Benefits of the JFC

General Assembly
20 January 2025 | 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

JFC Lecture 2025:Career Paths in Academia – Many Roads Lead to a Professorship
On 28 October 2025, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
At the International House of the University of Cologne, Kringsweg 6, 50931 Cologne

On 28 October 2025, this year’s lecture took place at the International House. Under the title “Career Paths as a Postdoc – On the Way to a Professorship”, various routes and challenges on the path to a professorship were presented and discussed. After an introductory talk by Olaf Kowalski from the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers, three biographical inputs from different disciplines followed: Prof. Dr. Łukasz Jędrzejowski reported on an international career path, Prof. Dr. Tom Zimmermann on transitions between the private sector and academia, and Prof. Dr. Roman-Ulrich Müller on challenges between the laboratory and everyday clinical practice. Afterwards, a panel discussion with exchanges between all speakers and participants took place.

The concluding get-together enabled further networking among the participants in a relaxed atmosphere and offered the opportunity to learn about different career paths, clarify additional questions, and gain further inspiration for their own careers.

You can find the lecture programme here:
Lecture programme 

Workshop “Associate Professorship (Außerplanmäßige Professur)”
17 May 2024 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

The academic title “Associate Professor (Außerplanmäßige Professorin / Außerplanmäßiger Professor)” can be of great interest to researchers who are either planning to leave the university or, being highly qualified, wish to continue in a long-term role within the institution.

The title signifies that the responsible faculty considers the individual capable of independently and autonomously representing a specific academic field, regardless of their official employment status. Outside the university, the title enhances professional reputation, while within the university it also offers numerous advantages—though it comes with the obligation to provide the so-called “unpaid title-related teaching.”

How Do I Explain to My Grandparents What My Research Is About?
29 June 2023 | 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Motivation
How do I explain to my grandparents what I am researching? As simply as possible. And that is exactly what participants will practice.

Concept
Little theory, lots of practice: This one-day workshop offers participants a safe space to practice oral and written communication about their research topics—targeted at audiences with little or no prior knowledge of the subject.

Career Path to a Tenured Professorship – Navigating (Tenure) Evaluation Procedures at the University of Cologne
7 November 2023 | 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

In cooperation with the Junior Faculty Club, the Division for Academic Staff Development will host an event on 7 November 2023 titled “Navigating (Tenure) Evaluation Procedures at the UzK” as part of the career path toward a tenured professorship.

The event combines expert presentations (including from the DHV and DGJ) with peer-group dialogue sessions. It aims to address both formal and informal aspects of the evaluation process, fostering transparency and confidence. The program also takes into account the specific disciplinary cultures and the varying requirements depending on the stage of the qualification phase.

This engaging dialogue event is open to fixed-term (junior) professors and other researchers with or without a tenure track, as well as postdocs interested in pursuing a professorial career path.