University appoints head of International Center for strategic realignment

Supporting the selection process until the contract is signed

A leading university in northern Germany has successfully filled the position of Head of International Center. The contracts have been signed. The mandate was accompanied by our personnel consultant team, which took over the candidate recruitment, the selection process and the process support up to the conclusion of the contract as part of an executive search project.

Key role for research, teaching and international visibility

The management function was of particular strategic importance for the university. The task of the International Center is to realign international cooperation in research and teaching and thus improve the conditions for attracting international researchers, postdocs and students to the university.

The search was therefore for a leader who is not only proficient in operational international university management, but who can also provide impetus for strategic development. The focus was on questions of international positioning, the expansion of academic cooperation and institutional connectivity to the requirements of an increasingly global science and education market.

Strong field of applicants for a challenging management position

We were able to attract a strong and highly competent field of applicants for the university. A total of ten candidatestook part in the selection process. This provided the university with a sound selection basis for filling the position in a quality-assured manner and in the interests of selecting the best candidates.

The ability to strategically develop international cooperation in research and teaching and to derive concrete effects for the recruitment of international talent was a key criterion in the selection process.

Selection process specifically geared towards the strategic task

In addition to directly approaching and recruiting candidates, our team also developed and structured the selection process for the university. A particular focus was on validly assessing the suitability of candidates for the strategic realignment of international cooperation.

The procedure therefore specifically examined the extent to which the applicantsmeet the requirements of a modern internationalization strategy in the university context: from the development of sustainable partnerships and the institutional anchoring of international cooperation to the question of how universitiescan becomemore attractive for international academicsand students.

"Particularly in the case of management positions in research, education and teaching, it is important not only to examine good CVs, but also to work out the strategic fit with the institution's development task," says our management team, describing the approach. "If a university wants to realign its international cooperation in research and teaching, the selection process must focus precisely on this future task."

Support right up to the conclusion of the contract

Our HR consultants not only supported the mandate during the market approach and selection process, but also up to the final recruitment decision and the conclusion of the contract. For the university, the successful appointment is an important step towards further strengthening its own international focus and making targeted progress in attracting international academics and students.

The project once again underlines our specialization in executive search in research, education and teaching as well as the combination of candidate recruitment, structured candidate selection and reliable process management.