Attract2HM
Attract2HM is a project run by Hochschule München as part of the federal-state programme “FH-Personal”.
This initiative focuses on the recruitment and development of professors at universities of applied sciences.
New tools for recruiting and training of faculty members are being developed, implemented, and evaluated.
In its project, Hochschule München has set three
strategic goals, which are to be developed and implemented through 10 different sub-projects.
These will encompass a broad range of measures, such as active recruiting and onboarding programs, strategic tenure planning, and new professorship models.
Further information about the project
FH-Personal is a funding program through which the government supports universities of applied sciences in introducing and expanding structurally effective tools for recruiting and training academic staff.
Career paths at universities of applied sciences are structured differently from those at traditional universities. As a professorship at a university of applied sciences requires not only academic and teaching qualifications but also practical experience outside academia, professorships are usually filled by individuals from the private sector.
Depending on the location and size of the universities, this presents a range of challenges, which this program aims to address in a way tailored to each specific institution.
The project at Hochschule München has a funding period of six years (April 2021 – March 2027) and is receiving around €6 million in funding.
The Munich region is characterised by its dynamic nature and appeal; however, this situation is increasingly leading to difficulties in recruiting staff.
The key challenges facing the university stem from two adverse trends: firstly, the cost of living in Munich is significantly higher than in other regions. Secondly, the positive economic development is leading to a shortage in the labour market, particularly of highly qualified staff and in the STEM sector, a key focus area for Hochschule München.
Furthermore, competition in the higher education and research sector is very fierce, with two universities of excellence and a growing number of private higher education institutions in the area. Attract2HM therefore addresses both an immediate and a long-term staffing need at Hochschule München.
A. Improving the quality and quantity of applications:
HM needs to advertise professorial positions more frequently than the national average. In two-thirds of appointments, there is an insufficient pool of suitably qualified candidates to fill a professorial position. Therefore, the number of applications should be increased and their quality improved.
B. Establishing a strategic appointment management system:
It is important to consolidate the core process of application, selection and recruitment by making the appointment system more strategically oriented. The focus here is on the faculties' medium-term tenure planning and the early integration of newly recruited staff.
C. Developing career paths for academic staff at universities of applied sciences:
The lack of career paths and the profile of a professorship at a university of applied sciences—which many apparently find unattractive—prevents these institutions from retaining their own emerging scholars, facilitating transitions to the private sector and back, and offering attractive career paths following appointment.The HM has therefore set itself the goal of designing career paths leading to a university of applied sciences professorship and highlighting prospects for the period following the appointment.
As part of the “Attract2HM” project, the TUM Graduate School provides targeted support to help PhD students develop the skills needed to secure a professorship at a university of applied sciences. Further information about the project and contact details for the project lead, Dr Dagna Zinkhahn Rhobodes, can be found on the Graduate School’s website.
Project team
Who does what?
