The Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) bundles top-level research and transfer at an international level, thereby creating an interdisciplinary innovation network and an excellent science and technology location. Together with its renowned partners, the BTU forms the Lausitz Science Network - an alliance of research institutions that together want to further develop the strengths of the science location Cottbus-Senftenberg and increase its visibility. Through innovative research and new teaching and learning formats, the BTU is shaping the future: with scientific findings and practice-relevant solutions, it is helping to shape the major issues of the future and transformation processes. In four profile lines - "Energy Transition and Decarbonization," "Health and Life Sciences," "Global Change and Transformation Processes," and "Artificial Intelligence and Sensor Technology" - it combines its strengths in teaching and research across institutes and faculties.
At its locations in Cottbus and Senftenberg, the BTU guarantees its students a challenging education, individual support and the opportunity to learn from and with each other with curiosity and openness. The BTU stands for an inspiring atmosphere of learning and research in a dialogical, democratic cooperation of all: The diversity of our faculty and students enables innovation and progress.

The Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences, in a joint recruitment process with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), is seeking applications for a

PROFESSORSHIP (W2) Biodiversity Economics and Agricultural Policy [Biodiversitätsökonomik und Agrarpolitik]

At the same time, the individual is seconded to the PIK to take on the role of a

Working Group Leader

commencing at the earliest opportunity.

The professorship is a joint appointment by the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) based on the Jülich model. The professorship is associated with a teaching commitment of 2 hours per week at the BTU.

The professorship will focus on analysing policy measures aimed at protecting biodiversity, terrestrial carbon sinks and globally relevant ecosystem services in the context of agriculture and land use. The research aim is to improve understanding of the effectiveness, costs and benefits of policy measures – such as agri-environmental and climate measures, offsets and the designation of protected areas – and to develop effective and cost-effective policy portfolios. The research will focus in particular on large-scale contexts, such as the European and global levels, and will also establish links to European agricultural and climate policy.

The methodological focus of the research will be on the development of large-scale models that integrate economic and ecological aspects. These models are intended to inform the development of policy recommendations; they will take distributional aspects into account and be linked to empirical landscape ecology data and regional case studies. We are seeking a candidate with the ability to think interdisciplinarily to strengthen economic research on biodiversity, identify synergies and trade-offs between biodiversity and climate protection measures, and further develop the research agenda at PIK on the management of global public goods and the protection of planetary boundaries. To this end, a new research group is to be established at PIK under the leadership of the professorship to be situated in the ‘Climate Economics and Policy’ department. This group is intended to work in a manner complementary to the global model-based analyses conducted in other departments at PIK. In line with the aim of sharpening the profile of the Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences at the BTU, the analysis of policy instruments for biodiversity is to be integrated with (landscape) ecological research in order to develop joint national and international collaborative projects (for example within the DFG). The professorship involves a teaching load of 2 hours per week at the BTU.

We are looking for:
An internationally recognised researcher with a track record of relevant publications and experience – preferably in the analysis of policy measures – in the fields of biodiversity economics, environmental economics and/or agricultural economics. A lack of experience in modelling is not a disqualifying factor; however, an explicit willingness to develop relevant models is required. Furthermore, we expect a willingness to integrate economic concepts with other disciplines, particularly ecology. Experience in one or more of the following research areas is desirable: economic valuation of biodiversity changes, economic analysis of agricultural policy, economic analysis of policy measures in the fields of climate and biodiversity, and economic analysis of distributional aspects, as demonstrated by publications in international journals on the relevant topics.

The professorship is intended to represent the aforementioned research tasks in both research and teaching. Teaching duties are to be carried out in the (English-language) Bachelor Environmental and Resource Management programme, amounting to 2 hours per week. If sufficient knowledge of German is not available, a willingness to learn the German language promptly is desirable, inter alia for participation in stakeholder and policy advisory processes.

Profile

As a future professor, you can provide evidence of the following requirements in accordance with § 43 Para. 1 No. 1 to 4a Brandenburg Higher Education Act (BbgHG):

• a completed university degree in a discipline relevant to the professorship,
• pedagogical aptitude,
• a special aptitude for academic work, as a rule through the outstanding quality of a doctorate with relevance to the professorship, and
• a habilitation or additional academic achievements as an equivalent.

In addition, you have experience in the acquisition of third-party funding and in the implementation of third-party funded projects, whereby experience with DFG or EU projects is particularly desirable. Your teaching experience enables excellent teaching for the subject area to be filled here. You have the ability to teach at all curricular levels from bachelor's to doctorate, to supervise theses and to support young academics.

Individual circumstances, such as parental leave, are taken into account when evaluating these criteria. Your knowledge and experience enable you to participate in academic self-administration and in raising the profile of the BTU and the PIK.

We offer

• fair and transparent appointment negotiations,
• attractive working conditions in two cities with a high quality of life and in relative proximity to Berlin, Dresden and Leipzig as well as scenic local recreational areas,
• dynamically developing research locations in Potsdam and Cottbus,
• comprehensive advice in the dual-career service and in the area of family orientation, and
• an attractive salary.

Other duties result from the requirements set by § 44 BbgHG in conjunction with § 3 BbgHG.

Please refer to §§ 43 paragraph 1 – 4a and 45 BbgHG for prerequisites and conditions of employment.

BTU is committed to equal opportunities and diversity and strives for a balanced gender ratio in all employee groups and gives priority to persons with severe disabilities or persons with equivalent qualifications.

Information on appointment management including the legal basis can be found at:

Please send your application with proof of qualifications, a tabular presentation of your professional career, a list of publications including the 5 most important ones, proof of pedagogical aptitude as well as a research and teaching concept for the advertised professorship by e-mail - mentioning the Reference-No: 93/26 - in a summarised PDF file of max. 7 MB until 2026-07-21 to:

E-Mail:

Dekan der Fakultät Umwelt und Naturwissenschaften,
postal Address: BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Postfach 101344, 03013 Cottbus

When sending your application by unencrypted e-mail, please be aware of the risks regarding the confidentiality and integrity of your application content and please also note the data protection information on the BTU website.

For further information, please contact
for the BTU: Prof. Dr. Frank Wätzold, email: and
for the PIK: Prof. Dr. Sabine Fuss, email:

The BTU carries the seal of quality of The German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (Deutscher Hochschulverband, in short DHV). She is thus honored for her fair and transparent negotiations on the appointment of new professors.