I think all the German postdocs that are grumbling about this should honestly just get over it.
Why? German postdocs have every right to be angry about corruption like this that reduces their chances to get a tenured position themselves.
University of Innsbruck postdocs
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If the girlfriend was not a girlfriend, but was instead a coauthor that the professor wanted to hire, this would not be regarded half as bad. What is the difference? A professor, with power, wants to hire a specific individual into their faculty. So what?
Do you think you got your job without the help of your advisor? You think there is no link between your career trajectory and the desires of your advisor? Or that there is no link between your advisor, their friends, and where you place? How is it at all different? Did you get your job 'fair and square', do you think?
I am not necessarily the biggest fan of either of the two being rinsed out here, but it's cowardly to do so anonymously online.
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A professor, with power, wants to hire a specific individual into their faculty. So what?
In fact, there's a subtle difference between hiring someone with a half-decent track record and hiring your gf/wife whose only publications are joint work with you or in journals edited by you.
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Abusing your power to employ your wife permanently in a public company at the taxpayer's expense is really shady, unprofessional and undoubtedly constitutes a conflict of interest.
FAQ:
https://www.uibk.ac.at/innenrevision/antikorruption.htmlAny insiders who are willing to report this case here: https://www.uibk.ac.at/innenrevision/kontakt.html ?
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A professor, with power, wants to hire a specific individual into their faculty. So what?
In fact, there's a subtle difference between hiring someone with a half-decent track record and hiring your gf/wife whose only publications are joint work with you or in journals edited by you.
Half the universities in the world hire people + their spouses who are terrible. This is not specific to this couple or place.
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A professor, with power, wants to hire a specific individual into their faculty. So what?
In fact, there's a subtle difference between hiring someone with a half-decent track record and hiring your gf/wife whose only publications are joint work with you or in journals edited by you.
Half the universities in the world hire people + their spouses who are terrible. This is not specific to this couple or place.
On tenure-track positions? I bet the vast majority of JMCs who face a two-body problem would disagree with your statement.
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Half the universities in the world hire people + their spouses who are terrible. This is not specific to this couple or place.
but this university explicitly points it out:
FAQ:
https://www.uibk.ac.at/innenrevision/antikorruption.html(2) Warum ist Korruption so schädlich?
Korruption wirkt sich regelmäßig zum Nachteil der Organisation aus, in deren Interesse die korrupt handelnde Person eigentlich agieren müsste (z. B. eine mit der Postenbesetzung betraute Person, die nicht den/die am besten qualifizierte Bewerber/in auswählt, sondern eine/n Bewerber/in zur Absicherung persönlicher Interessen). Durch die Gefahr der Ausbreitung in Verbindung mit falscher Anreizsetzung oder unzureichenden Gegenmaßnahmen weitet sich der Schaden zum Nachteil der Organisation aus.
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Innsbruck faculty, please step up:
Yeah, now is the right time (and probably last opportunity) to stop this corrupt bs. It's time to leave the anonymous online world and report this misconduct. If a single individual does not feel comfortable, why not submit a joint report?
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A professor, with power, wants to hire a specific individual into their faculty. So what?
In fact, there's a subtle difference between hiring someone with a half-decent track record and hiring your gf/wife whose only publications are joint work with you or in journals edited by you.
How would they even pull that off? This case is public knowledge and well-documented. Giving her a position in Innsbruck would certainly result in a huge outcry and it would be easy to prove corruption.
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If he received an outside offer, dual career considerations are not irrelevant from the university's perspective. As mentioned by s.o. before, it is not unusual that a spouse receives a tenured (lower ranked) position. How else would they stay at the place and raise their kids etc.
A professor, with power, wants to hire a specific individual into their faculty. So what?
In fact, there's a subtle difference between hiring someone with a half-decent track record and hiring your gf/wife whose only publications are joint work with you or in journals edited by you.
Half the universities in the world hire people + their spouses who are terrible. This is not specific to this couple or place.
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Offers should be solely based on accomplishments in this field. If they guy wants his spouse to be close she could also work somewhere else in town right? It doesnt have to be academia, and doesnt have to be the same university. Unless she is really smart but just hasnt got the pubs yet..
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The poster trashing the couple's reputation is quite sad.
How many people are hired purely on ability? Half the postdocs hired in Innsbruck are there because a Professor is friends with their advisor.
How many of them got the job without attending an interview? I don't remember you posting here then. Perhaps because this time it's personal..
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not familiar with the case but if there is a deal of the type "spousal hire" (because one of the two is so good) I don't see the problem. It must be hard to attract good people to Innsbruck so a joint offer might help.
Yes, you are definitely not familiar with the case.