UAS7 International Roadshow – Your path to a professorship
The UAS7 Roadshow about "Career opportunities at German Universities of Applied Sciences" has been touring Germany since 2017. On Friday 6 May, 2022 we went international for the first time. In an online session and in English, UAS7 showcased the career path as a professor at a University of Applied Sciences (UAS). Several international professors from our member universities were invited to speak about their personal career paths.
During the 2-hour webinar, hosted by Sylke Schumann (Berlin School of Economics and Law), the participants learned more about professorships at German UAS, got first hand advice from UAS7 presidents and heard about the personal careers of international UAS7 professors.
The hybrid event, held at the premises of a Berlin Start Up Incubator housed in the old factory halls of Siemens, was opened by Prof. Dr. Andreas Zaby, UAS7 president.
The major strengths of UAS
He first outlined the Higher Education System in Germany, focusing on the role of the different types of universities. He went on to speak about the increasing importance of UAS, where about 40% of all students und 46% of freshmen start their studies. Zaby further highlighted the increasing number of vacancies at UAS and stated that it is currently the right time to apply for a professorship: „There are currently about 1,200 new professorships to be filled at UAS each year“.
He also talked about status and attractiveness of this academic profession: „You can work directly on the education of young people and contribute to social development," Prof. Dr. Zaby emphasized. "Anyone who takes on a professorship at a university of applied sciences enjoys freedom of research and teaching, has a wide range of responsibilities, is usually a civil servant for life and receives a good basic salary plus performance-related pay".
The vice president of Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr. Sonja Munz, talked about the teaching load: „Of course, this also entails rights and duties, for example 18 semester hours of teaching per week. That sounds like a lot at first, but in return you also enjoy the autonomy to shape and implement content and goals yourself."
First-hand insights by UAS7 professors
After a short break with videoclips of UAS7 international professors (to be found on this career page), five international UAS7 professors with different regional backgrounds and from different disciplines talked about their everyday professional life with Sylke Schumann.
Prof. Dr. Shoma Berkemeyer, Professor for Nutritional Sciences at Osnabrück UAS emphasized that German Higher Education experiences change and energize. She talked about the openness for internationalization at German universities and stated that scholars with foreign roots are truly welcome.
Prof. Dr. Susana Armijo-Olivo, Professor for Clinical Reasoning and Research Methodology at Osnabrück, is in a unique position: Her field of teaching is currently only offered at UAS. Osnabrück UAS explicitly asked her to maintain her ties with her international colleagues. She says that a professorship at a UAS is a demanding job, but makes her happy. What shapes her job is “liberty and freedom in research and teaching”, which she sees as important for her professional growth.
Prof. Dr. Michael Wasserman from FH Münster, where he works as a Professor for International Management, explained how he still continues working with his company network in the US. What he likes most about his job is the startup & entrepreneurial spirit students at UAS show.
From Bremen City UAS, Prof. Dr. Antonio García Marín, Professor for Mechanical Engineering, highlighted the unique opportunity at a German UAS to return to the world of science, where students really know their field. What he loves most in teaching is the eyelevel communication, the level of partnership between students and professors, that help to determine success.
Prof. Dr. Rusli, Professor for International Finance and Strategy at TH Köln, with 20 years of world experience in seven different countries, told the participants how important and beneficial professional working experience outside the academic world is for a professorship. He focuses on interdisciplinary research in collaboration with industry and politics. Rusli sees his role as a professor more as an enabler, inspirer and encourager for overall student empowerment.
This Friday afternoon, the attendees learned a lot about special appointment requirements and the many benefits of a UAS professorship. Overall, the event was a success: Interested people from many regions of Europe and all parts of the republic dialed in and learned about career prospects and the special features of the UAS7 professorship.
Missed it?
The recording of this webinar is now available on demand!
Thanks to Sylke Schumann, Andreas Zaby, Sonja Munz, the Startup Incubator Berlin and our five international professors for their valuable support!