Rector (m/f, Foundation Chair)

The Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg (HWK) Institute for Advanced Study wishes to appoint, if possible with a commencement date of 1 September 2018, a new

Rector (m/f, Foundation Chair)

for a five-year term with the opportunity for reappointment.

The HWK is a non-profit foundation, incorporated under German civil law by the federal states of Bremen and Lower Saxony and the City of Delmenhorst. Based in Delmenhorst, it was founded in 1995. Since 2012, the HWK has been a member of NetIAS, the European Network of Institutes for Advanced Study. In cooperation with the Universities of Oldenburg and Bremen, the HWK promotes national, international and interdisciplinary collaboration between academics who are outstanding in their field. A particular focus lies on identifying the next generation of research talent.

The HWK invites high-calibre researchers from all over the world to apply for fellowships of up to ten months’ duration, during which period the Fellows live and work at the HWK. The Fellows are selected in a competitive process on the basis of written applications, incl. research proposals. Alongside the fellowships, the HWK’s work is characterised by small-scale academic conferences, interdisciplinary workshops and public events. Currently, the Institute is concentrating on four research areas – Brain, Earth, Energy and Society – and, to a lesser degree, on programmes that establish a link between the arts and science. More details on the HWK’s work can be found at www.h-w-k.de. In April 2017, the German Council of Science and Humanities made recommendations in support of the HWK’s future development.

The Rector acts as the academic head of the Institute while managing ongoing business in his/her capacity as Chair of the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg Foundation. He/she will

• with the guidance of the HWK’s Scientific Advisory Board and scientific officers, develop and implement the Institute’s academic programme,
• be responsible for the HWK’s strategic development and will guide this in conjunction with the Scientific Advisory Board and scientific officers,
• together with a committed team, create the conditions needed for lively and creative exchange within the HWK and for fruitful cooperation between the HWK and research institutions across north-western Germany,
• be responsible for the selection of Fellows (with the support of the Scientific Advisory Board),
• represent the Foundation both internally and externally,
• prepare and implement the decisions of the Foundation Council.

The Institute is seeking an internationally outstanding academic leader whose authority and charisma extends beyond his/her scientific discipline. In particular, the candidate should have a personal connection with interdisciplinary research and be able to promote discourse and synergies both within and between the HWK's fields of research. At the same time, the candidate will be responsible for representing and communicating the work of the HWK externally. To fulfil these requirements, a person is sought with both an outstanding academic profile and excellent communication and social skills. A very good command of German and English is also essential.

In addition, the applicant must have a proven track record in the field of academic management and demonstrate extensive experience of leadership.

It is possible that the position will be combined with an affiliation at the University of Bremen or the University of Oldenburg. The place of employment is Delmenhorst. Remuneration is subject to individual agreement. Further information can be obtained from the Chair of the Selection Committee, Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Hinrichs (khinrichs@uni-bremen.de).

The HWK is committed to increasing the proportion of women in academic positions and therefore explicitly invites applications from suitably qualified women.

Applications from candidates with a disability will be given priority consideration if they are personally and academically qualified for the position.

So that your application can be considered without restriction, please send it by 26 July 2017 – preferably by email – in the form of a single PDF file to the

Vorsitzender der Findungskommission
Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Hinrichs (– persönlich –)
Universität Bremen, MARUM
Postfach 330 440
D-28334 Bremen, Germany
Email: khinrichs@uni-bremen.de