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Overview: Academic career

The doctorate is the first step in embarking on an academic career. The postdoctoral phase serves to further develop and raise your profile. As a rule, the appointment to a lifetime professorship or a comparable academic position marks the transition to the next career phase. We will give you an overview of the opportunities available to you at Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin.

Your career opportunities at Humboldt-Universit?t

Das Bild zeigt einen modernen Innenraum mit einem klaren Fokus auf Holzelemente und Glas. Im Vordergrund ist ein Holzgel?nder zu sehen, das glatt und poliert aussieht und eine warme, natürliche Farbe hat. Das Gel?nder verl?uft diagonal durch das Bild und trennt den Vordergrund vom Hintergrund.
Photo: Stefan Klenke

Your career opportunities at Humboldt-Universit?t

International Research

During the exciting time of your doctorate, you should not miss the opportunity to explore the world. A stay abroad and participation in international conferences are not only recommended, but also crucial for building a global academic network. We have compiled offers for international doctoral candidates.

Das Bild zeigt eine urbane Szene, vermutlich vor einem Gesch?ft oder einer Bar. Im Vordergrund steht ein rotes Schild mit wei?er Schrift und einem wei?en Pfeil, das das Wort "OPEN" in gro?en Buchstaben zeigt. Der Pfeil weist nach links, was darauf hindeutet, dass der Eingang in diese Richtung liegt. Links vom Schild steht ein kleiner roter Hocker mit silbernen Beinen.
Photo: Stefan Klenke

International Research

During the exciting time of your doctorate, you should not miss the opportunity to explore the world. A stay abroad and participation in international conferences are not only recommended, but also crucial for building a global academic network. We have compiled offers for international doctoral candidates.

We are Humboldt. Are you too?

What is truth? What are the prerequisites for freedom of will? In order to get anywhere at all in answering such questions, the only thing that helps is a systematic debate among experts.

Dr Romy Jaster

Institute of Philosophy. Among other things, she is part of the management team of the DFG priority programme "Rethinking Disinformation"
Philosophin und Professorin Dr. Romy Jaster mit ihrem Hund an einer Stra?enecke in Berlin.

Dr Romy Jaster

Institute of Philosophy. Among other things, she is part of the management team of the DFG priority programme "Rethinking Disinformation"

There is a lot at stake in the question of whether free will is an illusion.

Prof Dr Geert Keil

Institute of Philosophy, Professor of Philosophical Anthropology
Prof. Dr. Geert Keil lehnt an einer H?userwand an einer Stra?enecke in Berlin.

Prof Dr Geert Keil

Institute of Philosophy, Professor of Philosophical Anthropology

Researchers are constantly asking new questions about collections, and they need to be optimally catalogued and made digitally accessible.

Yong-Mi Rauch

Head of the Historical Collections Department of the University Library
Yong-Mi Rauch lehnt an einer Hauswand in einer Berliner Stra?e.

Yong-Mi Rauch

Head of the Historical Collections Department of the University Library

Questions & answers about an academic career at the HU

  • R1 - First Stage Researcher: includes researchers up to the completion of their doctorate. They still work under close supervision and acquire basic skills to qualify for various career goals.
  • R2 - Recognised Researcher: refers to the early postdoc phase, usually two to four years after the doctorate. Postdocs at this stage have already made their first academic contributions, but are not yet working completely independently in research and teaching. Typical for this phase, which primarily serves to orientate oneself in science, gain international experience and develop one's own profile, are temporary third-party funded positions either within the framework of existing projects or on the basis of project or personal funding acquired by the postdoc.
  • R3 - Established Researcher: refers to postdocs in an advanced phase, usually four to eight years after their doctorate, who already have a high degree of academic independence and are qualified for a professorship. From this point onwards, it is typical to take on a third-party funded junior research group leader, write a habilitation thesis or take on a junior professorship with or without tenure track.
  • R4 - Leading Researcher: no longer represents a qualification level, but marks the highest degree of academic independence. Researchers at this level define and develop their specialism independently, for example as professors or heads of research institutes.
Die Grafik zeigt die Karrierephasen R1-R4 in aufsteigenden Balken. R1 beschreibt die First Stage Researcher (R2) die Recognized (R4), die Leading Resercher (R3) die Establishes Reserarcher u
Mit ?Promoting Talent“ bietet die Berlin University Alliance Programme für alle Karrierestufen von BUA-Forscher*innen an. Die Stufen orientieren sich an der Kategorisierung der Europ?ischen Kommission für die akademischen Leistungsstufen R1-R4. Photo: Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin

At Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin you can pursue the following career paths:

  1. Doctorate
  2. Postdoc phase
  3. Professorship

Note: In Berlin, appointment to a junior professorship is only possible with a fixed tenure-track commitment to a lifetime professorship. This is stipulated in the Berlin Higher Education Act (see §101, §102, §102a, §102b, §102c).

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