'An-Institute' in the field of German Media and Communication. Findings from a Qualitative Study of a Certain Form of Institutionalisation of Science in Germany

The German so called 'An-Institute', i.e. independent institutes that are associated to a University, play an important role in the transfer and reception of scientific findings between different universities. They conduct research and provide developments, and they provide knowledge and technology transfer to the industry. They also partly train students. For scholars, the 'An-Institute' are institutions which can be launched relatively easy. Yet, they serve as proof of practical relevance to scientific endeavours of university units. Still, analyses of German 'An-Institute' operating in the field of media and communication have not been conducted yet. This paper examines the market of 'An-Institute' in Germany. It focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of organization from the perspective of scholars. Thus, we conducted qualitative semi- structured interviews with leaders of such institutions. The results indicate that the analysed 'An-Institute' show a very heterogeneous activity and size. According to their profiles they can be classified into three groups. These are: 'avoidance' institutions that aim at a work situation beyond German higher education policy regulations; 'entrepreneur' institutions striving for economic gain; and 'corporations or donor mediated' institutions, serving as extended workbenches in the R&D context. Adapted from the source document.