The Alexander von Humboldt Professorship is Germany’s most prestigious prize for international researchers, awarded in recognition of leading international researchers from all disciplines and designed in order to enable them to carry out long-term research at a German university. The prize money is intended to fund the first five years in Germany. Up to ten professorships are awarded each year.
The prize is awarded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The prize money of 5 million euros for experimental research and 3.5 million euros for theoretical research is mainly used to set up a research team and purchase equipment for laboratories. The universities who host these researchers commit to involving them and their teams in an overall plan which will offer them long-term prospects in Germany.
Alexander von Humboldt Professorships at FAU
An overview of Alexander von Humboldt Professorships at FAU.
Changes in and through language: Michaela Mahlberg (2024)
Michaela Mahlberg uses computer-assisted, quantitative linguistic methods to investigate language and its social function in huge text corpora. With her approach of combining corpus linguistics, stylistics and literary criticism, her work is located at the interface between linguistics and literary studies. As a Humboldt Professor at FAU, Michael Mahlberg is to be appointed the Director of the Department of Digital Humanities and Social Studies (DHSS), where she is expected to pool and expand research activities in the area of digital humanities. The Center is aimed at making a contribution to understanding the datafication and algorithmization of culture and society in their social dimension.
Further information available in the press release about the prize awarded to Prof. Mahlberg
Taking a critical view of China’s human rights record: Eva Pils (2024)
Eva Pils began investigating the defense of human rights in China more than 20 years ago, at a time when most people expected there to be a liberal transformation of the Chinese legal system. Pils concentrated, however, on the tension and contradictions within the one-party system. She was skeptical towards the Chinese reform process and the assumption that authoritarian institutions would become more open and accessible through collaboration and discussion. FAU plans to expand its key research priority in human rights with Eva Pils as a Humboldt Professor. The aim is to establish the Center for Human Rights Erlangen-Nürnberg (CHREN) and the School of Law as a top institution within Europe for research and teaching in the area of human rights.
Further information available in the press release about the prize awarded to Prof. Pils
A pioneer in mechanobiology: Benoit Ladoux (2023)
In conjunction with his interdisciplinary team, physicist Prof. Dr. Benoit Ladoux wants to discover how cells and tissue generate and respond to mechanical forces and how, conversely, this stress determines changes in the form, migration and differentiation of cells during development. The findings about cell self-organization play an important role, for example, in developmental biology and cancer research. As a Humboldt Professor at FAU, Prof. Ladoux translates the findings from fundamental mechanobiological research into specific areas of healthcare such as the barrier function of the intestinal mucosal membrane and in tumor development.
Further information available in the press release about the prize awarded to Prof. Ladoux
For AI with a human touch: Vincent C. Müller (2022)
Vincent Müller is a pioneer in the young discipline of the philosophy and ethics of artificial intelligence (AI) and a mediator between the humanities and technology. Prof. Müller aims to develop a guiding vision for ‘human-centred AI’ in Germany. As a Humboldt professor at FAU, Prof. Vincent C. Müller hopes to bridge the gap between technical know-how and expertise in the humanities and to reach out beyond the university to industry and public administration. He will be responsible for establishing a new international and interdisciplinary Centre for Philosophy and AI Research (PAIR), the future hub for AI philosophy at FAU.
More information is available in the press release about the grant.
Where mathematics, Chinese studies and history meet: Andrea Bréard (2021)
Mathematician, science historian, sinologist and philosopher Prof. Dr. Dr. Andrea Bréard investigates the history of mathematics in China. Her research covers economic, political and social history and provides general insights into the intellectual history of China. This is demonstrated in her research on the history of statistical methods in administrative and political contexts. Through this research, Professor Bréard was able to show how a modern state and system of statistics developed at the same time. As a Humboldt Professor at FAU, Professor Bréard will also be appointed as the new director of the International Consortium for Research in the Humanities “Fate, Freedom and Prognostication. Strategies for Coping with the Future in East Asia and Europe”. With her broad background, Professor Bréard will bring new interdisciplinary perspectives into the history of science and strengthen prognostic research.
More information is available in the press release about the award.
The impact of mechanics on the nervous system: Kristian Franze (2020)
Kristian Franze is one of the world’s leading scientists investigating the impact of mechanics on the nervous system and he has had a decisive influence on this growing research field. He has demonstrated that nerve cells are not only crucially influenced by chemical signals but also by mechanical forces. At FAU, he is set to introduce concepts from physics into medical research, creating a globally-unique interdisciplinary centre combining both research fields. As a Humboldt professor, Franze is Director of the Institute of Medical Physics and Micro Tissue Technology at FAU. At the same time, he is a member of the Executive Board of the Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin.
Using mathematics to improve the world: Enrique Zuazua Iriondo (2019)
Enrique Zuazua wants to contribute to the development of new mathematics to better understand the complex dynamics of the natural world, simulate them with the aid of modern computers and, as far as possible, design, control and guide them. His research focuses, inter alia, on partial differential equations, control theory and numerics. His work helps to improve the modelling and simulation of processes, for example in aviation, electricity networks or in social behaviour. The quality of mathematical models and available images, measurements and data from Prof. Zuazua’s area of research are also crucial for forecasting natural phenomena such as tsunamis.
A revolutionary in language: Ewa Dabrowska (2018)
Ewa Dabrowska is revolutionising language acquisition research and is one of the most prominent representatives of cognitive linguistics. Using empirical studies, she researches the various ways that lead to language acquisition in children and adults, depending on language and culture, and which role social and individual influences play in this process.
Nano pioneer: Oskar Painter (2013)
Oskar Painter is a pioneer in the development and physical characterisation of optical nanosystems. His main research focus is the study of quantum mechanical characteristics of mechanical solid state structures and their interaction with light. Applications of his research include the development of quantum-limited high-precision sensors and the realisation of integrated networks for quantum optical communication.
Antennae specialist: Robert Schober (2012)
Robert Schober is an internationally leading scientist in the field of electronics communications engineering and mobile communication. As an engineer, he combines science with industrial applications, above all in the interdisciplinary research field of communication technology.
Light in small spaces: Vahid Sandoghdar (2011)
Vahid Sandoghdar is one of the world’s leading scientists in the field of nano-optics and biophotonics. In his work, he aims to push the boundaries of research into light and matter in the smallest of spaces even further so as to improve our understanding and use of their interactions. He has developed new methods for visualisation and spectroscopy of individual molecules and nanoparticles and has thus influenced other areas of research.