research, staff structure, the curriculum, the problems of non-university institutions and the position of comprehensive universities.