Professor of Media Science Utrecht University Netherlands
Professor of Media Science
Job description
The Faculty of Humanities at Utrecht University has a vacancy for a full professor in Media Heritage, Technology & Culture (1.0 FTE). The chair will play a key role in the development of research, teaching, and public engagement in and from the field of comparative media history. We look for a candidate with a specialization in media archaeology or adjacent approaches to transformations of media technologies and practices as they take shape within broader media ecologies. Specifically, the chair will study the historical roots of our contemporary media environments as well as the role of audio-visual heritage and cultural heritage institutions in the highly mediatized societies of today. The department invites the chair to develop new research initiatives, collaborations with cultural heritage institutions, and various forms of public engagement and societal impact, and encourages a committed effort to attract external funding from Dutch and/or European funding schemes to support these initiatives.
The chair of Media Heritage, Technology & Culture is responsible for the development of research, teaching, and public engagement in media studies with a specific focus on culturally situated developments of new media technologies and the cultural and socio-technical media practices that they afford. A comparative and historical perspective on media in transition for the investigation of the diverse media of the past, present, and emergent future, is productive for understanding the dynamics of change, patterns of innovation, and the cultural tropes that work through and take shape within a rich and dynamic media landscape. Focused on emerging and transforming media technologies and practices, the shaping of media heritage in various cultural and historical contexts, and the relation between media and heritage to wider societal, cultural, and epistemological transformations, the new chair will guide developments in international academic, institutional, and societal fields from this combined perspective on media technologies and practices, media heritage, and culture.
The chair will play a leading role in the further development of research and education of media in the context of Utrecht University’s interdisciplinary Strategic Themes – e.g. Institutions for Open Societies and Dynamics of Youth – and Focus Areas, such as Human Centered AI. As such, the new chair in Media Heritage, Technology & Culture contributes to the realisation of the strategic plans of the department of Media and Culture Studies, the Faculty of Humanities, and Utrecht University with respect to research, teaching, and public engagement.
The new chair will be positioned in the Department of Media and Culture Studies (MCW). Our department has a staff with a variety of backgrounds, skills, and views. As a department, we are committed to support our staff and their development and we foster various forms of interdisciplinary collaboration and team-based teaching and research. In our department, we study a wide range of media as well as cultural and artistic expressions, also in their intermedial relations. We interpret culture as a dynamic combination of artistic, creative, and everyday activities that people use to shape their identities, and within which social processes, structures and institutions are shaped. We welcome colleagues who can further strengthen the diversity of perspectives and backgrounds in our department.
Qualifications
The successful candidate:
has a disciplinary background in film and/or media studies, expertise in media comparative, media archaeological, and/or media ecological approaches to the study of media and media heritage within a wider media landscape;
has demonstrated capacity to design an innovative line of research and is internationally recognized as a senior researcher;
has had demonstrable success in acquiring external research funding;
has teaching experience at BA, MA, and PhD levels;
is capable of developing new teaching initiatives for interdisciplinary contexts and is interested in developing courses for continuing education for professionals in cultural institutions or creative industries;
is able and willing to teach in Dutch and in English. Candidates whose command of Dutch is insufficient at the time of appointment are expected to acquire a working knowledge of the Dutch language in two years’ time;
has a strong professional network both in academia and in the domain of applied research and the professional world beyond academia and is able to engage in, and to further develop, collaborations and networks;
has expertise and experience in showing the relevance of media heritage and media ecological research to the broader academic and non-academic world;
is a constructive and supportive leader, and a team player with proven managerial and interpersonal skills in the collaboration with colleagues in the department as well as in various partnerships in relation to research, education, and public engagement.
Offer
We offer a temporary position (1.0 FTE) for five years in an international working environment. After positive evaluation, this can be turned into a permanent position. The gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience - ranges between €6,099 and €8,881 (scale H2 according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) per month for a full-time employment. Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% per year.
In addition, Utrecht University offers excellent secondary conditions, including an attractive retirement scheme, (partly paid) parental leave and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). For more information, please visit working at Utrecht University.
About the organization
A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.
The Faculty of Humanities has around 7,000 students and 1,100 staff members. It comprises four knowledge domains: Philosophy and Religious Studies, History and Art History, Media and Culture Studies, and Languages, Literature and Communication. With its research and education in these fields, the Faculty aims to contribute to a better understanding of the Netherlands and Europe in a rapidly changing social and cultural context. The enthusiastic and committed colleagues and the excellent amenities in the historical city centre of Utrecht, where the Faculty is located, contribute to an inspiring working environment.
The UU works with the model of Recognition & Rewards and TRIPLE that values teamwork over individualism and calls for an open academic culture that promotes accountability, reproducibility, integrity and transparency, and where sharing (open access, FAIR data and software) and public engagement are normal daily practice.
The core values of the faculty for Humanities are professionalism, transparency, responsibility, connectedness and safety. These values apply to everyone and we uphold these values in our work and in our communication with each other and with others.
The Department of Media and Culture Studies (MCW) supports teaching and research in the fields of film, television, games, new media and digital culture, theatre, dance and performance, gender and ethnicity, musicology and cultural policy. Culture is a dynamic mix of artistic, creative and everyday practices with which people shape their identities and actions, and within which societal structures and institutions take shape. Media (old and new) are crucial factors in these processes.
First round of interviews will take place online in the week of 28 September. Please note that a trial seminar class will be and an assessment can be part of the selection procedure.
Apply
Everyone deserves to feel at home at our university. We welcome employees with a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives.
Applications must include:
a letter of motivation detailing how the candidate’s experience and competences with regard to research, teaching, and public engagement fit the profile of the chair and contribute to the goals and ambitions of the department of MCW;
a CV including a full list of research output;
a short statement (max. 1500 words) on research and public engagement;
a short statement (max. 1500 words) on teaching;
names and contact details of three (academic) referees.
The application deadline is
01/09/2023
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