Taking German studies at Tampere University as an example, this article discusses the ways by which the unity of research and teaching might be safeguarded in post-democratically governed entrepreneurial universities. Chapter 1 discusses the origins of the idea of the unity of research and teaching in the European Enlightenment and German neo-humanism, and it reports how this very idea -internationally famous as the Humboldtian ideal -was introduced to Finnish academic life by J. V. Snellman. Chapter 2 sums up the current international discussion of how the unity of research and teaching, nowadays known as 'inquirybased' or 'research-based' teaching, might be implemented in modern academic teaching. Chapter 3 highlights some of the dangers that threaten the unity of research and teaching at neoliberally governed entrepreneurial universities: they drastically reduce the individual freedom of researchers and students and at the same time drastically extend the powers of the university management. Chapter 4 presents two ways by which inquiry-based teaching can be protected against neoliberal threats. Firstly, the building blocks of the German studies program, which enable students to thoroughly acquire the principles of conducting research, are described in detail. Secondly, while these building blocks of academic working and writing must be completed by all students during their course of study, voluntary short-term studentrun research projects are presented as an additional way of protecting research-based teaching against the threats of post-democratic universities. The function and structure as well as the strengths and weaknesses of such student-led research projects are also discussed in detail. Chapter 5 argues that much more research is needed to acquire a more comprehensive picture of how the unity of research and teaching is implemented and safeguarded in German Studies worldwide.