Transfer Professorships

Prerequisites

Transfer professorships at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam are awarded to appointed professors for a maximum of three years. During this time, their teaching load can be reduced to at least 10 LVS in order to devote more time to transfer topics. This includes, for example, the expansion of transfer and networking activities along the university's profile lines or the development of new profiles of strategic importance. Transfer professorships are particularly involved in the implementation of cooperative projects with stakeholders from business, politics, civil society and administration and address social challenges.

According to the Brandenburg Higher Education Act, a maximum of 10% of professorships may be designated as transfer professorships.

Three types of transfer professorships are envisaged:

(1) Third-party funded transfer professorship: For the realization of one or more acquired and third-party funded projects of knowledge and technology transfer or cooperation projects with business, civil society or politics, which requires time resources.

(2) Strategic transfer professorship: Establishment on the basis of a target agreement between the university management and the professor, combined with the task of developing a strategic transfer project, for example to strengthen and deepen the profile lines, to apply methodological approaches in practice or to expand partnerships with practice partners.

(3) Transfer professorships by lottery (transfer sprints): Drawing of lots after a professor has applied on the basis of a university-wide call for innovative transfer projects.

Decision and awarding

The decision on the allocation of externally funded and strategic transfer professorships is made by the President. The basis for the decision is an application from the professor and the approval of the dean of the respective faculty. Applications for strategic transfer professorships are also reviewed and recommended externally.

The selection of transfer professorships by lot is carried out in a public university meeting under the supervision of the university's election committee. The President makes the final allocation.

Legal basis

The Brandenburg Higher Education Act regulates professors specialising in transfer in Section 50 (4). It states:

(4) Universities may provide for a focus on transfer for professorships whose activities are significantly characterised by involvement in knowledge and technology transfer projects or overarching tasks in knowledge and technology transfer (transfer professorship). The assumption of a transfer professorship is tied to the corresponding task fulfilment. The proportion of these professorships in the total number of professorships at a university may not exceed 10 per cent. The teaching commitments of professors with a focus on transfer may not be more than 50 per cent less than the teaching commitments of professors at this university without a focus.

Details on the three specializations, terms, and application procedures are regulated by the statutes on the awarding of transfer professorships.