New KIT Qualipakt Strengthens Teaching and Learning

KIT and its Students’ Union sign agreement on the allocation of quality assurance funds provided by the State.
Group photo at the signing of the KIT Qualipakt Cynthia Ruf, KIT
Vice President Stefan Schwartze, AStA Chairs Felix Häusler and Franka Fockel, Vice President Oliver Kraft, Vice Provost Student Affairs Michael Mäs, and Vice Provost Higher Education Marc Hiller (from left) after signing the 2027–2030 KIT Qualipakt.

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and KIT Students’ Union have renewed the KIT Qualipakt, which was first concluded in 2015. It governs the allocation of the quality assurance funds provided by the State of Baden-Württemberg for teaching and learning and safeguards student participation.

On September 14, Vice Presidents Dr. Stefan Schwartze and Professor Oliver Kraft signed the agreement on behalf of the KIT Executive Board, while Felix Häusler and Franka Fockel signed on behalf of the General Students’ Committee (AStA). The pact will run from January 1, 2027, until the end of the 2026-2030 Higher Education Funding Agreement.

“Our teaching benefits when those for whom it is designed can contribute their experience and perspectives to its further development. With the new KIT Qualipakt, we give students a direct say over a share of the quality assurance funds that goes far beyond the budget earmarked by the state for student proposals,” says Oliver Kraft, Vice President Academic Affairs.

More Funding, more Student Participation

All quality assurance funds remain part of KIT’s core funding. This includes the budget allocated to the KIT Quality Pact. Starting in 2027, this budget will increase from four million euros annually to five million – with an annual growth rate of 3.5 percent through 2030.

Thirty-five percent of the Qualipakt funds will be awarded centrally through a call for proposals. A committee comprising students, members elected by the KIT Senate, and the responsible KIT Vice President decides which projects will receive funding. The KIT Departments and their respective student councils jointly decide how the decentralized share of 65 percent is used. This allows established processes for student participation to continue and supports the development and piloting of new teaching and learning formats.

jha, September 29, 2026