“We need to be more daring”

Joachim Hornegger on Top-level research, supporting young researchers and the courage to take risks

Joachim Hornegger is one of Germany’s top 100 IT specialists and has been President of FAU since 2015. Top-level research, supporting young researchers and the courage to take risks in research are important to him. And what else?

Prof. Hornegger, a warm up question to start with. What was the first thing you carried out any research on as a child?

A biology experiment set. It contained a frog preserved in glycerine and a set of instructions on how to dissect it. It’s not particularly nice when I look back on it, but it really was my first experiment kit.

It sounds as if you wanted to go into research right from the start.

Oh, that would all depend on when I was asked. I wanted to be everything from a firefighter or a pastor to a math and physics teacher. My math and physics teachers made quite an impression on me.

Pastor?

I quite liked the idea. The pastor talks for an hour on Sundays and then he goes for walks, or so I thought. I thought it sounded like a great career.

You never wanted to be president?

No, I did not.

Hmm. You’re now the president of one of the largest universities in Germany. Where do you see the biggest challenges?

In terms of research, the challenges lie in the major topics of our times such as the energy transition, human rights and climate change. These challenges can only be overcome if all academic disciplines work together. There’s so much more that can be done. This applies to universities themselves and to the researchers who also have to be open to questions that are not related to their field. However, it also applies to funding for research. We need to be more daring.

Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger has been FAU President since April 1, 2015. He studied computer science at FAU and gained his doctoral degree in 1996 with a thesis about statistical object modeling and recognition. He then spent some time at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford University before becoming a development engineer at Siemens Medical Solutions. He was appointed Chair of Pattern Recognition at FAU in 2005. Professor Hornegger became a member of the Executive Board in 2011 as one of FAU’s vice presidents, a position he held until 2015. In this capacity he was responsible for research and young researchers.

And what concerns you the most when it comes to teaching?

Internationalization. A third of all new students now come from abroad. How can we integrate international students? Not just at the university, but in the region. Particularly in view of the fact that we are not a campus university, we need to help them to integrate into society. We need to find a way of improving the support on offer to those who need it. They come here with different needs and requirements, but they all expect to get a degree at the end.

More interdisciplinary research, improved support. It all needs to be paid for.

Well, there’s no doubt that basic funding ought to be increased. But in Bavaria at least, there has been high investment in research during the last five years – politicians have recognized that innovation is not possible without science. That is a very positive development.

For topics such as AI, too?

Yes, that too. AI is a good example. In the past, we mainly carried out fundamental research in AI. FAU has been doing so since 1975, by the way. It was a niche.

Today, AI is one of the most important drivers of innovation. At the same time, universities are working on topics that may have the same role in 20 years’ time that AI has now. Or photonics 10 or 15 years ago. I think it’s more about the question of how we make universities more dynamic so they can react more flexibly to current developments. We won’t have a high-tech agenda every ten years to rapidly define set areas to focus on. We must find other ways of making our system more flexible.

Which obstacles need to be overcome?

We must succeed in serving a tried and tested and sustainable range of degree programs but still increase research capacities for hot topics.

We hear a lot about the fact that a lot of teaching is passed on to mid-level research staff, that is, to research associates after their doctoral degrees, but before a professorship…

Mid-level research has a lot to deal with. Universities in Germany with a strong focus on research cannot function without mid-level research. However, people in mid-level research must also be given the opportunity to carry out research and publish. This applies to young researchers in particular. The job hierarchy makes it quite clear that finding a job for life in mid-level research is extremely difficult and cannot be planned.

What advice would you give young researchers then?

My advice would be to anyone seeking a career in academia that the only goal is a professorship. But don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying that everything in this system works properly. I am just making a realistic assessment of the opportunities. And an academic career without a professorship as a career goal is only successful in the rarest of cases. A position as “Akademischer Rat” should also only be for the interim.

That doesn’t sound particularly encouraging.

I wouldn’t say that. What’s important is that you know what options are available, evaluate them correctly and look into any alternatives. There are also attractive positions outside academia. I moved into industry two years after completing my doctoral degree and only returned to university eight years after that. Although, it is easier for an IT specialist to return to research after being in industry than vice versa. But it’s possible.

If you were to leave academia, which career would you definitely not choose?

I certainly won’t say “legal expert”. That has already cost me a box of chocolates. Joking aside, a job where every day is the same and where I already know in the morning what I will have done by the time the day is over wouldn’t suit me at all.

by Blandina Mangelkramer

This article is part of the FAU Magazin

A university thrives because of the people who research, study, teach and work there. A university is supported by people who are connected to it as alumni, friends and sponsors and who are committed to promoting its interests all over the world.

They all contribute their unique talents, skills and perspectives. It is this diversity that makes our FAU a place of innovation, a place where many talented individuals tackle the major challenges of our times together, and a place where they keep finding answers.