Career Talk
PhDs and postdocs meet experts from the fields of economy, science, industry, politics and civil society.
Our last Career Talk took place on September 24, 2026, and was part of this year’s Postdoc Appreciation Week (PAW).
We invite you to inform you about diverse professional fields and career opportunities for scientists. You will gain exclusive insights into current trends and topics in various industries. The speakers will talk about their personal experiences and professional challenges.
Take the chance and get in touch with the experts and other scientists.
Career Talk
Pathways to a Tenure-Track Professorship: International Perspectives, Challenges, and Opportunities
The event was offered as an online format as part of the PAW program 2026.
Join two tenure-track professors, Prof. Dr. Myfanwy Evans and Prof. Dr. Outi Tuomainen, for an open discussion on the academic career path leading to a tenure-track professorship in Germany. Drawing on their personal journeys to the University of Potsdam, the speakers shared insights into the opportunities and challenges of the tenure-track system, particularly from an international perspective. The Career Talk provided postdoctoral researchers with a realistic view of what it takes to pursue a tenure-track position, highlight key career decisions and obstacles, and offer practical reflections on navigating the German academic landscape.
At the beginning of the Career Talk, Dr. Adriane Liermann (Professorial Appointment Officer) provided a brief introductory presentation on the German tenure-track system, outlining its key structures and framework conditions. Following the talk, she joined the tenure-track professors during the Q&A session and discussion with the participants.
Archive
March 23, 2026 as part of our roadshow at the Griebnitzsee campus with Prof. Dr. Katharina Hölzle on the topic of AI & innovation.
In her keynote speech celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Potsdam Graduate School, Prof. Dr. Katharina Hölzle explores how artificial intelligence, as a key and cross-cutting technology, accelerates technological innovation. Based on current developments, she highlights the role that universities and research institutions play in innovation transfer and how AI itself is changing this role. Professor Hölzle addresses both the technological potential and the necessary skills and mindsets that future researchers need for forward-looking, innovation-driven science. The lecture combines insights from applied research with inspiration for one's own academic career and invites further reflection and discussion.
Prof. Dr. Katharina Hölzle is Executive Director of Fraunhofer IAO Stuttgart since January 2025. She is one of the leading voices at the interface of artificial intelligence and innovation. As a professor and innovation researcher, she shows how AI translates scientific findings into social and economic progress – and what role universities play in this. She also spent part of her successful career here in Potsdam, where she was Professor of IT Entrepreneurship at the Hasso Plattner Institute from 2019 to 2022 and spokesperson for the Potsdam Graduate School.
Do you have any preferences or suggestions for specific career fields? If so, please feel free to send an email to pogs(at)uni-potsdam.de.
Contact person:
Theresa Tholen
- Potsdam Graduate School
WIS | Wissenschaftsetage, 4th floor
Bildungsforum
Am Kanal 47
14467 Potsdam
Contact person:
Dr. Isabel Balas
- Potsdam Graduate School
WIS | Wissenschaftsetage, 4th floor
Bildungsforum
Am Kanal 47
14467 Potsdam