Tenure-track Assistant Professorships in International Relations

Updated: about 1 year ago
Deadline: 03 Jan 2023

The Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), invites excellent candidates for one or more tenure-track assistant professorships in International Relations. We seek applications from candidates, who can enhance the Department’s research, education and societal impact within IR. In light of the continuing challenges to the European and global order, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, one of the positions is earmarked for candidates, who specialize within global and regional security.

The position is available from March 1st, 2023 or as soon as possible thereafter.

A tenure-track assistant professorship is a six-year, fixed-term academic position involving both research and teaching. The successful candidate will be obliged to complete a teacher-training course designed especially for assistant professors, and will be expected to be able to take part in all the activities of the Department, including examinations and administration.

Approximately six months before the end of the six-year period as tenure-track assistant professor, a committee set up by the Dean will assess whether the assistant professor can be considered for promotion to a tenured position as associate professor. The tenure-track assistant professor can also ask for this assessment at an earlier point in time.

Read more about the tenure-track program at Copenhagen University here: https://employment.ku.dk/tenure-track/tenure-track-at-ucph/.

The Department of Political Science
The Department is a top-ranked European Political Science department, which offers a vibrant, collegial and pluralist academic working environment for ambitious scholars.

The pluralism of Political Science in Copenhagen is evidenced in the various epistemological and methodological approaches as well as sub-fields adopted by faculty, as well as in a wide range of core subjects in the MSc programme.

The Department consists of some 75 faculty, which currently includes more than 10 tenure-track assistant professors, as well as some 25 PhD students, organized in four main researcher groups and a few centres. For more on the Department, please consult our webpage: https://politicalscience.ku.dk/about/        

The Department has some 2,100 students across its study programmes and welcomes annually appr. 200 exchange and guest students from abroad. See more on the Department’s study programmes here: Education – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)

The Department is located on an attractive, historic campus in central Copenhagen. Located in a capital, the Department has a strong tradition for engagement in policy development and impact, and in national and international public debates. We are interested in candidates who feel at home in a pluralistic research environment that uses insights from research to confront pressing societal and political challenges.  

Research and teaching in the Department are methodologically and theoretically diverse. The chosen candidates should be able and willing to engage in intellectual exchanges across various theories and topics within the discipline. All successful candidates are expected to teach and supervise within the Department’s educational programmes (see below) within International Relations, and to take actively part in the departmental research group in this field.

Duties and Responsibilities
We seek applications from candidates, who can demonstrate a strong and promising research contribution in selected areas of research in international relations. Duties and responsibilities of the post include contributing more broadly to the scholarship and intellectual life of the University by conducting world-class research, teaching, and research communication. An assistant professor also has administrative responsibilities.

More specifically, we expect candidates to be able to contribute to all aspects of teaching, supervision and examination in several courses in our bachelor and master programs. The right candidates will be able to coordinate courses, teach courses, and contribute to courses organized by others. We expect the candidates to engage enthusiastically in teaching large classes, small classes, and groups of students.

Your Competencies and Opportunities
In order to be assessed qualified for a tenure-track assistant professor position at the University of Copenhagen, the candidate must have attained a PhD degree or equivalent. The candidate must also meet the University’s criteria of academic merit.

To become a tenure-track Assistant Professor, it is necessary to demonstrate intellectual originality, develop a research profile and provide valuable contributions to research-based knowledge. Additional criteria regarding teaching, societal impact, organizational contribution, external funding and leadership can be found at  https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/criteria-for-recognising-merit/ . Candidates will be assessed according to the specific requirements stated in the job advertisement.

A successful candidate has strong interpersonal skills as well as an aptitude for working collaboratively with colleagues in planning and delivering teaching, in research projects and in the discharge of administrative duties.

Furthermore, the candidate must demonstrate a commitment to student learning, supporting student welfare and enhancing the student experience.

The candidate will respect the Danish Code of Conduct for Research found here:  https://ufm.dk/en/publications/2014/the-danish-code-of-conduct-for-research-integrity and the Code of Conduct at the Department of Political Science found here: https://politicalscience.ku.dk/about/news/2022/code-of-conduct-announced/Plakat_8T_uncoated.pdf

Strategy of the Faculty of the Social Sciences
The Department of Political Science is one of five departments at the Faculty of the Social Sciences. The Faculty is a successful academic community that strives to put knowledge into action by:

  • Engaging partners in the co-creation of knowledge, learning and social change.
  • Empowering our students to become reflective and responsible citizens who have the vision, the knowledge and the competences to change society for the better.
  • Energising global, European and Danish communities of knowledge by innovating research methodologies and by research findings with impact

For more on the Faculty strategy (2020-2023), see Strategy for the Faculty of Social Science – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk) .

The recruitment process

Further information on the recruitment process at University of Copenhagen can be found here:  https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

An Equal Opportunity Workplace

The University of Copenhagen is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc. For more on the diverse working place environment at the University and the University’s participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Research, see https://employment.ku.dk/working-at-ucph/eu-charter-for-researchers/

International applicant?
The University of Copenhagen offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including support before and during your relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about these services as well as information on entering and working in Denmark here:  https://ism.ku.dk/

Terms of Employment

  • Employment with the Faculty of Social Sciences and progression within employment will be determined only by personal merit. We do this by applying academic criteria of the University of Copenhagen which are related to the duties and conditions of each particular post and the needs of the Department concerned.
  • As this is a tenure track position, we strongly encourage the appointed assistant professor to acquire the proficiency in Danish required to teach and interact with colleagues in that language in 2-4 years. The Department will provide and pay for the necessary language training.
  • Further information on qualification requirements as assistant professor can be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities here: Here
  • Terms of appointment and salary is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).
  • The salary range starts at DKK 31.055, plus supplement of DKK 4.672. In addition a 17.1 % contribution to the pension scheme will be paid. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.

Contact information
Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, e-mail: [email protected], please refer to ID number: 211-0155/22-2N

Additional information about the position can be obtained from the Head of Department, professor Nina Græger, e-mail: [email protected] , phone +45-35337662 or professor Anders Wivel, e-mail [email protected] , phone +45 35323358.

How to Apply
Submit a complete application at our online portal by clicking on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of the page.

Your application must be written in English and include the following documents:

  • Motivated application
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Certificates and Diplomas
  • Publications. The 6 most important publications, of which at least three must have been published within the five years immediately preceding the deadline for application. The publications selected must be uploaded as attachments and named from 1 to 6.
  • Publication list. A complete list of all publications with clearly marked publication dates. The uploaded publications must be marked with * on the list to be assessed.
  • Teaching portfolio. Documentation of teaching qualifications in accordance with the University guidelines for teaching portfolios when appointing academic staff at the University of Copenhagen
  • Documentation of ability to disseminate information. Documentation of the ability to disseminate information to and share knowledge with society.

Should any material submitted consist of work with named co-authors, or work that is otherwise the result of collective academic endeavors, the extent of the applicant’s contribution to the work must be clearly specified. The hiring committee may ask for a signed statement from the co-authors specifying the extent and nature of each individual’s contribution.

The closing date for applications is 23:59 [*CEST/CET] January 3rd, 2023.

Applications or enclosures received thereafter will not be considered.

*(Centraleuropæisk sommertid=CEST/CET = normaltid)


Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.



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