Overview

• The University of the Arts Berlin (UdK) students covered the main building in black fabric to symbolize the void left by cuts to art, culture, and education funding.
• The Berlin Senate has imposed over 8% budget cuts on higher education, with the UdK facing an €8 million reduction, leading to a 30% cut in teaching budgets.
• Students and faculty report immediate impacts, including canceled lectures, unfilled professor positions, reduced materials, and increased financial burdens on students.
• The protest, organized by the 'Bildung braucht Budget' initiative, criticized the Senate for neglecting education and culture as vital pillars of Berlin's identity and economy.
• UdK President Norbert Palz and faculty members warn that continued cuts could lead to a crisis, undermining the university's ability to function and threatening Berlin's cultural future.