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[Translate to English:] © Jürgen Huhn​/​TU Dortmund
Academic Leadership Program

TU Dortmund University Supports Professors with Leadership Program

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Ten people are standing side by side for a group photo. There is a green tree in the background. © TU Dortmund
Vice President Research Professor Nele McElvany (4th from right), Dr. Alexander Bergert (left), Head of the Section Personnel Development, and Executive Assistant Professor Anja Frohnen (2nd from left) congratulated the first graduates of the TU Academic Leadership Program: (from left to right) Professor Sarah Weigelt, Professor Max Pflitsch, Professor Onur Günlü, Professor Alexander Marx, Professor Jana Jungjohann, Professor Eva Schmidt, and Professor Marcel Bartz.
Last month, the first professors completed the “TU Academic Leadership Program.” The continuing-education program aims to build and further develop leadership skills. The modules are offered on an ongoing basis and are in part mandatory for all professors newly appointed to TU Dortmund University, including those appointed to their first professorship. At the same time, they are open to all TU professors.

How can you foster a positive working atmosphere at your chair? What matters when it comes to leading research teams successfully? How can conflicts within a team be resolved? What constitutes good communication? What expectations come with a professorship? And what tasks and responsibilities do you actually take on as a leader in academia? These are just some of the topics addressed in the leadership program for TU professors.

For all newly appointed professors, the introductory seminar and Basic Module I, “Leading with Legal Certainty at TU Dortmund University,” are mandatory (a total of 12 teaching hours); for those appointed to their first professorship, Basic Module II, “Communication as a Leadership Tool,” and the concluding seminar are required in addition (a total of 24 teaching hours). On top of this, there are eight elective modules – from recruiting, doctoral supervision, and the acquisition of third-party funding to inclusive leadership – which can be taken according to individual interests.

“With the Academic Leadership Program, we not only want to familiarize our new as well as our experienced professors with the legal framework of their leadership role, but also to show them the scope they have to shape that role and to equip them with a toolbox of leadership instruments,” says Stefanie Niemann of the Section Personnel Development, who coordinates the program.

Registration possible at any time

In June, Professor Nele McElvany, Vice President Research, presented the first seven graduates with their certificates. New dates for the individual modules have already been scheduled for the fall. Interested professors can register at any time. Since the 2025 summer semester, professors newly appointed to the university – including first-time appointees – have been required to complete their respective mandatory components within their first two years of service at TU Dortmund University.

A shared, values-based leadership culture is also a goal of the Ruhr Innovation Lab, the title of the joint application of TU Dortmund University and Ruhr University Bochum as a “University Consortium of Excellence” in the second funding line of the Excellence Strategy. The new TU Academic Leadership Program contributes to this goal.

Further information on the program and on registration

Contact person for inquiries:

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