Endowed chairs

Endowed chairs are funded by external capital providers as for example business companies and are not, or not completely, funded by the University itself. They are, in general, limited to a five-year contract period and allow the donor to establish collaborations with scientists in research and development.

The University of Luxembourg has in its only nine-year-long existence already obtained nine endowed chairs:

• First off was  the Japanese electronics company TDK,  that founded the TDK Europe professorship „New materials for solar cells“ in 2006. This chair is filled by Prof. Dr. Susanne Siebentritt, head of the Laboratory for Photovoltaics at the University of Luxembourg.

• In 2007,  the City of Luxembourg funded a professorship in urban development research, located within the „Laboratoire de Recherche en Géographie et Aménagement du Territoire“ at the University. Its researchers focus on regional and communal planning in Luxembourg and in the Greater Region, on European regional planning concepts, and on sustainable regional and communal development. Professorship holder is Prof. Dr. Markus Hesse.

• In 2009, the company ATOZ Tax Advisors  established a professorship for European and international tax law at the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance, held by Prof. Dr. Alexander Rust.

• In March 2010, the University and the global satellite operator SES S.A. signed a partnership agreement that foresees, among others, a funded chair in Satellite Communications and Media Law; the position is held by Professor Mahulena Hofmann.

• In September 2010, the world’s largest steel producer ArcelorMittal ,  headquartered in Luxembourg, sealed the  “ArcelorMittal Funded Chair in Façade Engineering” with the University. The aim is to advance the development of energy efficient high-tech buildings made of steel, composite steel and glass. The chair was given to Prof. Dr. Christoph Odenbreit.

• Also in September 2010,  the Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A . announced the funding of the „Deutsche Bank Chair of Finance”. The chair is based at the Luxembourg School of Finance, located within the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance of the University, and is to cover research topics in banking and finance that have applications within the banking sector in Luxembourg.

• The ad personam Jean Monnet Chair was attributed to Prof. Dr. Rene Leboutte in 2009. It aims to support teaching and research in contemporary European history by making use of new information technologies. The Chair will strengthen the links with the EU institutions, in particular the European Parliaments Archives (CarDoc), the European Studies Library of the European Investment Bank and the Centre Virtuel de la Connaissance sur l’Europe.

• In October 2011  the Chair in Parliamentary Studies of the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg was attributed to Dr. Philippe Poirier. The Chair aims at contributing to increase the knowledge and study on the functioning of parliamentarism in national and European decision-making. Its research focus on political sciences with special regards to the fields of democracy, national legislation and comparative politics in Europe.

• The UNESCO Chair on Human Rights was attributed to Prof. Dr. Jean-Paul Lehners in 2011. Its aim is to promote research, education and documentation on human rights. By its Chairs, UNESCO seeks not only to make its mission and objectives more visible within universities but also wishes to encourage scientific dialogue between universities and to improve the integration of the Southern Hemisphere into the international scientific community.