Assistant or associate professorship in comparative education with a focus on large-scale assessment

The Department of Educational Sociology at the Danish School of Education (DPU), part of Faculty of Arts at Aarhus University, invites applications for an assistant or associate professorship in comparative education with a focus on large-scale assessment.

The assistant professorship is a full-time, three-year training position which begins on 1 September 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The associate professorship is a permanent position which begins on 1 September 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Applicants must state explicitly whether they are applying for the assistant or the associate professorship.

The position is based at DPU at either Aarhus campus or Emdrup campus (see the description of DPU below). It is important that the chosen candidate takes part in the daily activities of the department, including both teaching and supervising. Since the department is located in both Aarhus and Copenhagen, the chosen candidate should expect some travel activity between the two campuses.

The position
We are looking for a candidate with knowledge within the field of comparative education in a broad sense and with an interest in participating in international comparative assessment studies. The position will be affiliated with the Department of Educational Sociology, which is responsible for the Master’s degree programme in educational sociology and is the departmental base for the IEA studies carried out at DPU. The chosen candidate will be expected to contribute to the completion and dissemination of the Danish IEA studies, which at the moment include the studies TIMSS, PIRLS, ICILS and ICCS. Furthermore, the chosen candidate will be expected to teach and supervise, especially in relation to the module “Comparative Perspectives on Education, Institutions and Social Structure” on the department’s Master’s degree programme.

Research
We are looking for candidates with a research profile that can complement and contribute to developing the existing teaching and research within the fields of comparative education and large-scale assessment at the department.

The chosen candidate can have experience from any combination of the fields of comparative education, psychometrics with a focus on large-scale assessment and measurement, and general methodological application related to ILSA studies.
The chosen candidate for the assistant professorship will be expected to develop new research projects with immediate relevance to the field of research, and to contribute to existing research projects and data collections, especially in relation to the ongoing IEA studies.

Applicants for the associate professorship must also be able to document scientific production at international level, as well as scholarly contributions to theoretical, methodological or thematic developments within the field of comparative education or large-scale assessment.

Teaching
The chosen candidate will be expected to play an ongoing role in the development and coordination of the Master’s degree programme in educational sociology and the teaching and supervision of students on this programme and other programmes offered by DPU at Bachelor’s and Master’s level. Teaching activities are divided between the campuses in Aarhus and Copenhagen, which is why some travel activity must be expected.

The assistant professor will be obliged to complete a course in university teaching designed especially for assistant professors.

Talent development
The assistant professor will be expected to develop their supervision capabilities at Master’s level.
The associate professor will be expected to contribute to talent development within the fields of educational sociology and large-scale assessment. The associate professor will also be expected to develop PhD courses as well as supervising PhD students and teaching.

Knowledge exchange
The chosen candidate will be expected to 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 or public dissemination of knowledge. Applicants should document any prior experience within the field of knowledge exchange.

Qualifications
The chosen candidate for the assistant professorship must have a PhD or the equivalent in educational sociology or a closely related field and must be able to present documentation of:

• Experience in the dissemination of analyses based on international large-scale assessment data or equivalent sorts of data
• Knowledge of the process of data collection and collaboration in international large-scale assessment studies
• Theoretical knowledge within at least one of the fields of comparative education, large-scale assessment studies, and psychometrics and item response theory
• Experience or an interest in teaching in relation to the Master’s degree programme in educational sociology
• An internationally oriented research profile
• A relevant and internationally oriented publication profile
• Experience or an interest in participation in national and international research networks
• Experience or an interest in communication and knowledge exchange
• Experience in interdisciplinary collaboration as well as interdisciplinary research
• Experience in or the potential to obtain external research funding
• Experience or an interest in interdisciplinary teaching, including innovative teaching methods
• Experience or an interest in supervising student projects and an interest in researcher talent development.

The chosen candidate for the associate professorship must have a PhD or the equivalent in educational sociology as well as research and teaching qualifications equivalent to those acquired through an assistant professorship, and must be able to present documentation of:

• Experience in the dissemination of analyses based on international large-scale assessment data or equivalent sorts of data
• Knowledge of the process of data collection and collaboration in international large-scale assessment studies
• Theoretical knowledge within at least one of the fields of comparative education, large-scale assessment studies, and psychometrics and item response theory
• An internationally oriented research profile
• A solid, relevant international publication profile
• Experience in participation in collective research projects
• Teaching experience in relation to the Master’s degree programme in educational sociology as well as proficiency in academic English
• Proficiency in languages relevant to the area of research
• Experience in participation in national and international networks
• Experience in interdisciplinary cooperation
• Experience in attracting external research funding
• Experience in supervising student projects and an interest in researcher talent development.

The chosen candidate will be required to teach and publish in English. If the chosen candidate cannot speak Danish, they will be required to learn Danish within a period of approximately two years.

The chosen candidate will be expected to contribute to the department’s academic environment. We emphasise the importance of good working relationships, both among colleagues and with our students.

For further information about the position, please contact the Head of the Department of Educational Sociology, Rune Müller Kristensen, by email: [email protected] or tel.: + 45 6166 9793.

Read about the Department of Educational Sociology here.

The application must be submitted in English.

International applicants
International applicants are encouraged to check Family and work-life balance and Attractive working conditions for further information about the 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 broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including a relocation service and career counselling for expat partners. For information about taxation, see 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 Danish School of Education 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.
 


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 Taxation 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 Application Guidelines.
• The application must outline the your 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.
• If you submit your application for the assistant professorship, please upload a maximum of five samples of your scholarly output (mandatory).
• If you submit your application for the associate professorship, please upload a maximum of eight samples of your scholarly output (mandatory).

If nothing else is noted, applications must be submitted in English. Application deadline is at 11.59 pm Danish time (same as Central European Time) on the deadline day.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Shortlists may be prepared with the candidates that have been selected for a detailed academic assessment. A committee set up by the head of school is responsible for selecting the most qualified candidates. See this link for further information about shortlisting at the Faculty of Arts: shortlisting

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners: http://ias.au.dk/au-relocation-service/. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here: http://international.au.dk/research/


Faculty of Arts

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

The faculty contributes to Aarhus University's research, talent development, knowledge exchange and degree programmes.
With its 550 academic staff members, 240 PhD students, 9,500 BA and MA students, and 1,500 students following continuing/further education programmes, the faculty constitutes a strong and diverse research and teaching environment.

The Faculty of Arts consists of the School of Communication and Culture, the School of Culture and Society and the Danish School of Education. 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

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

 


Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/