Professorship procedures at MU

Professorship procedures at MU are implemented in accordance with sections 73 and 74 of Act No. 111/1998 on Higher Education Institutions and on the Modification and Amendment of Other Acts (Higher Education Act), and in compliance with link to a new windowRector’s Regulation No. 4/2010 Habilitation procedures and Professor appointment procedures employed by Masaryk University (hereinafter referred to as “Regulation”).

Professorship procedure fees

Masaryk University charges no fee for professorship procedures. However, some faculties may require an administrative fee associated with professorship procedure costs. For further information please contact the faculty in question.

Professorship procedure initiation

The professorship procedure begins with:

  • The submission of a proposal to a faculty scientific board (in case the relevant field of study is implemented by a faculty) or to the MU Scientific Board (in case the relevant field of study is implemented by MU); an applicant’s proposal must include a minimum of two recommendations from professors in identical or related fields of study and must be submitted to the dean (i.e. the chairperson of the faculty scientific board) or to the Rector (i.e. the chairperson of the MU Scientific Board); the proposal must be submitted to a faculty or MU office tasked with administering habilitation and professorship procedures; or
  • The submission of a proposal by a dean or the Rector to the scientific board of a faculty or to the MU Scientific Board, respectively; or
  • Independent action on the part of a faculty scientific board or the MU Scientific Board.

Requirements for the proposal for professorship procedure initiation

The proposal for professorship procedure initiationmust include the title of the field of study in which the applicant is seeking to apply for a professorship as well as the following materials documenting the applicant’s scientific or artistic qualifications:

  • Documents confirming the applicant as a recognised scientific or artistic figure in his/her field in accordance with the provisions of section 74, subsection 1of the Higher Education Act (particularly in the case of recommendations for proposals submitted according to the provisions of article 3, section 2, letters a) or b) of the Regulation),
  • Structured CV (preferably structured in accordance with CVs found in the MU Information System),
  • Certified copies of materials documenting higher education and academic degrees acquired by the applicant (a certified copy may constitute either a notarized copy or a copy certified by a registry office or a written statement by an authorized employee of a faculty or MU office tasked with the administration of habilitation and professorship procedures attesting to the fact that the copy corresponds to the original document; such a statement must be signed and stamped),
  • Materials documenting pedagogical experience (see section 5 of article 4 of the Regulation, Annex 1),
  • Materials documenting scientific or artistic work and results achieved (see section 6 of article 4 of the Regulation; to be submitted following a request made by a relevant scientific board or of the applicant’s own free will),
  • List of scientific, scholarly or artistic works (see section 7 of article 4 of the Regulation, Annex 2),
  • List of responses to works listed under scientific, scholarly or artistic works (see Annex 4),
  • List of scientific, scholarly or artistic research internships (see section 8 of article 4 of the Regulation),
  • Any other materials documenting scientific or artistic qualifications (see section 9 of article 4 of the Regulation, Annex 5),
  • Overview of applicant’s scientific, scholarly or artistic works and overview of responses to such works (see table in section 10 of article 4 of the Regulation, Annex 3).

Course of the professorship procedure

The course of the procedure for the appointment of a professor as well as evaluation board membership and appointment must take place in accordance with the provisions of section 74 of the Higher Education Act.

The relevant dean or MU Rector shall submit the applicant’s proposal for professorship procedure initiation along with a proposal to establish an evaluation board to the faculty or university scientific board, respectively, unless the professorship procedure has been previously terminated due to formal deficiencies found in the submitted proposal (see section 3, article 5 of the Regulation). The evaluation board consists of five members (three of whom at least areexperts associated with an institution other than MU).

The professorship procedure includes an applicant’spublic lecture for the benefit of the professional public. The evaluation board selects a lecture topic out of three options proposed by the applicant. Three or more accredited evaluation board members must attend and assess the lecture, subsequently including the resulting assessment in a written report.

The evaluation board assesses the scholarly, scientific or artistic qualifications of the applicant in the relevant field, his/her previous pedagogical experience and his/her standing as a distinguished scientific or artistic figure in the relevant field, referring to materials submitted by the applicant, written statements of recommendation and assessment reports on the applicant’s public lecture. The evaluation board subsequently votes by secret ballot on whether or not the applicant should be nominated for appointment to Professor.

The approved nomination for appointment to Professor is presented to the relevant scientific board by the evaluation board chairperson or board member authorized to do so by the chairperson. In case the nomination fails to receive a simple majority of the votes of all evaluation board members, the evaluation board chairperson or board member authorized by the chairperson presents the relevant scientific board with a proposal for the termination of the procedure. The scientific board decides by a simple majority of the votes of all members regarding the proposed termination; in case the proposal to terminate is refused, the procedure may continue.

An applicant recommended for appointment to Professor by the evaluation board is invited by the scientific board to give a lecture at one of its public sessions (see section 74, subsection 5 of the Higher Education Act). The applicant shall select a lecture topic so as to ensure that it covers both the characteristics of the field in question, the applicant’s own results and achievements and his/her own concept of teaching in the field.

In accordance with article 4, section 2, letter b) of the Regulation, the applicant may add information in order to update materials documenting his/her scientific or artistic qualifications, albeit no later than five working days prior to the date scheduled for the faculty or MU scientific board session.

The course of the session on the nomination for appointment to Professor follows rules set by the relevant scientific board; evaluation board members may attend all closed sessions. At the end of the session, the scientific board shall decide by a simple majority of the votes of all members on whether or not the applicant is to be nominated for appointment to Professor.

The subsequent procedure is governed by the provisions of section 74, subsections 6 to 9 of the Higher Education Act. Closed sessions of the MU Scientific Board are open only to the chairperson of the evaluation board. Although no lecture topic is given in advance, the applicant’s public lecture must include the applicant’s own concept of scientific or artistic work as well as his/her concept of teaching in the field.

Supplementary information:

 
 
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