The following position is to be filled at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design (HfG Karlsruhe) for the 2027 summer semester:

Professorship for Emerging Technologies Salary Group W2, 100 %, for a fixed term of three years

The HfG Karlsruhe invites applications for a professorship in the Department of Design, composed of Communication Design and Product Design programs, focused on practically and critically engaging with emerging technologies in contemporary design practice.

The professorship will focus on expanding and developing technological possibilities across both programs and embedding them in a dynamic educational, technical and conceptual framework. The successful candidate will open up a dynamic space for experimentation and production for students, using a variety of technological tools, processes and materials.

The professorship carries a significant teaching responsibility. The appointee will develop and deliver courses that support students in cultivating technological literacies - from introductory competencies to advanced project-based research - while situating technological practice within broader aesthetic, social, and ecological contexts. A central expectation is that technology is not approached merely instrumentally, but as a site for critical reflection on design’s shifting role in contemporary culture. Key concerns include how creative methods and emerging technologies might help shape a fair and inclusive society in which technology supports, rather than hinders, creative thinking, critical practice, and communal life.

Candidates are expected to demonstrate:

• a strong command of existing and emerging design technologies, which may include artificial intelligence, virtual reality, creative coding, interaction design, game engines (Unity or comparable platforms), open source tools/libraries, co-creation, complex prompting, robotics, manufacturing technologies and related areas,
• experience in the organisation and oversight of technologically equipped creative environments (workshops, labs, maker spaces, hackathons, or similar),
• a broad professional and international network,
• and a pedagogical practice that meaningfully links technical experimentation with conceptual inquiry.

The department values design practices that operate across scales - from material and formal investigations to systemic and speculative work - and seeks applicants whose teaching and research approach technology not just as a tool, but also as an ecological, cultural, and poetic agent.

Furthermore, the post holder is expected to work collaboratively and in an interdisciplinary manner with other departments of the university as well as with the neighboring Center for Art and Media (ZKM) Karlsruhe. Further official duties are regulated in § 46 of the Landes-hochschulgesetz (LHG) Baden-Württemberg.

Participation in University's self-administration is one of the official duties.

The eligibility criteria under § 47 of the LHG are:

• Completion of a relevant university degree and/or outstanding subject-related achievements within the fields of Communication and/or Product Design
• Relevant publications and projects in the field
• Evidence of individual artistic, creative and experimental achievements in design, based on personal practice and/or professional experience
• Knowledge of and experience with digital media and program-driven manufacturing tools
• A broad professional and international network.
• Pedagogical aptitude and successful teaching experience at art or design colleges

In addition, candidates must have a very good command of German and English. The administrative language at the HfG and in the appointment procedure is German.

General information:

The Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design is committed to diversity, equality and justice in opportunities. It would like to maintain the proportion of women among its professors. The HfG supports the compatibility of career and family. Applicants with severe disabilities will be given preferential consideration if equally qualified.

Please submit your application with CV and documents that clearly show your artistic/ academic background via the online application (https://hfg-karlsruhe.de/hochschule/stellen/) form by May 31, 2026.

For information on the job advertisement, please contact the Rectorate at +49 (0) 721 8203-2297 or e-mail:rektorat@hfg-karlsruhe.de.

Information on the collection of personal data from the person concerned in accordance with Article 13 DSGVO can be found on our homepage under the heading ‘Job Vacancies’.

Please note that the German text version of the job advertisement is the legally binding version.