Lehrstuhl für Geschichte und Ethik der Medizin (W 3) – englische Fassung

The University of Passau owes its strong visibility and good repute to excellent research,

innovative teaching and its tight-knit international academic networks. Some 11,000 students

and doctoral researchers as well as more than 1,300 staff, study and work on our university

campus, which is located a stone’s throw from the historic Old Town of Passau and combines

state-of-the-art technical infrastructure with award-winning architecture. Internationally

successful high-tech companies and a vibrant start-up scene, coupled with a rich culture and

Lower Bavarian traditions, give Passau and the surrounding area a special appeal that makes

it a great place to live and work.

The Faculty of Humanities and Cultural Studies at the University of Passau invites

applications for the tenured civil-service post of

Chair of History and Ethics of Medicine (pay grade W3)

You will represent the subject of history and ethics of medicine in research and teaching. You

will investigate the ethical foundations, historical developments and theoretical concepts of

medical practice, thereby making a significant contribution to understanding and shaping

modern healthcare.

We are seeking an individual with internationally visible research and a proven connection to

medicine and health sciences. Candidates should have experience in securing and

implementing externally funded research projects. You should address the societal, ethical,

legal and historical dimensions of medical practice and research, thereby contributing to the

University’s interdisciplinary profile in the field of health and medicine.

Research activities are expected in several of the following areas: medical history; medical

ethics; public health ethics and health justice; long-term care for older people as well as people

with disabilities and chronic illnesses; ethical challenges of digitalisation and the use of artificial

intelligence in healthcare; doctor-patient relationships; narrative medicine; as well as cultural

and societal dimensions of medical innovation.

You will be responsible for teaching the subject History, Theory and Ethics of Medicine on the

Human Medicine degree programme at the Lower-Bavarian Medical Campus, in accordance

with the requirements of the Ärztliche Approbationsordnung (German Medical Licensing

Regulations). The teaching will cover historical, ethical, theoretical, and humanities, cultural

and social science foundations of medicine. You will also be expected to teach courses in the

University’s interdisciplinary degree programmes and contribute to their design and further

development.

You will actively participate in the establishment and further development of the Institute of

Health Sciences (IGW) and contribute to the integration of perspectives from the fields of

medicine, health sciences, humanities, cultural studies, social sciences, law and data science.

A willingness to collaborate with relevant units of the University as well as with external

partners in the healthcare sector is expected.

Academics at our five faculties conduct research, teaching and knowledge transfer activities

at the cutting edge and according to the most exacting standards. Europe, sustainability and

digitalisation are particular focal points of intensive inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration

within the University and with our many national and international partners. As a sustainable,

internationally visible and attractive university in and for Europe, the University of Passau

seeks to make important contributions to solving the numerous challenges facing humanity

both globally and locally.

The Faculty of Humanities and Cultural Studies is a research-strong, dynamic faculty that

stands out for the interdisciplinary and international nature of its research and teaching as well

as its wide range of degree programmes and courses. The subject areas cultural and media

studies, humanities and Catholic theology are characterised by thematic, methodological and

spatial diversity in teaching as well as in basic and applied research.

The successful candidate will be educated to doctoral level and have demonstrated both

pedagogical aptitude and academic excellence, whereby the latter is generally established on

the basis of the quality of his or her doctoral research and subsequent academic achievements.

He or she will, furthermore, possess the German formal postdoctoral habilitation qualification

or an equivalent body of academic achievements garnered whilst employed at an institution of

higher education, for instance as a juniorprofessor or in a comparable position with a different

title (e.g. assistant professor or lecturer), insofar as the duties and qualification profile

correspond to those of a juniorprofessor position, or by leading a junior research group under

the conditions specified in Art. 98(10) sentence 5 of the Bavarian Higher Education Innovation

Act (BayHIG); the habilitation-equivalent achievements may also have been attained outside

the higher education system. In accordance with Art. 60(3) sentence 1 BayHIG, candidates

must not be more than 52 years of age at the time of their appointment.

The University of Passau actively promotes equal opportunities for all genders as well as

diversity in the workforce; therefore, applications are welcome from all candidates who fulfil

the requisite qualifications, without regard to gender, cultural or social background, religion,

world view, disability or sexual identity. As the University wishes to raise the proportion of

women in research and teaching, female academics are expressly encouraged to apply. This

position is suitable for candidates with disabilities. Those who are registered disabled are given

preference over non-disabled applicants who do not otherwise have statutory preferential

status if their overall personal aptitudes, skills and qualifications are equal.

To be considered, your application must reach the University by 3 October 2026. Your full

application should include all relevant supporting documents (curriculum vitae, list of

publications, teaching assignments, teaching evaluations etc.) and should preferably be sent

by e-mail to bewerbung@geku.uni-passau.de. It should be addressed to the Dean of the

Faculty of Humanities and Cultural Studies of the University of Passau, Professor Jan-Oliver

Decker, 94030 Passau. When e-mailing your application, all application documents should be

attached as a single pdf file. E-mailed applications are kept on file for six months after the

conclusion of the appointment procedure, whereupon they are deleted from our systems.

Please visit www.uni-passau.de/en/university/current-vacancies for our data privacy policy.