A year ago, the TU Dresden was identified as a “university of excellence”. This was an acknowledgement of TUD’s performance in the past years, and recognised the quality of its Institutional Strategy and its development potential. This is the summary of the Rector of the TU Dresden, Prof. Hans Müller-Steinhagen: “That this TU Dresden was identified as a “university of excellence” last year is a recognition both of our achievements so far and our challenges for the future. These are challenges that we set ourselves eagerly. The implementation of our Institutional Strategy is in full flow and we are already pleased to see the first successes. However, the bulk of the work still lies ahead of us, and we will use the period until 2017 to demonstrate that we were rightly awarded this seal of excellence.”
 
As part of the Institutional Strategy, by far the most extensive measure is the programme of Open Topic Tenure Track Professorships. This is an entirely innovative programme aimed at recruiting the “brightest and best” worldwide for research and teaching. These professorships sought applicants from all disciplines, offering the prospect of a long-term appointment (on evaluation of performance) after five years. The global interest in this innovative programme was huge. A total of 1,300 applications were received, of which approximately a quarter came from female candidates.

Applicants originated from all academic fields: around half from natural sciences and medicine, roughly a third from the humanities, and the remainder from engineering. The quality of the applications received reflects TUD’s national and international reputation as an attractive employer, with interest in the Open Topic Tenure Track Professorships at the TU Dresden shown by academics from universities ranked in the world’s top 10. Many of the applicants also boasted top-level awards within the academic community.

Meanwhile, a top-quality 12-person selection committee has been established, tasked in the coming months with developing a shortlist of proposed candidates from the applications received.

The Institutional Strategy of the TU Dresden is funded to a total of € 60.2 million, and comprises 31 measures that are currently being progressively implemented under the stewardship of the Rectorial Board. All measures cover four core issues:

• Recruiting and supporting the “brightest and best” worldwide for the TU Dresden (from students to professors).
• Strengthening administrative processes in order to satisfy the requirements of international competition.
• Establishing integrative and efficient structures by reorganising the 14 Faculties into 5 Schools.
• Further developing the DRESDEN-concept (TUD’s alliance with excellent non-university research and cultural institutions in Dresden).

Information for journalists:
Kim-Astrid Magister, phone: 0351 463-32398