Aarhus University, Department of Archaeology at the School of Culture and Society, Faculty of Arts

Assistant/Associate professorship in Medieval and Renaissance Archaeology 737935

The Department of Archaeology at the School of Culture and Society, Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University invites applications for an assistant professorship or an associate professorship in Medieval and Renaissance Archaeology.

If an assistant professor is appointed, the position will be a three-year training position. An associate professorship will then be advertised in the same subject area. If an associate professor is appointed, the position will be a permanent, full-time position.

The position is available from 1 January 2016 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The position
We are seeking an innovative and dedicated candidate who will contribute to Aarhus University’s core activities in the areas of research, education, talent development and knowledge exchange. 

The Department of Archaeology emphasises high-quality research and attaches great importance to interdisciplinary collaboration, participation in collective research projects, and the ability to attract external research funding. Research qualifications will be assessed in relation to the period of active research, the degree of originality and academic output, e.g. the number of publications published in internationally recognised, peer-reviewed journals or compatible high-ranking series published by internationally recognised publishing houses. The Department has a strong base in empirical investigations, builds on a tradition of quantitative and scientific analysis, but also emphasises theoretical concerns within and across periods. Generally, the Department’s geographic focus is in Northern Europe, although its activities are always viewed in a wider European and indeed global context. Applicants who are willing and able to participate in collaborative research projects will be preferred. 

For further information about the Department please see this website.  

Research
The successful applicant will have a strong research profile in medieval and/or post-medieval archaeology, methods and theories, and material culture in Europe including, in particular, Scandinavia (1050 AD to present). We welcome applicants with a broad range of interests. Research areas of particular interest include: churches and monasteries, Norse archaeology, as well as technology and artefact studies.

Education
The successful applicant will be expected to teach and supervise students at undergraduate and graduate level, and to contribute to the development and application of innovative teaching methods. 

The successful applicant will teach a variety of period-based or thematic courses on medieval and post-medieval archaeology and material culture, method-based courses comprising student excavations, and theoretical courses, some in cooperation with the prehistoric archaeology degree programme. Courses are taught in Danish and English.

Applicants for the assistant professorship will be obliged to complete a course in university teaching especially designed for assistant professors.

Talent development
If an associate professor is appointed, the successful applicant will be expected to undertake the supervision of PhD students and contribute to the development and implementation of PhD courses within this subject field.

Knowledge exchange
It is expected that the successful applicant will engage in knowledge exchange as mentioned in the strategy for the Faculty of Arts, for instance in research cooperation with private companies, government consultancy, cooperation with civil society actors and the public dissemination of knowledge. Applicants should document any prior experience within the field of knowledge exchange.

For further information about the position, please contact Head of Department Felix Riede, e-mail f.riede@cas.au.dk.

Qualifications
Applicants for the assistant professorship must hold a PhD degree or similar qualification within the field of medieval and/or post-medieval archaeology. Applicants for the assistant professorship must also have teaching experience corresponding at least to the experience gained during a PhD degree programme. Applicants for the associate professorship must hold a PhD degree/similar qualification, have scholarly qualifications at an international level and a teaching qualifications equivalent to those acquired in an assistant professorship.

Applicants  for the associate professorship must furthermore be able to document: 

• A strong international research profile.
• A relevant and internationally oriented publication profile.
• Experience of participation in collective research projects and interdisciplinary cooperation.
• Teaching experience in areas of relevance to medieval and post-medieval archaeology as well as mastery of academic English in the classroom.
• Participation in national and international networks.
• Experience of attracting external research funding.
• Experience of supervising student projects and an interest in researcher talent development.

Applicants for the assistant professorship must be able to document experience of or an interest in the above points at PhD level at least. Applicants are expected to contribute to the department’s academic environment. We emphasise the importance of good working relationships, both among colleagues and with our students. 

Please state clearly whether you are applying for the assistant professorship or the associate professorship.

The application must be uploaded in English.

If the successful applicant is not fluent in Danish, he or she will be expected to learn Danish within a period of approximately two years.

For more information about the application procedure, please contact HR supporter Marianne Birn, mbb@au.dk.

Research environment
At the Department of Archaeology and its associated Research Programme Materials, Culture and Heritage (MCH), we are concerned with people and the environment and culture and society from the earliest to modern times, with a focus on studies of material culture. On the basis of fieldwork and library and laboratory studies – including methods from anthropology, history and a variety of natural scientific approaches – the Programme investigates and challenges our understanding of past societies seen in a deep historical perspective.

The MCH Research Programme at Aarhus University has an international profile and strong research networks. A dynamic research environment provides the framework for large research projects, international conferences and a variety of visiting researchers. The environment is versatile and cross-disciplinary, and the academic staff’s research competences span topics ranging from war and power, mobility and globalisation, family and individual, religion and rituals, landscape and settlement, palaeodemography and evolution, trade and networks, technology and knowledge exchange to (in particular) quantitative analysis methods, field methodology and digital representation.
For a more detailed description please visit this website.

School of Culture and Society
The focus of the teaching and research activities of  School of Culture and Society is the interplay between culture and society in time and space:

• from the traditional disciplines of the humanities and theology to applied social research;
• from antiquity to the issues facing contemporary societies;
• from familiar Danish cultural forms to other – and very different – worlds;
• from local questions to global challenges.

The school encompasses a range of strong research and degree programmes, which in dialogue with each other and with society work to develop innovative ways of addressing issues of topical or general interest. The goal of the school is to produce compelling research with international resonance and visibility as well as to offer high-quality undergraduate and post-graduate study programmes. We also work to engage Danish society in a fruitful exchange of knowledge. We offer an informal, yet challenging working environment. Participation in the daily life of the programme is a high priority, and we emphasize the importance of good working relationships, both among colleagues and with respect to our students.

For a more detailed description of the department please refer to the website.

Formalities

• Faculty of Arts refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities (the Appointment Order).
• Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations .
• Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.
• Further information on the application and supplementary materials may be found in Applicant Guidelines.
• The application must outline the applicant's motivation for applying for the position, attaching a curriculum vitae, copies of relevant degree certificates, and (if relevant for the position) a teaching portfolio. Please upload this material electronically along with your application. When you submit your application for the assistant professorship, please upload a maximum of five samples of your scholarly output. When you submit your application for the associate professorship, please upload a maximum of eight samples of your scholarly output. All interested are urged to apply irrespective of personal background.

  Deadline

  All applications must be made online and received by 9 June 2015.

  Please apply online here
   

  Faculty of Arts

  The Faculty of Arts is one of four main academic areas at Aarhus University.

  The faculty contributes to Aarhus University's research, talent development, knowledge exchange and degree programmes.

  With its 500 academic staff members, 260 PhD students, 12,500 BA and MA students, and 2,500 students following continuing/further education programmes, the faculty constitutes a strong and diverse research and teaching environment.

  The Faculty of Arts consists of the Department of Aesthetics and Communication, Department of Culture and Society, Department of Education (DPU), Centre for Teaching Development and Digital Media, and AU Centre for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Each of these units has strong academic environments and forms the basis for interdisciplinary research and education.
  The faculty's academic environments and degree programmes engage in international collaboration and share the common goal of contributing to the development of knowledge, welfare and culture in interaction with society.

  Read more at arts.au.dk/en
  
  Aarhus University offers an inspiring education and research environment for 44,500 students and 11,500 members of staff, ensuring results of a high international standard. The budgeted turnover for 2015 amounts to DKK 6.2 billion. The university's strategy and development contract are available at www.au.dk/en.