TUM invites international postdoc candidates to “Research Opportunities Week”
One week at TUM for the chance of a one year scholarship
Want to find out if your research interests align with TUM’s strategy and strengths? How good are the facilities at a German University of Excellence? And how does a postdoc go about their work at TUM? Young scientists planning their future careers can find it hard to judge these factors from a distance. So TUM has decided to dedicate an entire week to prospective researchers, giving them a chance to find out the answers for themselves.
170 postdoc candidates applied to take part in TUM’s first “Research Opportunities Week”. In the week beginning March 18, 45 young scientists from 25 countries − among them researchers from renowned universities like Harvard, Princeton and Lausanne − will have the chance to get to know the university. The program will include campus tours, discussions with academics and members of the Board of Management, plus group leisure activities to gain insights into work at TUM and life in the Munich region.
Half of the week will be devoted to discussions on the participants’ research topics. If interests coincide, the 30 best postdocs will have a chance of being awarded a one-year scholarship to carry out research at TUM. The postdocs can extend their stay at TUM by a further year with third-party funding.
Postdocs tend to be underrepresented at German universities
This twice-yearly event is part of TUM’s institutional strategy, for which it was singled out in the 2012 German Excellence Initiative. One major aim of this concept is to attract significantly more international talent to the university. To achieve this aim, TUM has put an active headhunting campaign in place. In addition, a Tenure Track system, which is unique throughout Germany, has been set up to develop the careers of researchers with postdoctoral experience.
Overall, the university plans to increase the number of positions for postdoc researchers. Even though postdocs are key contributors to research advancement, they tend to be underrepresented at German universities in the engineering disciplines in particular. In order to compete in this area with elite universities in English-speaking geographies, TUM wants to create an environment that will nurture the most promising talents.
In addition to its new headhunting program, TUM continues to avail of the scholarship programs offered by various institutions, in particular the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Contact:
Dr. Christiane Haupt / Olivia Schmid
Technische Universität München
TUM Talent Factory
T: +49 89 289 25235
E: postdoc@tum.de
W: www.tum.de/en/research/postdocs/research-opportunities-week/