One of Germany's top universities has been criticised for "abandoning" the country's language as plans were unveiled to teach all of its masters' courses in English.
Munich Technical University (TUM) is ranked 53rd in the world but has angered politicians and students alike following the announcement.
The institution's president Wolfgang Herrmann explained the decision was made in order to send a "strong signal" to the business world.
"English is the lingua franca in academia and of the economy," he told the Süddeutsche Zeitung paper.
According to the university, the plans were made following demands for students. But Sebastian Biermann, chair of TUM's student body, told The Local: "This came from the university's management, not from students or the university's departments.
"Generally switching all master's degrees to English is something we view rather critically."
Johannes Singhammer, a German politician wrote to the university's president criticising the decision.
"It would be the wrong signal to send if the impression was given that German was no longer suitable for technical studies and ready to be discarded on the scrapheap of former high-level languages," he wrote.
"Abandoning German as an academic language poses the risk of economic disadvantages."
A 2010 study by the higher education think tank the HIS Institute found publishing scientific findings in the English language was the "only way [for German academics] to be noticed by the international scientific community".
Munich Technical University (TUM) is ranked 53rd in the world but has angered politicians and students alike following the announcement.
The institution's president Wolfgang Herrmann explained the decision was made in order to send a "strong signal" to the business world.
"English is the lingua franca in academia and of the economy," he told the Süddeutsche Zeitung paper.
According to the university, the plans were made following demands for students. But Sebastian Biermann, chair of TUM's student body, told The Local: "This came from the university's management, not from students or the university's departments.
"Generally switching all master's degrees to English is something we view rather critically."
Johannes Singhammer, a German politician wrote to the university's president criticising the decision.
"It would be the wrong signal to send if the impression was given that German was no longer suitable for technical studies and ready to be discarded on the scrapheap of former high-level languages," he wrote.
"Abandoning German as an academic language poses the risk of economic disadvantages."
A 2010 study by the higher education think tank the HIS Institute found publishing scientific findings in the English language was the "only way [for German academics] to be noticed by the international scientific community".