go-2-prof:in: Recruitment and development of professorial staff at HAW Hamburg

At a glance

• As an employer, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg) is in fierce competition with industry and universities. Vacant professorships in the engineering faculty at the university mean fewer qualification possibilities for students and, ultimately, fewer trained specialists for the energy transition.
• The joint project go-2-prof:in therefore aims to improve the quantity and quality of applications for new professorships.
• In its subproject, Fraunhofer IWES is implementing a range of academic personnel development measures in collaboration with HAW Hamburg. 

The challenge

Shaping the energy transition requires specialists with good training in both the theory and its practical applications. Universities of applied sciences (UAS) offer students excellent opportunities for this. However, the UAS must be in a position to employ sufficiently qualified professorial staff for practice-related teaching.

HAW Hamburg is faced with extremely fierce competition when it comes to recruiting professors, particularly for the engineering faculty. Not only the high salaries in industry but also the increasing visibility of the other universities in Hamburg and their career paths render the search for suitable candidates difficult. 

The solution

This is where the joint project go-2-prof:in comes in. The strategic goal is to improve the quantity and quality of applications for filling new professorships. To this end, the visibility of HAW Hamburg as an attractive employer and the career path as a UAS professor will be strengthened, the attractiveness of a professorship increased, and development paths towards a professorship at HAW Hamburg strategically designed.

Fraunhofer IWES is collaborating with HAW Hamburg in a subproject to develop joint personnel development measures between the two institutes. This includes the setting up and development of joint doctoral and tandem positions in the field of engineering, which will form a basis for strategic personnel recruitment at HAW Hamburg. 

For example, candidates who have already earned a doctorate with an academic background will be able to gain the practical experience at IWES that they will require for a position as a UAS professor and thus become eligible for employment, or jointly selected doctoral candidates will be able to gather the teaching experience at the UAS that they require for a successful application for a professorship. In addition, in cooperation with HAW Hamburg, Fraunhofer IWES will also identify research fields that could be strengthened via the creation of a specialized professorship.

The added value

go-2-prof:in will ensure that more candidates with excellent practical- and research-related training are appointed to a professorship that can considerably boost the attractiveness of degree programs in engineering at HAW Hamburg. In the long term, this will help to combat the shortage of skilled workers, particularly in this specialist field so important for the energy transition. At the same time, the joint measures will encourage a stronger bond between HAW Hamburg and Fraunhofer IWES for future-oriented development, especially where dual study programs and the development of joint research projects are concerned.