300 Applications for Five New Professorships
New orientation of the RWTH Aachen Faculty of Arts and Humanities receives overwhelming positive response.
The RWTH Faculty of Arts and Humanities is entering uncharted territory with its Center for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Research. Five professorships are being established and the following disciplines are being picked up: Scientific Theory and Philosophy of Technology, Applied Ethics with a focus on Technology and Environmental Ethics, Methodology and Theory of Computer-Based Humanities and Social Sciences, Technology and Society, and Technology and the Individual. The faculty council was unanimous in its decision to establish the center, located in the HumTec – Human Technology Research project house, which the Faculty will be responsible after the current Excellence Initiative period. Resound approval for the plans came by the box: almost 300 applications were submitted for the five professorships. 27 applicants have been invited to the Faculty to present themselves and their ideas to the University as part of the "Week of the Future" this week.
"Everyone wants to, but Aachen's doing it!"
The interdisciplinary center is already causing a great sensation in German higher education. Other renowned universities have similar ideas, but generally they are projects, for which the further development can't be estimated. At RWTH the research fields will be directly institutionalized by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities – without restrictions or concerns. "Everyone want to, but Aachen is doing it!," says dean Christine Roll.
The first applications arrived just a few hours after the jobs were posted. They are arriving from both within Germany and abroad – even from Singapore and Australia. "We have many distinctly good candidates," reports Roll satisfied. They all have an international profile and represent the humanities as well as mechanical engineering, physics, computer science, and medicine. "In many disciplines we feel the need to grapple with and discuss our topics and problems," added Roll.
27 Candidates Shortlisted
The application deadline was May 17, 2016, after which the five appointment committees – one for each professorship – promptly began their work. 27 candidates were shortlisted and will come to RWTH for the "Week of the Future" to give lectures on topics such as new perspectives in technology acceptance research or climate change and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities' responsibility.
The appointment committee will then decide who move ahead to the next round. Afterwards, external experts will examine the applicants carefully. By mid October appointment recommendations will be submitted to the Rectorate, with the rector officially appointing the new professors in November. After successful appointment negotiations the newly appointed professors will begin their work at RWTH on April 1, 2017.
Source: Press and Communications