Study on abuse of power at German music academies

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From May 2026, the HfMT Hamburg will be participating in a nationwide, independent, cross-university study on the manifestations and prevention of abuse of power at German music universities. The study is being commissioned by the Rectors' Conference of German Music Universities in the HRK (RKM) and will be conducted by the independent Institute for Practice Research and Project Consulting (IPP) in Munich.

The Institut für Praxisforschung und Projektberatung (IPP) Munich was commissioned to conduct the study. The study is independent and completely anonymous.

The study comprises both a broad-based online survey (May 2026) and four in-depth qualitative case studies at selected universities (2026). Students and teachers at 22 German universities of music are surveyed.

The aim of the study is to gain the first comprehensive and reliable insights into the extent and manifestations of abuse of power at German conservatoires. It will also look at structural peculiarities at the conservatoires and examine the effectiveness of existing preventative and sanctioning measures at the conservatoires.
Qualitative findings, differentiated according to subject areas and university-specific characteristics, will be obtained, and structural characteristics of teaching formats, such as individual artistic lessons or small group lessons, will be examined with regard to possible risks and protective factors. Finally, the effectiveness of existing preventive and sanctioning measures at the university will be examined - also in the context of the recommendations for action on dealing with abuse of power at music universities adopted by the Rectors' Conference of German Music Universities (RKM) in May 2024.

Online survey from May 4 to 31, 2026
From May 4 to 31, 2026, students and teachers at the participating conservatoires are invited to take part in a nationwide online survey. Participation is voluntary.

Students and teachers can find further information on participation on the HfMT intranet.