Your Path to a Professorship at HNEE

The advertisement outlines the formal and subject-specific requirements, as well as the list of documents to be submitted. It is published in specialist journals, on digital platforms, and on the university’s website.

The advertisement addresses a variety of requirements. Please don’t be discouraged by this. In your application, try to address as many points as possible and pay attention to the distinction between criteria that are essential, optional, or desirable.

Typically, the following documents are requested:

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae detailing your academic career
• List of publications and courses taught
• Academic certificates
• Proof of teaching experience
• Evidence of third-party funding acquisition
• Gender-sensitive teaching and research concept

It can also be helpful to provide references whom the appointment committee may contact.

Please note that digital application documents will be deleted after the appointment procedure is complete.

Formal and subject-specific requirements

Section 43 (1) of the Brandenburg University and College Act stipulates which (minimum) recruitment requirements for professors must be met.

The standard requirements are:

• A completed university degree and
• Pedagogical aptitude and
• Special aptitude for academic work, usually demonstrated by a qualified doctorate and
• Special achievements in the application or development of scientific knowledge and methods in at least three years of professional practice, of which at least two years must have been spent outside the university sector.

Proof of professional practice outside the university sector may also be provided if the majority of the professional activity over a period of at least three years was carried out in cooperation between the university and non-university professional practice.

IMPORTANT documents as proof of fulfilment of the formal recruitment requirements according to →§43 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 1-3 and 4 letter b and sentence 2:

• Proof of university degree
• Proof of doctorate
  • graded (considered “qualified” if completed with at least magna cum laude / very good)
  • or, in the case of a foreign ungraded doctoral certificate, supplementary documents demonstrating special quality
• Proof of professional practice
  • 3 years of professional practice, including 2 years outside the university sector
    • employment subject to social insurance contributions
    • after completion of the degree programme
    • equivalent to at least 50% of a full-time position
• For freelance or self-employed work, it is advisable to submit appropriate evidence.
• Proof of professional practice
  • 3 years of professional practice where the majority of full-time professional activity was carried out in cooperation between the university and non-university professional practice
  • Such activity is considered eligible if it involves the problem-oriented application and further development of scientific knowledge and experience gained outside basic research and made available through systematic processing

An appointment committee is formed for the selection process. Its task is to submit a proposal to the university committees, and in particular to the President, usually consisting of three ranked candidates (the so-called “appointment list”).

The composition of the appointment committee is regulated by the Brandenburg University and College Act (BbgHG) and in the → HNEE appointment regulations.

Persons who are biased within the meaning of Sections 20 and 21 of the Administrative Procedure Act or who, considering the relevant recommendations of the German Research Foundation (DFG), give cause for justified mistrust in the impartial and unbiased exercise of their duties (concern of bias), must be excluded from participating in the appointment committee.

This applies both to committee members and to experts.

After reviewing the applications, the appointment committee invites qualified candidates to a public university hearing held in person. The hearing typically includes an academic lecture and a teaching demonstration with university students, followed by a confidential, structured interview with the appointment committee.

After the in-person presentations of the candidates, the appointment proposal is prepared. As a rule, three candidates are selected for an external comparative assessment based on their application documents. According to the Higher Education Act, at least two external reviews must be provided by recognised, independent experts from outside the university who are active in the relevant field.

The purpose of the external reviews is to comparatively evaluate the academic achievements of the candidates deemed eligible for listing by the appointment committee, in relation to the requirements of the professorship, and to propose a ranking to the committee.

According to the → Brandenburg University and College Act (BbgHG), an external review may be waived if at least three external subject-matter experts from outside the university are members of the appointment committee and have participated in the decision on the appointment proposal.

The appointment committee prepares and adopts an appointment proposal, which typically includes three names listed in order of preference.

The university's internal bodies review the appointment proposal and forward it to the President for the issuance of the offer of appointment.

The President reviews the legality of the procedure and issues the offer of appointment to the first-ranked candidate on the list. The issuance of the offer is accompanied by an invitation to enter appointment negotiations.

During the appointment negotiations, discussions are held regarding material, personnel and spatial resources; responsibilities in teaching, research, knowledge transfer and academic self-governance; as well as salary components, allowances, and key aspects relating to potential civil servant status, secondary employment, and the start date of the contract.

The outcomes of the appointment negotiations are recorded in an official appointment protocol. Based on this protocol, the candidate confirms acceptance of the offer of appointment.

If the first-ranked candidate declines the appointment offer, the President will normally extend the offer to the next candidate on the list. If the appointment proposal contains no further names, the procedure is concluded.

Applicants who were not considered in the selection process will be informed after the conclusion of the appointment procedure and prior to the formal appointment or hiring of the selected candidate.

After acceptance of the offer of appointment, the procedural documents are submitted to the Ministry of Science, Research and Culture of the State of Brandenburg (MWFK). These include, among other things, a police clearance certificate and a medical report issued by a public health officer. The candidate is then either employed under a contractual arrangement or appointed to a civil servant position by the Minister.