Professorship (W1) in Regenerative and Sustainable Building

W1 professorship in “Regenerative and Sustainable Building” (with a tenure track to a W2 professorship)

At the Faculty of Agriculture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, the W1 professorship in “Regenerative and Sustainable Building” (with a tenure track to a W2 professorship) is to be appointed at the earliest possible date, subject to budgetary regulations.

This tenure-track professorship is funded by the Lola Zahn Professorship Program, which aims to increase the proportion of women among professorial staff at the University of Rostock.

We are looking for a personality who is established in the field of the application of renewable raw materials in building engineering. The Faculty of Agriculture, Civil, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Rostock offers a unique interdisciplinary research environment that covers all aspects of this field, from the production of renewable building materials through the design and construction of structures to their life-cycle management.

The professorship is tasked with developing - through research and teaching - an innovative subject area that is highly relevant to climate- and resource-friendly construction implementing regenerative building materials and circular building material applications in harmonious balance with the natural environment. The professorship is intended to play a key role in interdisciplinary scientific cooperation among the existing disciplines at the Faculty of Agriculture, Civil, and Environmental Engineering. In this context, a significant contribution to the development of the faculty’s scientific profile is both possible and anticipated.

Areas of activity / Research focus

The professorship aims to establish a future-oriented working group in at least two of the listed subject areas:

• Building construction with a focus on fiber plants and regenerative raw materials
• Methods and processes throughout the entire life cycle of buildings and construction materials in the context of climate neutrality and resource conservation
• Development of biogenic building materials, including the selection of suitable plants and the optimization of their cultivation strategies
• Material-conscious application methods in building components and systems (e.g., facades, ceilings, structural systems)
• Building structures for climate-neutral, environmentally friendly, and resource-conserving construction
• Development of sustainable construction and material concepts

Scientific contributions on the following topics are also appreciated:

• Integration of Nature-Based Solutions into building applications
• Consideration of building physics and energy aspects of sustainable building structures
• Development and/or application of digital design, planning and fabrication methods for implementing sustainable construction methods
• Participation in the SFB/Transregio 410 “Wetscapes 2.0.” in the field of paludiculture, or the further development of biomass materials for use in the construction industry.

The scientific focus should align with the faculty’s interdisciplinary profile and create synergies between the disciplines of agricultural sciences, environmental engineering, and civil engineering. Approaches that integrate sustainability considerations into civil engineering through the use of renewable raw materials – and that are also relevant to students of environmental engineering and agricultural sciences – are particularly encouraged.

The professorship is primarily intended to cover and develop courses in the bachelor’s and master’s programs in Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering, particularly in the field of building engineering, including by use of regenerative raw materials. In addition, the development of interdisciplinary courses is encouraged, which thematically link as many of the faculty’s degree programs as possible – including the master’s program in Sustainable Agricultural Systems – and address common areas of overlap.

The teaching commitment is 4 SWS (weekly teaching hours) during the first three years of the junior professorship and 6 SWS during the second three years. Courses should ideally be taught in both German and English.

Requirements

• We are seeking a candidate with a master’s or diploma degree in civil engineering, architecture, agricultural sciences, or another comparable field of study relevant to the advertised specialty. The candidate must demonstrate a particular aptitude for academic work in one of the above-mentioned fields, typically through a doctoral degree.
• Furthermore, university teaching experience should be demonstrable, ideally from independently delivered courses as well as the supervision of student research projects and theses or participation in continuing education. Experience in obtaining external funding is desirable.
• A willingness to actively participate in the university’s self-administration and in promoting the profile of the Faculty of Agriculture, Civil Engineering, and the Environment is required.

We offer

• a diverse, varied, and challenging role at a university that respects tradition, yet remains innovative, modern, and family-friendly, located in a vibrant city by the sea,
• an attractive academic environment with complex intersections between the life sciences, natural sciences, and engineering,
• an multidisciplinary faculty spanning agriculture, environmental studies, and civil engineering, which embodies collaboration and sustainability,
• close cooperation with other higher education institutions in the State as part of the concept or a multi-site engineering programme in the fields of construction, landscape and the environment (BLU) in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania,
• an interdisciplinary research environment: The University of Rostock’s Interdisciplinary Faculty, with its various areas, provides excellent conditions for this. Furthermore, the faculty maintains flexible partnerships with various non-university research institutions.

Contact

For further information, please contact:
Herr Prof. Dr. Panagiotis Spyridis, Vorsitzender der Berufungskommission
Telefon 0381/498-3540
E-Mail: panagiotis.spyridis@uni-rostock.de

Legal and Tenure Track Conditions

The eligibility requirements are determined in accordance with Section 62(1) of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania State Higher Education Act (LHG M-V). If the candidate was employed as a research assistant or research associate before or after completing their doctorate, the combined duration of the doctoral studies and employment should not exceed nine years.

The professorship will initially be filled as a junior professorship under a fixed-term civil service appointment or, if applicable, as an employee, in accordance with § 62(2) LHG M-V. If the candidate passes a probationary period, after the fourth year, the employment relationship will be extended for an additional two years following an interim evaluation. Appointment to the junior professorship is, pursuant to § 62a LHG M-V, contingent upon the promise that a professorship as a civil servant for life or under a permanent employment contract will be granted, provided that specific performance requirements established in advance are met during the junior professorship. Before the end of the second phase of the junior professorship, an evaluation is conducted as part of the tenure track to assess whether the requirements for promotion to a permanent W2 professorship have been met.

The University of Rostock is committed to its university governance guidelines.

Equal opportunity is an integral part of our personnel policy. Applicants with severe disabilities will be given special consideration if they have the same aptitude, competence, and qualifications as other candidates.

The University of Rostock aims to increase the proportion of women among its academic staff and therefore strongly encourages qualified women to apply in accordance with Section 7(3) of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Equality Act. Women will be given priority consideration if their qualifications are essentially equivalent, unless reasons specific to the male candidate outweigh this. For any gender equality questions, please contact the faculty representatives of the equality officers, Dr. Jana Bürger or Prof. Dr. Sandra Rose, at: gleichstellungsbeauftragte.auf@uni-rostock.de.

Application Hints

The application documents must provide a detailed and comprehensible account of the applicant’s specific suitability and qualifications for the position. The complete application documents must include a curriculum vitae /tabular CV), a description of the applicant’s academic and professional background, a list of previous teaching experience, any additional qualifications in higher education pedagogy and relevant certificates, as well as a research and teaching proposal. These should clearly demonstrate the applicant’s alignment with the faculty’s profile. Additional documents should include a list of publications, evidence of securing external funding, and details of committee work. Proof of meeting the requirements for appointment to a junior professorship under the Higher Education Act of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania must be provided.

Applications, including all required documents, must be submitted by 27.09.2026 to the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Civil and Environmental Sciences, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 6, 18059 Rostock, or preferably to dekan.auf@uni-rostock.de. Please note, however, that your email will be sent to us unencrypted.

The protection of your personal data is very important to us. Therefore, the data collected as part of the application process will be collected, processed, and used in accordance with the relevant data protection regulations.

Unfortunately, the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania cannot cover application costs. Please submit only copies of your application materials, as these will not be returned after the application process is complete.