Two tenure track assistant professors in educational research

The Department of Communication, Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), Denmark, invites applications for two positions as tenure-track assistant professor in educational research to be filled by January 1, 2022 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Job content

We are looking for two new colleagues to join the Section for Education. Our new colleagues must be interested in collaborative teaching, and in participating in further development of the section’s already strong research profile and supportive research environment, where collegial collaboration have a high priority. Applicants should have a strong, established, and independent research profile that complements the section’s research profile in new and original ways.

We are especially interested in applicants who have expertise within one or more of the following areas:

• Didactics and curriculum sociology
• Comparative education and globalisation
• Digitalisation of, within or related to education and educational settings

The Section for Education at University of Copenhagen has a distinctive research profile characterised by theoretically underpinned and empirically rooted analyses of education in its practical, institutional and professional forms. The section’s research develops theory about the implications and conditions of education by means of analysing current and historical educational ideas, programs and concepts, didactic relations, educational practice and interactions, and structural relations in education. Section for Education conceptualizes educational phenomena in-between the humanities and the social sciences, and in relation to social, cultural, economic and political processes.

The Department of Communication is home to approx. 80 faculty members, 40 PhD students, 25 postdocs, 40 part-time lecturers, 23 administrative staff, and 2200 students. The department annually generates approx. 30 million DKK in external research funding, and it produces research and scholarship that is world leading, and which sets the agenda for many national initiatives and conversations. The department offers seven degree programs: Philosophy, Rhetoric, Education, Film and Media Studies, Communication and IT, Information Studies, and Cognition & Communication educating successful candidates to many sectors and parts of the Danish society and beyond.

Read more about the Department of Communication at: https://comm.ku.dk

Copenhagen is a highly diverse and international Scandinavian capital with a green profile. Education is free and child-care is subsidized. Public transport is well-developed and most Copenhageners take their bikes to work. There are lots of green areas in and around Copenhagen, the water in the harbor is clean enough for swimming, and the city has multiple museums and other cultural venues. The University of Copenhagen was founded in 1479 and is the largest in Denmark.

Qualification requirements

A tenure-track assistant professorship is a six-year, fixed-term academic position involving both research and teaching. The duties of the position are evenly distributed between teaching and research and candidates must document competencies in both areas, as well as the ability to reflect upon them.

Tenure-track assistant professors must hold a PhD degree and have an academic record demonstrating internationally competitive research and demonstrate potential to make future impact. The successful candidate will 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 assistant professor, a committee set up by the Dean will assess whether the assistant professor can be considered for promotion to associate professor. 

Assessment of applicants will primarily consider their level of documented, internationally competitive research. Teaching qualifications are not mandatory, but documented teaching qualifications and teaching experience will be considered. Applicants’ outreach qualifications, including the ability to attract external funding, will also be considered.

Furthermore, emphasis will be placed on the following academic and personal qualifications:

• Research qualifications, which will be assessed in relation to the period of active research, the degree of originality, and academic output, e.g. number of publications published in internationally recognized, peer-reviewed journals or in comparable high-ranking series published with internationally recognized publishing houses.
• The applicant’s scientific record, academic breadth and depth, rigor, thoroughness and accuracy.
• Teaching qualifications: The applicant is expected to provide a statement of their academic and pedagogical approaches to university teaching. Read more about our Educational Charter at https://humanities.ku.dk/about/vision_and_goals/educational_charter/ and Pedagogic Basis and Guidelines at https://uddannelseskvalitet.ku.dk/quality-assurance-of-study-programmes/university-guidelines/pedagogic-basis-and-guidelines/
  Applicants are encouraged to read the University guidelines for teaching portfolio when appointing staff at the UCPH https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/job-application-portfolio/
• Experience and qualifications with regard to dissemination of research, knowledge-sharing and engagement with the public and media.
• Documentation of possible administrative qualifications.

Within a period of 3-6 years, non-Danish-speaking appointees are expected to acquire proficiency in Danish sufficient to be able to interact with colleagues and students.

For further details about the qualification requirements for assistant professorships, please read the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2019 here: here

Six overall merit criteria apply for assistant professor appointments at the University of Copenhagen. The six criteria (research, teaching, societal impact, organisational contribution, external funding and leadership) are considered a framework for the overall assessment of candidates.

You can read more about the criteria for recognising merit for assistant professors here: here  

For further information about the position, please contact Head of Department Jens-Erik Mai, e-mail: [email protected]

Application 

Please click on the “Apply online” icon at the bottom of the page.

The application must be written in English and include the following enclosures:

• Application letter/cover letter
• Curriculum vitae (with the applicant’s email address, telephone number)
• Documentation of qualifications (examination certificates/PhD diploma, etc.).
• Complete and numbered list of publications. The enclosed publications must be marked with star*.
• Research plan, including a short description of previous research and a plan for the coming years that includes an account of involvement in organising research, establishment of research seminars, symposia and congresses, etc.
• Teaching portfolio. Documentation of teaching qualifications and research dissemination (organisation of classes, materials, courses and other forms of teaching).
• Publications. Applicants may choose a maximum of five publications for assessment, of which at least two must have been published within the five years immediately preceding the deadline for applications. At least two of these publications must have been published in internationally recognized, peer-reviewed journals or in comparable high-ranking series published with internationally recognized publishing houses. Publication dates must be clearly marked on the publication list. The publications selected must be uploaded as attachments and listed from 1 to 5.

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 stipulated. The Faculty may ask for a signed statement from the co-authors stipulating the extent and nature of each individual’s contribution.

Only material in English, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish will be assessed.

 Appointment procedure
After the application deadline, the Head of the Department selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Appointment Committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been accepted for assessment. The Dean subsequently appoints an expert assessment committee tasked with carrying out an assessment of the selected applicants for the specific post. Selected applicants are notified of the composition of the committee. Applicants are ultimately offered the opportunity of commenting on the part of the assessment relating to themselves before the appointment is finalized.

Further information about the application procedure is available from HR, e-mail: [email protected] . Please refer to ID number 211-0096/21-2N#1 

Salary and conditions of employment 
Terms of appointment and salary will be in accordance with an agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). The salary range starts at DKK 34,655 (EUR 4,657) + a 17,1 % contribution to the pension scheme. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.

The Faculty of Humanities offer a starting package for tenure-track assistant professors, please read more here: https://humanities.ku.dk/about/tenuretrack/

A special tax scheme is offered to researchers recruited abroad, read more at this homepage: https://ism.ku.dk/salary-tax-pension/tax/

If you consider applying from abroad, you may find useful information on how it is to work in Denmark and at UCPH. Find more information here: https://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-GB , https://www.workindenmark.dk/  and https://ism.ku.dk

The UCPH wishes to encourage everyone interested in this post to apply, regardless of personal background.

The closing date for applications is September 15, 2021 23:59 [*CEST/CET]

Applications or supplementary material 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.