Vacant job

The Department of Aesthetic Studies at the Faculty of Humanities, Umeå University, offers education and research within the aesthetic subjects of art, music, and craft. The department comprises over 40 friendly colleagues united by their commitment to aesthetic studies. This creates a creative environment where people with different creative interests meet: wood and textile, fashion design, image and form, photography, graphic design, sound, music, and music production. For more information, please visit the department's website: Department of Aesthetic Studies (https://www.umu.se/estetiska-amnen/).

The Department of Aesthetic Studies is now seeking a Professor in Pedagogical Work with a focus on Aesthetic Subjects. In this context, aesthetic subjects refer to art, music, and craft.

Description of Duties

The position includes research, teaching at undergraduate, advanced, and doctoral levels. The professor is expected to initiate new research, apply for external research funding, and work to develop the department's environment for research and doctoral education. This also includes developing effective research collaborations with internal and external colleagues within aesthetic subjects, as well as providing support for junior researchers at the department. Supervision, collaboration, administrative work, as well as personnel, subject, and planning meetings are also part of the employment.

The first three years of employment include 50% research time. Part of the research time is funded by the Teacher Training College, and the appointed person is expected to conduct research relevant to teacher education and school teaching in aesthetic subjects. After the first three years of employment, 30% research time is included, which is faculty-funded. For the part of the employment funded by education grants, competence development time (20% of the education-funded part of the employment) is provided, which is normally used for research and work on research applications.

Qualification Requirements for Appointment as Professor

Eligible for appointment as professor is one who has demonstrated both scientific and pedagogical proficiency in pedagogical work with a focus on aesthetic subjects (Chapter 4, Section 3 of the Higher Education Ordinance).

Scientific proficiency is defined as independent research efforts, the ability to plan and lead research, and the ability to communicate research to the surrounding society.

Pedagogical proficiency is defined as documented experience in planning, implementing, examining, and evaluating teaching, as well as a reflective approach to student learning and one's own role as a teacher.

Good language skills in Swedish (or another Scandinavian language) and English, as well as the ability to teach in these languages, are requirements for the position.

For information on Evaluation Criteria, please see the announcement here: https://www.umu.se/jobba-hos-oss/lediga-jobb/ (https://www.umu.se/jobba-hos-oss/lediga-jobb/).

Weighting of Evaluation Criteria

Special weight shall be given to scientific and pedagogical proficiency. Equal care shall be devoted to the assessment of pedagogical as well as scientific proficiency. In a weighing between these two evaluation criteria, scientific proficiency shall be given greatest weight.

The content of the employment and the needs of the activity further justify the following weighting of evaluation criteria.

In the assessment of scientific proficiency, special weight shall be attached to:

• research proficiency within the subject area of pedagogical work with a focus on the aesthetic subjects of art, music, and craft. Scientific proficiency within a breadth of this area is particularly meritorious.
• ability to successfully lead research groups or research networks.

In the assessment of scientific proficiency, significant weight shall be attached to:

• ability to obtain external research funding.
• collaboration with the surrounding society.

In the assessment of pedagogical proficiency, special weight shall be attached to:

• pedagogical proficiency within the area of pedagogical work with a focus on the aesthetic subjects of art, music, and craft.

In the assessment of pedagogical proficiency, significant weight shall be attached to:

• breadth of subject competence in aesthetic subjects as well as scientific methods and theories.
• breadth of experience in teaching at all levels within teacher education.
• ability to successfully supervise within doctoral education.

Contributing to the development of the environment for research and doctoral education in the subject of pedagogical work, as well as planning and implementing teaching, involves close collaboration with colleagues. Significant weight should therefore be placed on good teamwork skills.

Additionally, weight shall be attached to administrative proficiency, experience in development work and leadership roles, and the competence and suitability otherwise needed to perform the duties well.

The qualification and evaluation criteria can be found in the Employment Regulations for Teachers at Umeå University; https://www.umu.se/regelverk/personal-lika-villkor-och-arbetsmiljo/anstallningsordning-for-larare-vid-umea-universitet2/ (https://www.umu.se/regelverk/personal-lika-villkor-och-arbetsmiljo/anstallningsordning-for-larare-vid-umea-universitet2/)

Application

Applications must be submitted via the e-recruitment system Varbi and received no later than 2026-09-15. All documents must be submitted electronically.

Information on which documents should be attached to the application can be found in the Faculty of Humanities' guidelines for applications: https://www.umu.se/humanistisk-fakultet/tva-dokument/ (https://www.umu.se/humanistisk-fakultet/tva-dokument/)

Other Information

The employment is permanent, full-time (100%), starting as agreed.

The place of work is Umeå, and high physical presence in the environment is a requirement.

At the Faculty of Humanities, there is an opportunity to apply for faculty-funded research time in internal competition.

Umeå University is a government agency, which means employees receive special benefits; read more about this here: https://www.umu.se/jobba-hos-oss/formaner/ (https://www.umu.se/jobba-hos-oss/formaner/)

Further information about the employment is provided by:

Stina Wikberg, Head of Department, 090-786 58 66, or [email protected] or

Anneli Taflin, HR Coordinator, 090-786 89 31, [email protected]

We look forward to receiving your application!