Habilitation

The term "habilitation" has crept into the European English vernacular and has been accurately defined (in Wikipedia) as the "qualification required in order to conduct self-contained university teaching, and to obtain a professorship in many European countries. Despite changes implemented in European higher-education systems consequent to the Bologna Process, habilitation is the highest qualification issued through the process of a university examination, and remains a core concept of scholarly careers in these countries." Given the fact that this word also has another common meaning in English (the process aimed at assisting disabled people attain, keep or improve skills and functioning for daily living), we recommend using this translation, unless it is clear that context is academia, but even then, most Americans would certainly be scratching their heads.