Assistant professor or associate professor of rhetoric

The School of Communication and Culture at Aarhus University invites applications for the position of assistant professor or associate professor of rhetoric at the Department of Comparative Literature and Rhetoric.

The assistant professorship is a full time three-year fixed-term position, and subject to appropriate funding, there will be an opportunity to apply for a subsequent associate professorship.

The associate professorship is full time and tenured.

Applicants must state which category of position (assistant professor or associate professor) they are applying. Applications in which this is not specified cannot be assessed.

The appointment begins on 1 December 2023or as soon as possible thereafter.

The School of Communication and Culture is committed to diversity and encourages all qualified applicants to apply regardless of their personal background.

The position

The position of assistant professor or associate professor of rhetoric at the Department of Comparative Literature and Rhetoric includes tasks and responsibilities in each of Aarhus University’s core activities in the areas of research, teaching and supervision, talent development and knowledge exchange in the field of rhetoric.

Applicants must have research qualifications in the field of rhetorical studies. We particularly welcome applicants with knowledge of both the rhetorical tradition and contemporary rhetorical scholarship.

In sum, we are looking for an innovative and dedicated applicant who will enhance the research and teaching profiles of the department nationally and internationally.

Research

We are especially looking for applicants who have research experience and substantial knowledge in one or more of the following fields of study:

• rhetoric in different media ecologies, for instance, social media, digital rhetoric, news media and/or partisan media
• writing and composition, in particular pertaining to citizenship and the formation of democratic competencies
• the rhetorical tradition and its significance for contemporary rhetorical criticism
• political rhetoric, for instance, environmental rhetoric and climate change, the rhetoric of social movements or rhetorical challenges of creating diversity.

Teaching and supervision

We are looking for applicants with teaching and supervision experience at university level in the field of rhetoric. The successful applicant will be expected to take part in the department’s teaching and supervision activities and to teach and supervise on the department’s

Master’s degree programme in Rhetoric (2017)

,

Bachelor’s supplementary subject in Rhetoric (2021)

as well as the

Bachelor’s supplementary subject in Creative and Professional Writing (2020)

and the part-time

professional Master Degree programme in Rhetoric (2018)

. The position involves teaching duties in all general areas of rhetoric taught at the department. Please refer to our programme descriptions and indicate in your application which courses you could teach.

The successful applicant will also be expected to contribute to the ongoing development of curricula and the degree programme(s) within the field of rhetoric, and in this connection experience of degree programme and curriculum development at universities or similar institutions will be an advantage.

Given the international focus of the degree programmes, the successful applicant will be expected to teach in English as well as Danish.

Assistant Professor

The person appointed to the post of assistant professor must complete Aarhus University’s teacher-training programme for assistant professors designed for university teaching.

Associate professor

As an associate professor, the successful applicant is also expected to contribute to the development and application of innovative teaching methods.

The successful applicant will be expected to supervise and help develop the careers of early-career researchers. The successful applicant will also be expected to recruit and supervise PhD students and participate in the development and implementation of PhD courses within the field.

Knowledge exchange

It is expected that the successful applicant will engage in knowledge exchange, for instance in terms of research collaboration with private companies, government consultancy, collaboration with civil society, and the public dissemination of knowledge.

The successful applicant will have excellent opportunities to engage in relevant collaborative initiatives with partners inside and outside Aarhus University.

Qualifications
Assistant professor

Applicants for the position of assistant professor must have a PhD degree or must document equivalent qualifications in rhetoric or another relevant field in communication or the humanities and must be able to document, relevant to the position:

• an internationally oriented research profile within rhetoric as documented by a PhD dissertation and/or peer-reviewed research publications
• relevant teaching experience at university level in areas of relevance to rhetoric, including innovative teaching methods documented through a teaching portfolio.

Furthermore, it will be considered an advantage if applicants can document

• experience of participation in national and international research networks
• time spent abroad working at one or more internationally recognised research institutions
• experience of knowledge exchange and knowledge dissemination to the public.

Associate professor

Applicants for the position of associate professor must have a PhD degree or equivalent qualification in rhetoric or another relevant field in communication or the humanities, as well as research and teaching qualifications equivalent to those acquired in an assistant professorship. Applicants must be able to document, relevant to the position:

• a strong international research profile in rhetoric as documented by an extensive peer-reviewed publication record
• teaching and supervision competences and experience at BA and MA levels in areas of relevance to rhetoric, including innovative teaching methods and curriculum development documented through a teaching portfolio
• experience in supervising student projects as well as an interest in researcher talent development
• completion of a teacher-training programme designed for university teaching or an equivalent qualification.

Furthermore, it will be considered an advantage if applicants can document:

• experience of participation in funded, international collaborative research projects
• experience of interdisciplinary cooperation and participation in national and international networks
• time spent abroad working at one or more internationally recognised research institutions
• experience of knowledge exchange and knowledge dissemination to the public.
• Finally, all applicants are asked to provide a research plan for the next three years as well as stating how they see themselves and the department contributing to future research developments within the field.

Finally, all applicants are asked to provide a research plan for the next 3 years as well as stating how they see themselves and the department contributing to future research developments within the field.

Please note that applications that do not include uploaded publications (maximum five for assistant professorship and maximum eight for associate professorship) as well as a teaching portfolio (or equivalent documentation of teaching experience and qualifications) will not be considered.

Although the Aarhus University application system includes an option to upload letters of recommendation, please do not include letters of recommendation or references with the application. Applicants who are invited to an interview may be asked to provide references.

Work environment

Active participation in the daily life of the department is a high priority, and we emphasise the importance of good working relationships, both among colleagues and with our students. In order to maintain and develop the department’s excellent teaching and research environment, the successful applicant is expected to be present at the department on a daily basis.

We respect the balance between work and private life and strive to create a work environment in which that balance can be maintained. You can read more about family and work-life balance in Denmark.

International applicants

International applicants are encouraged to read about the

attractive working conditions

and other benefits of working at Aarhus University and in Denmark, including healthcare, paid holidays and, if relevant, maternity/paternity leave, childcare and schooling. Aarhus University offers a wide variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including a

relocation service

and an

AU Expat Partner Programme

. You can also find information about the

taxation aspects of international researchers’ employment by AU

.

An appointee who does not speak Danish will be required to acquire proficiency in Danish equivalent to level B2 (CEFR) in order to handle tasks, including administrative and managerial responsibilities and to participate fully in the activities of the School of Communication and Culture within approximately three years of commencing the appointment. These include, but are not limited to, teaching and examining students, reading work-related texts and participating in meetings and collegial gatherings in Danish.

The department

The place of employment is the Department of Comparative Literature and Rhetoric, Langelandsgade 139, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.

Prospective applicants are invited to view the department’s website .

School of Communication and Culture

The school is a part of the Faculty of Arts. You will find information about the school and its

research programmes

,

departments

, and diverse activities on its

website

.

Contact

For further information about the position, please contact Tore Rye Andersen, Head of the Department of Comparative Literature and Rhetoric by email:

[email protected]

.

If you need help uploading your application or have questions about the recruitment process, please contact Arts HR support by email: [email protected] .

Apply for the positions here:

If you want to apply for the position as assistant professor, please apply online HERE .

If you want to apply for the position as associate professor, please apply online HERE .