For universities the appointments procedure is a central tool of quality assurance and development planning because the appointed professors significantly shape the research profile and reputation of the university. Against the background of comprehensive reform processes and increased competition, the appointment of professors as currently practiced in Germany is increasingly being examined critically. Lack of university autonomy and insufficient integration of appointments in the university’s overall strategy are as much the focus of criticism as the lack of transparency, the excessive length of the process, and inadequate quality assurance – especially in gender equality issues.

Marking the end of the 6th and start of the 7th phase of the ProFiL program, the presidents of Technische Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, and Universität Potsdam are holding a combined final and launch event, “Appointments at Universities – Experiences from Current Practice and Recommendations for the Future.”

A welcoming speech will be given by the president of Humboldt, Prof. Dr. Christoph Markschies. The opening speech will be held by a former member of the German Council of Science and Humanities, Prof. Dr. Karin Donhauser. The subsequent panel discussion will explore the question of how the appointments process can be usefully re-organized to respond better to the changed conditions in the higher education system and the interests of the stakeholders. The following guests will participate in the panel discussion:

• Prof. Dr. Karin Donhauser, Department of German Language and Linguistics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
• Dr. Martin Hellfeier, Corporate Counsel, German Association of University Professors and Lecturers
• Prof. Dr. Gertraude Krell, formerly Institute of Management, Freie Universität Berlin
• Prof. Dr. Andrea Liese, School of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Potsdam
• Prof. Dr. Susanne Schattenberg, Research Center for East European Studies, University of Bremen

Moderator: Dorothea Jansen, Scientific Coordinator, ProFiL Program

Date/Location:

• February 8, 2010, 4:30 p.m.
• Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Senate Hall in the Main Building
  Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin

Registration and further information:

Dorothea Jansen, Scientific Coordinator, c/o TU Berlin
Tel.: +49 (0)30 / 314-29304,
Email: jansen@tu-berlin.de