Founding Director, Centre for Complex Environmental Systems – University of Luxembourg

The University of Luxembourg will establish a new Interdisciplinary Centre (IC) for researching complex environmental systems. This ideas competition is calling on outstanding researchers from around the world to submit concepts for the development of the centre.

The scientist with the most innovative and convincing ideas will be invited to apply as the founding director of the centre.

The call is open until Sunday 1st October 2023.

This new major project is the centrepiece of the focus area “Sustainable and Social Development” – one of the three core research areas of the University, along with “Digital Transformation” and “Medicine & Health”.

Aiming to grow to around 150 employees within a ten-year period, the new IC is to become an international reference centre. In addition to basic and applied research, its core tasks will include academic education, by which Luxembourg aims to attract new talents, as well as knowledge and technology transfer. The IC will collaborate with academic institutions and networks of environmental experts from Luxembourg and worldwide, linking local priorities with global challenges.

Aiming to grow to around 150 employees within a ten-year period, the new IC is to become an international reference centre. In addition to basic and applied research, its core tasks will include academic education, by which Luxembourg aims to attract new talent, as well as knowledge and technology transfer. The IC will collaborate with academic institutions and networks of environmental experts from Luxembourg and worldwide, linking local priorities with global challenges.

Further information can be found here:

• Strategy Framework
• Ideas Competition
• Terms of Reference
• University of Luxembourg Highlights 2022

For the Candidate Pack please click here.

Learn more about the project, its importance and the research landscape of Luxembourg in this video.

Please submit your concept by Sunday 1st October 2023 to environmentalsystems@minervasearch.com. It should consist of

• an outline proposal (max. 10 pages in English) and
• a curriculum vitae in a tabular or narrative form (max. 3 pages in English)
• a list of publications, highlighting five major publications or policy documents.

Further details on how to write the concept

The concept will be evaluated by an international selection committee of independent experts. A second phase will be dedicated to the actual recruitment process of the founding director.

The University of Luxembourg will be assisted by the executive search firm Minerva in its search for the scientist with the most innovative and convincing ideas.

Minerva will facilitate direct engagement with the concept’s owners throughout their submission process. Extensive information is made available on MINERVA’s website and the contact point is Ms Kerry Shepherd at environmentalsystems@minervasearch.com.