TT-Interviews
Prof. Dr. Michael Hoch, President of the University of Bonn
From your perspective, what is the significance of the tenure-track professorship in Germany’s scientific system?
The significance is high and continues to grow – which is a very positive trend! Germany’s scientific system now has an additional career path to a professorship aside from the “classic” habilitation path. Clear prospects are established for tenure and also for higher-ranking professorships. This provides considerably better support for the development of outstanding talent and for personal career management and planning, which automatically makes universities more attractive. This attractiveness is fundamental. Clearly, we are not only engaged in fierce international competition for the best researchers and faculty. Demographic change and the associated general shortage of skilled workers also require universities to be competitive in order to attract, recruit and retain the brightest minds of all generations and from around the world.
When you consider the scientific culture at your university, would you say the introduction of the tenure-track professorship caused a cultural change?
The University of Bonn introduced the tenure-track professorship back in 2009. Recognising a new career path requires change, especially also in the various disciplines. This has doubtlessly been successful! tenure-track professorships are now offered by us in all faculties and in our TRAs, the transdisciplinary research areas. This clearly indicates just how positive the experiences have been and are. Also for the tenure-track professors themselves, who tell us that they view this path as a great opportunity for their career.
What influence does the introduction of the tenure-track professorship in Germany have on the international attractiveness and competitiveness of your university?
Habilitation is not necessarily established in other scientific systems. The so-called second book is also an obstacle for many who want to qualify for a lifelong professorship through great monographic or cumulative research performance. This can be a reason why someone does not want to enter the German scientific system. That’s exactly where the tenure-track professorship improves our international competitiveness. We need it to attract international, excellent scientists from around the world or to prevent them from leaving.
What opportunities does the tenure-track professorship offer for scientists in an early career phase?
Reliability and predictability with regard to one’s career and the transparency of the evaluation procedure. Especially for scientists in an early career phase, where this step coincides with a special phase in family life, this can be a great opportunity. At the University of Bonn, we also offer a range of qualification formats in the area of personnel development. Naturally, these consider career paths outside of science as well, for instance in scientific management. The path to a career other than a lifelong professorship is also an opportunity offered by the tenure track.
In your opinion, what’s important in designing the evaluation procedures? How are professors supported in preparing for that?
The University of Bonn with its standards of excellence establishes the evaluation criteria for the interim and final evaluations at the time the professorship is advertised. This is important in order to establish clear and consistent expectations at the time of application. At the same time, the criteria have to meet overarching standards. We have agreed on university-wide guidelines for the design of the criteria in our tenure track policy. Various faculty-level and overarching bodies and authorities at our university are involved in the evaluation procedure itself, ensuring objectivity, transparency and quality. Personnel Development and Appointment Management offer information and advice to help tenure-track professors prepare. For example, they have access to coaching sessions on topics of their choice, training in various areas and networking activities. If they want, they can also choose a mentor for support in the tenure-track professorship. Annual status meetings with the responsible dean are also mandatory at our university, ensuring that scientists receive regular feedback on their development even before the actual evaluation process.
What support is offered at your university to promote work/family balance? How does this address the needs of scientists in an early career phase?
We are certified as a family-friendly university and have various bodies that support different facets of work/family balance. For example, we have a very successful onboarding service that assists professors in all professional and private matters pertaining to their work with us, even before the commencement of their duties. Our family office also provides advice and support for topics such as childcare, maternity protection, parental leave and caring for relatives. Then there is the broad range of offers and lines of funding of the equal treatment office, the prorectorate and the staff unit for equal opportunities and diversity. Help with finding daycare spaces and with school registration are the most common requests. Here we provide all the support we can. We also offer emergency and holiday childcare as well as babysitting. In addition, we are observing a development that pleases me greatly; where conditions permit, children are being brought along to lectures and courses, not only by faculty but also by the students.