Professor (f/m/d) of “General and Comparative Linguistics”

About the University

Open to unconventional approaches in research and teaching, the University of Bremen has retained its character as a place of short distances for people and ideas since its founding in 1971. With a broad range of subjects, we combine exceptional performance and innovative potential. As an ambitious research university, we stand for research-based learning approaches and a pronounced interdisciplinary orientation. We actively pursue international scientific cooperation in a spirit of global partnership. Today, around 23,000 people learn, teach, research and work on our international campus. In research and teaching, administration and operations, we are firmly committed to the goals of sustainability, climate justice and climate neutrality. Our Bremen spirit is expressed in the courage to dare to try new things, in supportive cooperation, in respect and appreciation for each other. With our study and research profile and as part of the European YUFE network, we assume social responsibility in the region, in Europe and in the world.

Position Overview

The University of Bremen is advertising in the Linguistics section of the Faculty of Linguistics & Literary Studies (Faculty 10), subject to release, the position of Professor (f/m/d) of “General and Comparative Linguistics” (W3, reference number P190/26) to be filled as of 01 October 2027. Should the legal requirements for civil-servant status be fulfilled, the successful applicant will be appointed as a civil servant on a tenured professorship (W3 on the German salary scale for university professors).

Academic Focus & Research

The field of General and Comparative Linguistics understands human language as a natural system and deals with the complex characteristics and functions of language from a typological and comparative perspective. In conjunction with theoretically and empirically oriented multilingualism research, on which the professorship will focus, it deals with the development, typological characteristics and linguistic-systemic consequences of multilingualism on an individual and social level. The successful applicant is expected to cover and represent the field in its entirety and in all of the faculty’s study programmes that have linguistic components, as well as to contribute to the further development and internationalisation of these programmes.

The faculty subscribes to a modern interpretation of philology that includes transfer in teaching and research between the individual philologies and the sub-disciplines of linguistics, as well as between the scientific community and the general public.

Bremen’s Linguistics Network (Verbund der Bremer Sprachwissenschaften) and the joint research platform ‘Worlds of Contradiction’ offer a multitude of disciplinary and interdisciplinary cooperations. The faculty’s linguistics section hosts a Malta Centre and has close cooperations with the University of Malta. Within the framework of the Northwest Alliance, we boast a close collaboration with the Carl von Ossietzky University in Oldenburg.

Teaching Responsibilities

Teaching duties comprise courses in the BA programmes ‘Linguistik / Language Sciences’ as well as the MA programme ‘Language Sciences’. Applicants are required to demonstrate the ability to teach in English and German and must possess language skills at the C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference. In addition, experience in administration and organisation of courses is expected.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Applicants should have a proven track record in General and Comparative Linguistics and contrastive multilingualism research; migration and/or minority language research may constitute a focus area.
• Applicants should also have proven experience in academic communication and/or research transfer as well as relevant experience in the application of digital methods beyond mainstream corpus linguistics and its implementation in the digital humanities.
• Applicants are required to demonstrate a completed and professionally relevant academic university degree, as well as the ability to conduct top-level academic research, demonstrated by a high-ranking dissertation pertaining to the subject area and further professionally relevant academic work and publications that may have been attained in the context of, in particular, an assistant professorship (Juniorprofessur) or through a post-doctoral degree or ‘second book’ (Habilitation).
• Expected is a pertinent and high-quality, internationally visible research track record documented by publications and externally funded projects.
• The applicant must also demonstrate a willingness and compatibility to work within the context of the linguistic research foci of the faculty (Language in (Post)Colonial Contexts; Language Contact, Language Typology).
• Furthermore, applicants are required to demonstrate their pedagogic-didactic suitability to teach at university level, documented primarily by means of a sufficiently broad teaching experience relevant to aspects of General and Comparative Linguistics.
• Experience in the acquisition of third-party funding is a prerequisite, as is the willingness to contribute to research funding in this way.
• The training and support of early-career researchers, participation in academic self-administration, the active support of the university’s transfer strategy and the willingness to engage in continuous professional training in higher education are part of the extended range of duties of the professorship.

Benefits & Development Opportunities

• The university offers a Welcome Centre for new hires.
• Childcare and dual career options are available.
• Customised leadership development programs are provided.

EEO & Diversity Statement

The university is family-friendly, diverse and sees itself as an international university. We therefore welcome all applicants regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion/belief, disability, age, sexual orientation and identity. The University of Bremen promotes the employment of women at all levels. Women are therefore expressly encouraged to apply. Disabled applicants will be given priority if their professional and personal qualifications are essentially the same.

Location & Contract

University of Bremen, Faculty of Linguistics & Literary Studies (Faculty 10). Tenured professorship (W3) on the German salary scale for university professors.

Application Deadline

Reference number P190/26, application deadline: by October 22nd, 2026.

Additional Information

Further queries concerning the professorship should be addressed to the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Dr. Sabine Doff ( ).

Data Protection Notice: In accordance with §§ 12, 13 GDPR, your application documents will be stored in compliance with Art. 6 GDPR in conjunction with § 12 BremDSGVOAG, §§ 85ff. BremBG, § 15 AGG until the legal retention period expires and will then be destroyed. Any application costs cannot be reimbursed.