Professorships
The academic backbone of our university
At the German Sport University Cologne, professors are shaping the future of sport science – in research, teaching and knowledge transfer. They provide academic impetus, further develop fields of research, secure external funding, support early-career researchers and help shape the university’s degree programmes. With their expertise in sports science, they enrich public debate and play a key role in raising the university’s profile as a strong voice for sports science in politics, sport and society.
A professorship at the German Sport University Cologne
Professors at the German Sport University Cologne help shape a university with a distinct profile, where interdisciplinarity, high social relevance and considerable scope for creativity are what particularly characterise the professorship. As Germany’s only university specialising in sport, the German Sport University Cologne offers the opportunity to bring together different academic perspectives on sport and physical activity and to address key issues for the future at the intersection of health, education, performance, participation and society.
A defining feature of a professorship at our university is the combination of academic excellence, practical relevance and strategic involvement. Professors independently advance their fields of expertise, shape research, teaching and knowledge transfer, support early-career researchers and help to ensure that perspectives from sports science are effectively applied in society, politics and practice.
An overview of our professorships
The professorships at the German Sport University Cologne form the academic backbone of the university.
- 33 university professors
- 13 other academic staff members (including adjunct professors and postdoctoral researchers)
- 7 female professors out of 33 university professorships (21.2 per cent)
- 19 institutes listed in the central GSU overview
- €385,360 in third-party funding per year per professor (2023)
At the same time, the university shows that the proportion of female professors has risen in recent years: among W3 professorships, it increased from 7.7 per cent in 2013 to 25 per cent in 2023.
Fair and transparent appointment procedures
The German Sport University Cologne conducts appointment procedures in an open, transparent and performance-oriented manner. Based on HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) and its OTM-R policy, it ensures clear information, transparent processes, quality-assured procedures and the fewest possible administrative hurdles. The publicly accessible Appointments Monitor also provides additional transparency.
Our university has signed up to the voluntary commitment ‘Towards greater gender equality in appointments – a voluntary commitment by German universities’. At our university, we view gender equality and career development as a shared responsibility. The Gender Equality Team supports appointment procedures and provides targeted assistance to female academics in their career development through initiatives such as the TEAMWORKScience mentoring programme. Leadership development programmes and guidelines on good leadership help to create a supportive and appreciative environment for academic careers.
Support for research and knowledge transfer
Female professors at our university are actively supported by robust structures. Through the Research and Knowledge Transfer Department within our Academic Planning and Management Unit, the university has a central point of contact for research funding, research grant applications, academic qualifications, and matters relating to knowledge transfer and start-ups. Among other things, it supports female professors in finding suitable funding programmes, with the application process, with administrative procedures and in networking with internal and external contacts.
