Gastwissenschaftler*innen
Pursuant to Art. 35 para. 2 NHG, the Presidential Board may, upon proposal of the faculty, assign suitable persons in a public-law employment relationship as visiting scholars to perform tasks in teaching, research, continuing education and the arts for a limited period of time.
Title leadership
Colloquially, the term "visiting professor" is often used for visiting academics who hold the title of professor. However, the NHG does not provide for a status group of "visiting professors", so that every assignment is carried out as a visiting researcher.
However, during the period of employment, persons who do not hold the title of professor may be permitted to use the title of "professor" in accordance with the regulations of 19.01.2011 (Leuphana Gazette No. 01/11).
Remuneration
Pursuant to Section 35, Paragraph 2, Sentence 2 NHG, remuneration may be granted to visiting academics. If you have any queries regarding the remuneration of assignments that have already been granted, please contact the administrative staff of the Lower Saxony State Office for Remuneration and Pensions (NLBV) Lüneburg, Tariff Remuneration Division.
The proposal for the assignment of a visiting scholar is to be submitted to the Presidential Board via the Dean's Office. Please use the application form in the "Forms" section on this page.
Funding:
Under certain circumstances, it is possible to commission funding from DAAD funds or from tuition fees (Leuphana Visiting Professorships Programme). This must be applied for using a separate form. Further information is available on the pages of the International Office.
Documents to be submitted before commissioning:
The following documents are requested by the Professorship Service for the implementation of the assignment:
- Certificates of school and university education, doctorate certificate, habilitation certificate if applicable (certified copies)
- Declaration of economic circumstances and immunity from prosecution
- Certificate of good conduct or extract from the criminal record as proof of exemption from punishment corresponding to the German "behördliches Führungszeugnis".
- Declaration of consent for data transfer to the internet
If remuneration is paid for the performance of the assignment, the following documents must also be submitted:
- in the case of an agreement on remuneration based on the W-grade: birth certificate, birth certificates of children if applicable, marriage certificate if applicable (certified copies)
- Staff questionnaire and salary questionnaire
- Declaration on tax treatment
- if available and only for visiting researchers with German citizenship who are not on leave of absence during the assignment in a civil servant position: Social security card (copy)
In individual cases, e.g. due to previous employment or assignment at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, some of the listed documents are already available. These do not have to be submitted again. Accordingly, the Professorship Service will not request these documents again.
Additional documents to be submitted when commissioning international guest researchers
There are special features when commissioning international guest researchers. For example, prior to the assignment, the possibility of exemption of the remuneration from tax deduction as well as exemption from social security contributions in Germany should be checked. In these cases, further documents must be submitted:
Tax liability of international guest researchers in Germany
International guest researchers can apply for exemption of their salary from tax deduction on the basis of a treaty for the avoidance of double taxation or for the issue of a certificate for employees with limited income tax liability using the relevant forms from the tax office. The declaration on tax treatment (see above) is not required.
Compulsory social security for international guest researchers in Germany
The relevant law for assessing the social security obligation of nationals of another EU member state who continue to be employed in parallel in that state is determined by the so-called certificate A1, which is issued by the pension institution of the other member state. For nationals of another EU member state who do not continue to be employed in the other state during their assignment as a visiting researcher in Germany, German social security law automatically applies. Nationals of all other countries can be exempted from the application of German legal provisions on statutory pension insurance upon application and presentation of a certificate from the employer in the home country confirming the continuation of employment there and the ongoing payment of social security contributions there. The German Liaison Office for Health Insurance - Abroad (DVKA) of the GKV-Spitzenverband decides on the granting of this so-called exemption agreement.
The Professorship Service will be happy to assist you in submitting your application to both the tax office and the DVKA.The Professorship Service will be happy to assist you in submitting your application to both the tax office and the DVKA.
Important note
If another employment or service relationship is to continue formally during a full-time assignment as a visiting scholar, a leave of absence to the corresponding extent of the assignment must be applied for from the other employer or principal for the duration of the assignment. If a full leave of absence is applied for in a civil servant relationship, care must be taken that the employer granting the leave issues a notice of guarantee with the leave order.
Furthermore, in each individual case in which a civil servant of another employer is assigned to us as a guest researcher, it is necessary to have the continuation of the civil servant relationship ordered by mutual agreement by the other employer before the assignment begins, because otherwise the civil servant relationship ends by operation of law. This shall also apply if the assignment as guest researcher does not involve the full amount of working time.