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Photo: UHH/Denstorf

Endowed professorships at the University of Hamburg

The University of Hamburg offers donors, foundations, companies, and civil society initiatives the opportunity to establish endowed professorships to promote specific areas of research and set innovative priorities. 

Endowed professorships make an important contribution to the further development of research and teaching and to the promotion of highly qualified, young, talented academics. In line with the University’s strategic orientation, donors can promote research areas relevant to them while expanding their network in the field of science and research. Endowed professorships can be funded by companies, foundations, or private individuals. However, the academic freedom: independence in research and teaching remains a fundamental principle. Endowed professorships are usually time limited. The funding period depends on the agreement between the University and the foundation.

Get in touch if you would like to learn more about this topic. We are happy to advise you. 

Our endowed professorships

Das Bild zeigt ein Porträt von Prof. Dr. Julia Zeller-Lanzl, die freundlich in die Kamera lächelt. Im Hintergrund ist eine Wand aus weißen Ziegelsteinen.

Photo: ITMC

Endowed Professorship for IT Management and Consulting

Prof. Dr. Julia Zeller-Lanzl took up the endowed professorship for Digital Innovation and Transformation on 1 August 2025. The professorship will expand the range of topics covered by the master’s degree in IT Management and Consulting (ITMC) at the University of Hamburg beginning Winter Semester 2025/26.

To the press release
Prof. Dr. Stefan Aykut

Photo: UHH/Ohme

Mercator Professorship

How can we achieve greater climate protection in Germany? What are the biggest hurdles on the path to CO2 neutrality? These are the questions Prof. Dr. Stefan Aykut seeks to answer within the scope of his Mercator Professorship at the University of Hamburg. Aykut took up his position on 1 May 2023.

to the press release

The path to an endowed professorship

Making contact

  • Interested donors can contact the University of Hamburg (University Administration and/or the respective faculty or department).

Concept development

  • The University of Hamburg and the donor will exchange ideas to develop a joint concept for the design of the endowed professorship with regard to its connection to research and teaching as well as the name of the professorship.

Endowment offer

  • Based on the concept, the foundation submits an offer that includes further information on the financing and duration of the funding.

Review

  • The University of Hamburg reviews the offer for the endowed professorship according to overall strategic, legal, and financial criteria.

Decision

  • The University of Hamburg communicates
  • its decision on the proposed professorship to the foundation.

Endowment agreement

  • The University of Hamburg works closely with the foundation to draw up the endowment agreement for the professorship.

Call for applications

  • Once the endowment agreement has been signed, the call for applications for the endowed professorship can be published.

Academic search procedure

  • A selection process conducted in accordance with the University of Hamburg’s quality standards is used to recruit the most suitable candidate for the professorship.
  • The foundation can participate in the selection process as an advisory, nonvoting member of the search committee.

Appointment

  • Once the selection decision has been made, the next steps for establishing the endowed professorship will be initiated.

Announcement

  • The endowed professorship will be announced via the communication channels of the University of Hamburg and the foundation.

Contact

Annika Eßmann
Assistant to the president