The second publication, “Karriereorientierung im deutschen Wissenschaftssystem” (currently only available in German), is aimed at researchers in the early career stages R2 and R3 following completion of their doctorate. It provides an overview of structures and career paths within the German academic system and addresses topics such as employment and funding opportunities, qualification requirements, third-party funding, teaching, international experience and networks. A key feature is a guide for orientation and career discussions with supervisors, which helps researchers systematically reflect on their research, further qualification and career development.

Both handbooks provide valuable guidance for creating supportive conditions and shaping individual career paths in academia. They are relevant both to doctoral candidates and postdocs and to universities and institutions involved in supporting these career stages.

• Funding of a visiting position for Junior or Senior researchers at the University of Passau
• Funding includes cost of accommodation and living expense, travel costs/mobility allowance, research cost contribution
• Duration: 2 - 6 months
• Eligibility: researchers/academics holding a doctorate
• Applications must be endorsed by a member of the University of Passau, who will act as their host

Academic Event Funding

• Funding of academic events to be held in Passau
• Aims at international networking and cooperation between researchers at different career stages; exchange of ideas on innovative research issues
• Eligibility: researchers/academics holding a doctorate
• Applications must include a member of the University of Passau who acts as the main organizer of the event, externals act as co-organizers

The next application deadline for the above mentioned PICAIS funding programmes is: Thursday, 15 October 2026

Please refer to the PICAIS website as well as the attached calls/guidelines for detailed information regarding the requirements of the application, eligibility criteria, selection procedure, and application forms.

The calls can be also found on LinkedIn.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the PICAIS office (picais-office@uni-passau.de) at any time.

• 07 /09 /16 and 23 September 2026 on each day 9.00- 12.30: Grant Proposal Writing-How to design and communicate your project convincingly (Online, English)
  Speaker: Dr. Sabine Preusse
  Registration: Stud.IP 71044W
  Doctoral Candidates and Postdocs
• 18 September 2026, 09.00-16.00: Academic Writing and Storytelling in Science, English
  Speaker: Theodore Best
  Ludwigstr. 8, Room 206
  Registration: Stud.IP 71062

We look forward to seeing you there!

The fact that migration ethics must be considered from a global perspective was reflected not least in the international participants at this year’s Passau Summer School for Applied Ethics (PASSAE), which is organised and run annually by the Chair of Applied Ethics at the University of Passau under the direction of Prof. Dr Karoline Reinhardt. In 2026, students from Germany, Austria, Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland, Brazil, Benin, Lithuania, China, Pakistan, Hungary, Belgium, France, Italy, Serbia, Sweden, Spain, the USA, the UK, Taiwan, Morocco, Georgia, the Netherlands and Colombia took part in PASSAE.

The Summer School innovatively combines learning in thematic working groups with lectures by leading experts in applied ethics to create an international and interdisciplinary learning experience for students from all over the world: “We are delighted by the strong international appeal of our Summer School. It has once again become clear that young people, in particular, are interested in ethical issues and not just in feasibility,” emphasises Reinhardt.

This year, students in the ‘Future of Europe’, ‘Digitalisation’ and ‘Sustainability’ working groups examined European migration phenomena and the resulting questions for Europe’s future, the ethical implications of the digitalisation of border regimes, and the link between migration and sustainability, such as in the case of climate-induced displacement. In their respective groups, they each produced a joint blog article making their findings publicly available to a wide audience. In addition, during plenary lectures, participants had the opportunity to gain insights into the research of leading philosophical experts, to learn from them and to exchange ideas with them. The academic programme was complemented by various activities, such as an interactive city tour and a hike to the Veste Oberhaus, designed to help participants discover the campus and the city together and to encourage exchange amongst the international early-career researchers.

This year, for the first time, the five-day event concluded with a panel discussion followed by an informal discussion between participants in the Summer School and members of the University of Passau Alumni Club, during which the students were able to join the University of Passau’s international network so that they could remain connected to it even after the Summer School had ended.

PASSAE forms part of the University of Passau’s research focus on ‘Sustainable Change’. Researchers from various disciplines are working here to find answers to the pressing questions of climate change, social inequality and global responsibility.

The Summer School was funded by the Passau International Centre for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies (PICAIS) and the Society for Analytical Philosophy (GAP).