Double trouble at Weihenstephan

The story so far. With Prof Back and Prof Geiger nearing retirement, the Technical University as early as 2006 set in motion the protracted search process for an outstanding, internationally renowned expert in the fields of brewing and beverage production who would allow Weihenstephan to maintain its reputation as a world-class centre for brewing research and teaching.

The Bavarian Brewers’ Association, at this stage, was fully aware of the university’s plan to reduce the number of chairs to only one from previously two. The changing economic environment, financial constraints, the future of academia – the university gave the usual spiel in support of this drastic cutback.

However, the president of the Technical University, Prof Wolfgang Herrmann, promised that the new chair in brewing would be awarded the same number of assistants – eleven – as the joint Prof Back and Prof Geiger chairs.

Alas, after the first lot of applicants had been reviewed, the university’s search committee realised that not a single candidate fulfilled the requirements. That’s when an eminent envoy was sent out into the world to approach those exceptionally high potentials in the brewing and beverage industry, who should have applied for the job but, for one reason or another, did not.

Although the envoy promised these “maybe”-candidates full confidentiality, it usually took only a week and their names were leaked to the industry which set in motion the well-known gossip machine with the result that all “maybe”-candidates immediately turned into “certainly-not”-candidates.

At the end of November last year, the search committee had to admit that its hunt for an industry applicant had proven unsuccessful and that the retirement of Prof Back and Prof Geiger at the end of the winter semester (31 March 2009) was approaching fast.

What was to be done? As if he had been waiting for this opportunity, Prof Herrmann did a jester’s hat trick and appointed the first-ranking academic on the list as successor. Not enough, he also cut the position’s total staff allowance to only five and a half.

The students’ representative on the search committee, a real heroine by all accounts, rose up in arms. The president’s favoured candidate had not only been found lacking as a teacher when he delivered his applicant lecture, what is more he did not have many ticks on his research scorecard either.

The president’s number one candidate turned out to be a youngish academic whose expertise was in engineering and process technology. Unfortunately, he had very little to show for himself when it came to brewing. And he was to become the figurehead of Weihenstephan’s brewing excellence?

The Bavarian Brewers’ Association, although dismayed at the way the succession had been handled, nevertheless decided to refrain from voicing any criticism in public as they considered it an internal academic conflict.

But not any longer.

After all, the German brewing industry and its affiliated industries, for years, had contributed to third-party funds which had kept 50 jobs in Weihenstephan going and in thus doing had prevented brewing research from collapsing altogether.

They did not do this out of the kindness of their hearts. They had a strong reason for their generosity: Most of Germany’s 1,200 breweries or so rely on Weihenstephan for the training of brewers and for advancements in brewing science and technology which they all share.

German brewers were miffed. They had been slapped in the face by the university’s president and they were supposed to say “thank you” too.

On 2 February 2008 Germany’s brewing industry bodies staged a public protest in Weihenstephan. Well aware that the candidate may have already signed his contract, they now place their hopes on Bavaria’s Minister for the Sciences. The minister has the final say in academic appointments. To date he has not placed his signature on the appointment documents. So there is still a chance that the president’s decision may be revoked.

Whatever the outcome of this sad and sorry affair, fee-paying students have every reason to be angry with the university. As the new professor was not appointed on time, many have had to abandon research projects or even academic careers.

Besides, don’t even think about the damage this has done to Weihenstephan’s international reputation.