Vacancies for professorships at FAU

The Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) invites applications for a

tenure-track position as Associate Professor of Philosophy of Human Rights

(salary group W2)

at the Institute of Philosophy at the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy. The position is to be filled by the earliest possible starting date for an initial period of five years. FAU offers the long-term perspective of a permanent appointment to an associate professorship if the requirements of the tenure evaluation are met.

We seek to appoint an internationally recognized leader in philosophy who will be responsible for conducting research and teaching in philosophy. The professor will also assume a key role in the Cluster of Excellence 3039 “Transforming Human Rights” (https://www.transforming-human-rights.fau.de) at FAU, where they will be responsible for heading a research group (with two doctoral candidate positions).

Candidates are expected to have an excellent track record in research, evidenced through internationally visible publications and a strong academic network, as well as success in acquiring third-party funding. We would welcome experience in interdisciplinary collaborative research, and expect the professor’s research to tie in with the key research priorities at FAU, the Faculty and the Cluster. The professor is expected to become actively involved in shaping the department’s profile.

Within the Institute of Philosophy, the future professor will play a key role in advancing research and teaching in the area of practical philosophy, in particular political philosophy and applied ethics. Accordingly, candidates are expected not only to have an excellent track record in the philosophy of human rights, but also in political philosophy in general or at least in one area of applied ethics. A focus in research and/or teaching in the history of philosophy would also be desirable.

The Cluster focuses on the transformation of standards, institutions and practices in the field of human rights within the context of five megatrends (autocratization, planetary environmental crises, international migration, fragmentation of economic globalization, and digitalization) as well as on the potential of such standards to have a transformative effect on how we tackle the challenges posed by these megatrends. The successful candidate will be able to choose the focus of their research group themselves, provided it covers general foundational questions in the theory of human rights that are of particular relevance to at least two of the above-mentioned megatrends. Within the Cluster, the professor will contribute to teaching and supervising doctoral candidates (in particular on the general theory of human rights). They will also be expected to become involved in the interdisciplinary Master’s degree program in human rights (https://www.humanrights-master.fau.de/).

The successful candidate will have an outstanding track record in research and teaching. They are required to have a university degree and a doctoral degree in a relevant discipline and additional postdoctoral qualifications (either a habilitation or equivalent academic qualifications). These qualifications may also have been achieved in a non-university context or through a junior faculty position (for example as Assistant Professor).

The successful candidate is expected to carry out administrative duties and take a proactive approach to raising third-party funding. FAU pursues a policy of intense student mentoring and expects its teaching staff to be present during lecture periods. Candidates who are able and willing to teach in both English and German are preferred.

FAU offers career development and an attractive initial package. Based on international standards and transparent performance agreements, FAU ensures a fair tenure-track evaluation process.

In its pursuit of academic excellence, FAU is committed to equality of opportunity and to a proactive and inclusive approach, which supports and encourages all under-represented groups, promotes an inclusive culture and values diversity. FAU is a family-friendly employer and responsive to the needs of dual career couples.

Please submit your complete application (CV, list of publications, two-page research concept indicating the relevance of this research to the research agenda of the Cluster of Excellence [https://www.transforming-human-rights.fau.de/files/2026/02/EXC-3039-Transforming-Human-Rights-Research-Agenda.pdf] and outlining plans for a research group project covering basic questions of the theory of human rights, two-page teaching concept, list of third-party funding, copies of certificates and degrees) online at https://berufungen.fau.de by August 17, 2026, addressed to the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology. Information on the Cluster of Excellence is available online at https://www.transforming-human-rights.fau.de. Please contact the Dean at phil-berufungen@fau.de with any questions.