Prof. Dr. Payam Akbar: I am familiar with both worlds. With the polytechnic, as it was still called at the time, from my studies in business psychology in Cologne; with the university through my doctorate and work as a research assistant and postdoc in Kiel. One type of university is no better or worse than the other. It’s simply a question of personal preference. Personally, I prefer the UAS because this format allows me to pursue what I enjoy with great dedication and conviction.

A colleague and I have just published the third edition of my textbook “Consumer Behaviour”. From a purely research-orientated perspective, the publication of specialist articles makes more sense. After all, monographs count for less and less in the academic world. Simultaneously, I believe that the textbook format is important to bring students and practitioners closer to the current state of knowledge in the subject in an easily digestible way. What’s more, I really enjoy this work. I also enjoy organising workshops for companies, giving presentations and completing consulting projects.  This mix is perfectly suited to someone with a UAS professorship perfectly - so the UAS professorship suits me.

The professorship at HTW Berlin was one of the first I applied for. Berlin was not on my list of preferred cities because I live with my family in Kiel. Therefore, the application was primarily intended as a trial run to gain experience of the application process. When the invitation came to deliver a demonstration lecture, I still prepared myself thoroughly. This wasn’t easy, because I was heavily committed to my job at the time. I only had time in the evenings in hotels and at weekends.

The appointments committee asked for a 30-minute presentation on “Innovative methods of target group analysis”. These are statistical procedures - a rather thankless topic, because it is not so easy to present in an offbeat, interesting way without slipping into the trivial. It was a balancing act, because I wanted to offer everyone something in terms of content during the teaching demonstration, both the students and the members of the appointments committee. In a further 30 minutes, I had to give an insight into my research and present a written teaching concept for the newly established Marketing Intelligence specialisation for which I had applied. I was asked to tell the committee about my choice of content for this specialisation and how I would go about organising it.

I gave the lecture in a lecture theatre on campus, in front of around 30 to 40 students and the appointments committee. Afterwards, I met with the committee members and other representatives of the university, including the Equal Opportunities Officer and a representative from one of the student bodies. They wanted to know about my attitude to teaching, how I integrated digital media, how I would deal with difficult students and, last but not least, what emphasis I wished to place on research.

After that, I didn’t hear anything for six months until I suddenly got the news that I was number one on the list. The Berlin Senator for Science made the appointment, I expressed my interest and was then invited to an interview with the then President of HTW Berlin. To be honest, I only knew that possible salary supplements and equipment for research and things like that were negotiated in this meeting because I had received information and advice from my professional association. Otherwise I would probably have expected a second interview. In the private sector, it’s not unusual to go through two or three rounds of interviews during a selection process.

The conversation was pleasant. After that, everything suddenly had to happen very quickly. I accepted the appointment in writing, took the oath and was made a civil servant with an unlimited tenure. Incidentally, this is a plus point in the state of Berlin; in other federal states, some civil servants are initially only appointed on a probationary basis.

It took about a year. And I would have been very pleased to see a little more transparency at the time. I now realise that universities are strongly driven by regulations and can understand this better. In the months in which nothing happened for me as an observer to this process, various committees were involved and coordination procedures were under way, including with the Berlin Academic Administration.

I have been responsible for the Marketing Intelligence specialisation at HTW Berlin since day one. I have the freedom to shape the focus of the content myself, which allows me to work independently and creatively. This independence fits in well with my background, as I come directly from the field. However, I realise that what I teach today as marketing intelligence may be outdated in ten years’ time. That’s why it’s important to me to develop formats that allow me to keep my finger on the pulse. I put this into practice by implementing projects with local agencies, organising workshops and carrying out consulting and practical projects - not to earn more money, but to continue to ensure professional and practical relevance.