Professorial appointments at Hamburg University of Technology are conducted in accordance with the Hamburg Higher Education Act and the university’s recruitment regulations. The aim is to complete each appointment procedure within nine months of the advertisement.

Selection and Evaluation Committee

For each faculty recruitment, the Academic Senate appoints a selection and evaluation committee. It includes at least three professors, one research assistant, one student, and two external experts appointed by the President. The Gender Equality Officer and, if applicable, the Disability Officer participate in an advisory capacity.

Committee Responsibilities

The selection and evaluation committee oversees the recruitment process for professorships. In a constituent meeting, the committee elects a chairperson, plans the recruitment schedule, and defines the selection criteria based on the job advertisement.

All applications are then reviewed to determine whether they meet the formal hiring requirements and to assess how well candidates meet the selection criteria. The most promising applicants are invited to an interview, while others are informed that their applications cannot be considered at this stage. The committee may later invite additional candidates for interviews.

Interviews and Shortlisting

Interviews consist of a research presentation, a teaching demonstration, and a personal interview with the committee. The chair provides detailed instructions on the format of these presentations. Following the interviews, the committee determines which candidates will be shortlisted. For each shortlisted applicant, at least two external experts in the relevant field provide written evaluations. In the final meeting, the committee prepares an appointment proposal containing three candidates ranked hierarchically.

Decision and Appointment

The chair writes a report on the recruitment process and then forwards the short list to the Presidential Board and the Academic Senate. The President offers the position to the top-ranked candidate. Candidates in second and third place are informed of their ranking, while all other applicants are notified that they were not included in the shortlist.

The Presidential Board subsequently negotiates the appointment with the successful candidate. If the negotiations are successful, the appointment process is completed. If the appointment negotiations are unsuccessful, the next-ranked applicant will be offered the professorship. Once a candidate accepts, all applicants are informed, and the name of the successful candidate is communicated as part of the legally required notification of competitors.