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News from Hamburg: Top professorships strengthen the scientific landscape!
Several new professors are starting in Hamburg, while others are retiring. UHH is applying for the tenure track program to promote young scientists.
News from Hamburg: Top professorships strengthen the scientific landscape!
A lot has been happening at the University of Hamburg in the last few weeks, which continues to establish itself as an attractive location for young scientists. As the University of Hamburg Reportedly, several professors have accepted new positions at the university, which brings a breath of fresh air to the various departments.
The university is pleased to welcome several well-known newcomers. Prof. Dr. Philipp Porada will take over the professorship for “Ecological Modeling” and starts on October 1st, 2025. Also Prof. Dr. Julian Holstein has decided on the W2 professorship in “String Geometry”, also starting on October 1st, 2025. Furthermore, Prof. Dr. Katharina Walgenbach from the FernUniversität in Hagen has accepted a position for the W3 professorship in “Educational Science, especially Education and Society”, which she will take up from January 1st, 2026. Prof. Dr. Julia Nantke, also part of the new additions, will work in the emerging discipline of “Modern German Literary Studies with a focus on Digital Humanities for font artifacts”, also from October 2025.
Academic honors and upcoming retirements
But that's not all: the university also honors its own employees. On May 22, 2025, PD Dr. Gabriele Escherich was awarded the title of Professor, followed by Dr. Boris Dzida, who also received this award on June 4, 2025. PD Dr. Monika Pötter-Nerger was finally appointed professor on June 12, 2025. Their persistence and excellent research have been rewarded.
On the other hand, two long-time employees of the University of Hamburg are using their retirement on July 31, 2025 as an opportunity to say goodbye to the university: Dr. Andreas Pommerening-Röser, who has been active since 1997, and Barbara Gutzeit, who has been part of the university family since 2008. In addition, Prof. Dr. Jannis Androutsopoulos will celebrate his quarter century at the university on July 1, 2025. What a reason to celebrate!
The tenure track program: An opportunity for young scientists
A centerpiece of this realignment is the tenure track program that the University of Hamburg has launched. The aim is to support young scientists in a structured manner and to provide them with clear career paths. The principle of “getting – promoting – retaining” is taken into account, which makes it clear that the university not only wants to recruit talent, but also wants to provide them with the best possible support. The Tenure Track Initiative is a valuable addition to the classic career model and has already been anchored in a statute that has existed since 2014 and was adapted in 2018.
A key element of the program is the transparent career entry, which offers predictable career prospects. Anyone who applies for a tenure-track professorship has the prospect of a lifetime professorship after a successful evaluation phase of a maximum of six years. This is not only a benefit for the junior professors, but also for the entire university landscape. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research has budgeted one billion euros by 2032 to establish tenure-track professorships across Germany and to promote a new culture in universities.
The plan is working: by May 31, 2023, 971 tenure-track professorships have already been created, and the proportion of women is an impressive 49.1 percent. Figures like these show that the change process is working and offers opportunities that never existed before.
The University of Hamburg is optimistic about the future and is strongly committed to promoting young talent. Everything seems to be ready for a dynamic new beginning in science.