03.06.2026 THE SCHOOL OF SUSTAINABILITY AT LEUPHANA UNIVERSITY OF LÜNEBURG INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING FULL PROFESSORSHIP:
Sustainability, Knowledge and Society (W2/W3)
For this position, we are seeking an excellent professor with an outstanding internationally visible research and teaching profile (W3) or a committed scholar with international experience in research and teaching, who demonstrates the potential for excellent scientific contributions (W2) to join our School of Sustainability, a vibrant community of scholars committed to advancing our understanding of sustainability transformations and contributing to them through rigorous and socially relevant research. You explore within your research the field of sustainability science with a deep epistemological and methodological understanding of knowledge systems and co-creation processes for sustainable development. Your research profile in sustainable development leads you to implementing a future-oriented innovative research program that advances our understanding of knowledge production/ co-creation/systems and sustainability transformations. Your research contributes to sustainability science by advancing our field’s problem- and solution-oriented understanding of how knowledge is produced, used, and contested in sustainability transformations, how knowledge systems change vis-a-vis new technological developments (e.g., artificial intelligence, algorithmization) or socio-cultural shifts (e.g., science scepticism, epistemic pluralism), and how innovative research approaches can effectively integrate and utilize diverse knowledges. For an appointment at the W3 level your research is characterized by significant contributions to the field, that substantially shape scientific debates.
Your expertise in the above-mentioned areas is demonstrated by a competitive track record of peer-reviewed publications in high-quality international journals (relative to opportunity). For a W3-professorship, we expect a continuous track record of excellent peer-reviewed publications in high-quality international journals. Furthermore, you have experience in successfully acquiring third party funding (relative to opportunity). For the W3 position, this experience includes leading roles in highly competitive funding programs (e.g. DFG, ERC) and/or collaborative research projects (e.g. EU-Horizon). Moreover, you indicate a highly promising publication strategy and pipeline and convincingly articulate a clear vision for how you plan to expand and institutionalize your research portfolio at Leuphana by making use of available competitive national and international funding opportunities.
In addition, you have a vibrant – for a W3 professorship an already established excellent – research and practice network; relevant experience in research projects and strive to develop impactful practice collaborations. Thus, you have experience in navigating the science-society nexus and are capable of forging collaborations across diverse disciplinary and epistemological perspectives; for a W3 appointment this includes substantive leadership experience.
As your professorship is situated at the core of our School’s mission and vision, you are expected to drive collaborations with faculty members from diverse backgrounds (sciences, humanities) and take a leading role in developing existing and new research agendas of the School of Sustainability. Your research and methodological approach contributes to the University’s overarching profile focus “Embracing Transformation”.
You have proven experience in the supervision of students (Bachelor, Master), Ph.D. (relative to opportunity) and can document your teaching experience in seminars in the subject areas of this professorship. For the W3 professorship you have an extensive teaching portfolio in seminar and lectures in this field ideally including transdisciplinary (project) seminars and experience in establishing and successfully mentoring a scientific research team including successful supervision of doctoral students. You are willing to play a leading role in further developing Leuphana’s unique study model, for example in the Leuphana Semester and the Transformation Module as well as for transdisciplinary project courses at Bachelor and Master level. As a teacher, you are able to guide and mentor students through the challenges of conducting relevant and rigorous inter- and transdisciplinary research, taking gender and diversity aspects into account. As our study programs are mostly in English we expect an excellent command of the English language; if you do not speak German you are willing to learn it within a reasonable period.
The professional position will be filled in accordance with pay grade W2/W3 (university full professorship). Formal requirements are based on § 25 of the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act (NHG) and include a university degree as well as a doctoral degree in a discipline relevant to the open position (sustainability science, philosophy of science, science and technology studies, sociology of science, or related fields); your aptitude for teaching and your ability to engage in independent academic research as demonstrated by the above-average quality of your dissertation, and additional academic achievements obtained, i.e. in the course of being an assistant professor, during your postdoctoral lecture qualification (German: Habilitation) or other achievements recognized as being equivalent to a postdoctoral qualification (such as an excellent track record of peer-reviewed publications in high-quality international journals after the doctorate).
At Leuphana you will find an academic community that is open to changes in perspective and cultivates the dialogue among the different disciplines as well as between research and practice. With spirit and initiative, we address the challenges of civil society in the 21st century. Pursuing our idea of liberal education, our students are enabled to think, question and act upon it. Our professors foster the awareness of gender and diversity aspects in teaching as well as research.
Leuphana University is an equal opportunities employer. The university aims to increase its number of female professors. Qualified women are especially invited to apply. Severely disabled applicants and applicants with equivalent status will be considered preferentially in accordance with the applicable legal provisions.
For further information, please contact the Dean of School of Sustainability, Prof. Dr. Harald Heinrichs ([email protected]).
Please submit your application (without submission of an application photo) consisting of the following materials in two separate PDF files: a) motivation letter, CV, full publication list, copies of academic degrees, a research and cooperation concept (approx. three pages) and b) three relevant publications. Please enclose the completed application form (as Excel file) with your documents. Guidance on the required application materials can be found here.
Applications should be sent preferably by email using the key word “Sustainability (W2/W3)” to [email protected] or to the President of Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Post Box 2440, Lüneburg D-21314 by July 19, 2026. Please be aware that we cannot return application documents sent physically.
By submitting your application, you consent to your data being stored and processed for the purpose of the recruitment process.
Please note our Data Protection Notice for Applicants (in English or in German).
