Professors for the Future - Recruitment and development of professorial staff at the THGAProf@THGA - talent factory for the professors of tomorrow

In a world where technological and scientific innovation is becoming increasingly complex, a diverse perspective is crucial. The ProF@THGA project specifically promotes equal opportunities and diversity in teaching and research in order to create a fair and diverse university environment. Our work package “Promoting equal opportunities and diversity” aims to increase the proportion of women in engineering and among professors. Through their visibility and their position as role models, women help to promote an inclusive and future-oriented engineering culture at the THGA.

1. Women in teaching and career advancement

By awarding teaching assignments, we would like to offer qualified women the opportunity to try their hand at teaching, get to know the THGA and gain insights into the career path “UAS-professorship”. In this way, we create a platform that:

• gives women access to teaching,
• introduces them to work at universities of applied sciences,
• shows perspectives on how a professorship can be achieved as a career goal.

Further information can be found in the flyer “Women into lecture halls”.

2. Voluntary commitment to more gender equality in appointments: THGA follows HRK resolution

The THGA has agreed to the resolution of the “German Rectors’ Conference” to promote gender equality in appointments and has signed the corresponding voluntary commitment. The aim is to reduce structural gender inequalities and ensure fair gender representation in professorships. Five key areas of action have been identified: active recruitment, gender-equitable appointment procedures, fair remuneration structures, institutional anchoring of gender sensitivity and systematic monitoring. In the long term, these measures should contribute to a cultural change and more equality at universities.

A detailed description of the objectives on the path to greater gender equality can be found here.

3. Planned women engineers conference “SheEngage” (08. - 09.04.2025)

A central highlight of our project will be the women engineers' conference “SheEngage: Networking and Career Strategies”, which will take place on April 08 and 09, 2025. This conference is aimed at women in technical and scientific disciplines and aims to:

• offer networking opportunities,
• demonstrate strategic career approaches,
• make women aware of the THGA and an academic career.

This initiative is intended to establish a new format that encourages women to aspire to a professorship at a UAS.

Click here to register.

You can find the program here.

A total of four postdoc positions are available as part of the project, which offer doctoral candidates the opportunity to gain the necessary professional experience outside of academia in cooperation with a company. With the recent filling of these postdoc tandem positions, we have taken another important step towards promoting young academics.

It is particularly pleasing that we were able to achieve gender parity in this context: Of the four positions to be filled, two have been filled by female engineers.

The THGA has set itself the goal of increasing the attractiveness of the UAS-professorship. Various concepts are to be used, e.g. the creation of image videos. A first video has been realized in cooperation with the “Regionalverband Ruhr”, based in Essen. Further image films were produced in 2024. The nationwide UAS professorship campaign also provides information on the general requirements, opportunities and paths to a UAS-professorship.

The introduction of specialised professorships is also intended to increase the attractiveness of a UAS-professorship. Further objectives are the development of teaching innovations, the initiation of collaborations, the intensification of transfer relationships and the implementation of research projects. At the same time, the university's profile areas, which are linked to the THGA's development goals, will be strengthened.

In the first phase, four specialised professorships have already helped to support the project, including with regard to increasing the proportion of women in research and teaching.

The second phase began in the winter semester 2024/25. A total of three professors were selected from the group of applicants, who will now pursue different objectives for a period of four semesters in the areas of teaching innovations, promoting research priorities, increasing the proportion of female teaching staff and intensifying cooperation with industry.

In order to increase the attractiveness of the professorship, the THGA has developed an onboarding and qualification program for newly appointed professors. This enables newly appointed professors to successfully fulfil their tasks in all required areas after a certain training period and to take responsibility for shaping the future of the THGA.

In order to provide targeted support, a concept is currently being developed in collaboration with the partner BO-I-T for the procurement of third-party funding and the preparation of successful project applications.