University of Hildesheim

The University of Hildesheim (UH) emerged from a Teacher’s Training University founded in 1946 and today has four divisions: "Educational and Social Sciences", "Cultural Studies and Aesthetic Communication", "Linguistics and Information Science" and "Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Economics and Computer Science". As indicated in its 2008 mission statement, the UH defines itself as both a high-profile and student university as well as a foundation.

In 2013, the UH released its MINERVA 2020 development plan which emphasizes that one of the university’s strategic objectives is the targeted support and promotion of young scholars at an early stage in their careers. In 2017, the university adopted further guidelines on academic personnel development entitled, "Making academe attractive as a profession - Good and fair working and employment conditions for academic mid-level staff".

Indeed, a very important goal at UH is to make career paths more predictable and transparent in order to attract the best scholars and keep them at the university for the long term. In this context, the UH will use the grant to systematically implement “tenure track” as an additional attractive career path to a professorship and to apply it university-wide and sustainably. Thereby, in addition to further increasing its competitiveness and improving career access, the UH will also contribute to the visibility of the tenure-track career path in general, especially at smaller universities.

Moreover, a formalized procedure for filling permanent positions, and the creation of new job types alongside the professorship (Senior Researcher, Senior Lecturer), will improve the predictability and attractiveness of academic careers at UH.