The University of Helsinki is the oldest and largest institution of academic education in Finland, an international scholarly community of 40,000 students and researchers. In international university rankings, the University of Helsinki typically ranks among the top 100. The University of Helsinki seeks solutions for global challenges and creates new ways of thinking for the benefit of humanity.

The Faculty of Social Sciences is Finland’s leading research and education institute in the social sciences, and the country’s most diverse social sciences faculty in terms of the range of its disciplines and fields of research. The Faculty has a strong international research profile and an international master’s programme, and several of its disciplinary units have been rated among the top 50 in the world. The Faculty has approximately 500 research and teaching staff, and each year it awards some 350 bachelor’s degrees, 400 master’s degrees and more than 40 doctoral degrees. For more information, please see the Faculty website at www2.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-social-sciences.

The Faculty of Social Sciences invites applications for the position of

TENURE TRACK OR FULL PROFESSOR OF EUROPEAN SOCIETIES AND POLITICS

The successful applicant may be appointed to a permanent professorship or a fixed-term associate/assistant professorship (tenure track system), depending on their qualifications and career stage. Further information on the University of Helsinki tenure track system is available at www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/academic-careers/tenure-track.

The appointee will work at the Centre for European Studies under the auspices of the Faculty of Social Sciences and within the discipline of political history.

The Centre for European Studies conducts and promotes multidisciplinary research in European studies and supports researchers’ international connections and cooperation (https://www2.helsinki.fi/en/networks/centre-for-european-studies). European studies is understood broadly as a field that explores European cultures and societies, their interconnections and European cooperative institutions.

The Centre for European Studies is home to the Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence in Law, Identity and the European Narratives (EuroStorie.org, 2018–2025), which investigates the emergence and impact of European narratives in the 20th century through such phenomena as legal heritage, rationality and community transformation as well as exile and refugee experiences.

Administratively, the appointee will be placed in the discipline of political history at the Faculty of Social Sciences (https://www2.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-social-sciences/research/discipli...). Political history is a discipline of history and social science that investigates the multilayered history of political phenomena as well as the presence of the past in the present. Key topics and cross-cutting themes of research include the history of political governance and activity and that of the institutions and ways of thinking that structure them, as well as societal change, stability and conflicts from national, international and transnational perspectives.

The appointee must provide strong evidence of independent, high-level research that opens new perspectives, is connected to the above cross-cutting themes and sheds light on the development of European thought, cultures and societies. A multi- and cross-disciplinary approach to research is considered an asset.

The appointee will participate in the activities and research projects of the Centre for European Studies, particularly the Centre of Excellence in Law, Identity and the European Narratives and the formulation and implementation of the strategic plan of the Centre for European Studies. The professor/associate professor/assistant professor will contribute to not only teaching and supervision, but also the development of research themes and collaborative partnerships connected to European studies in the Faculty’s disciplines. The appointee will participate in the development of the University’s Una Europa cooperation and the implementation of study modules.

The appointee will teach and supervise theses in the Centre’s master’s programme, other modules in European studies, and the Bachelor and Master’s Programmes in Society and Change as well as the Doctoral Programme in Political, Societal and Regional Change at the Faculty of Social Sciences.

The language of instruction used in European studies is primarily English. It is important that the appointee is able to supervise a broad range of theses in European studies within the humanities and social sciences, and to provide related methodological teaching. Successful completion of the duties requires knowledge of approaches structured around social sciences. Proof of the ability to engage in multidisciplinary cooperation in teaching and supervision as well as an interest in the development of teaching in European studies will be considered an asset.

QUALIFICATIONS

An appointee to the position of associate/assistant professor within the tenure track system must hold a doctoral degree, have the ability to conduct independent scholarly work and have the teaching skills necessary for the position. In addition, applicants for associate/assistant professorships must demonstrate their capability and motivation as regards an academic career through publications and other means.

An appointee to a full professorship must hold a doctoral degree and possess top-level scholarly qualifications and experience in the supervision of scholarly research, along with the ability to provide top-level research-based teaching as well as to supervise theses. In addition, the appointee must present documentation of international cooperation in the field of research that they represent. Holders of professorships must also have the skills necessary to serve as academic leaders.

To successfully attend to the duties of the position, the appointee must have good English skills. If the appointee is not proficient in Finnish or Swedish, they are expected to acquire moderate proficiency within a reasonable time after their appointment. Support for language studies will be offered.

When assessing the qualifications of each applicant, attention will be paid to:
• Scientific merits such as scholarly publications
• Success in obtaining external research funding
• Experience in leading scientific projects
• International research experience
• Activity in the academic community
• Teaching experience, supervision of theses and other pedagogical merits
• Leadership and interaction skills
• The applicant’s vision for developing the field and focusing their research
• Assessor statements
• Teaching demonstration
• Interview

WHAT WE OFFER

We are an equal opportunity employer and offer an attractive and diverse workplace in an inspiring environment. The annual gross salary for a full professor varies between €70,000 and €96,000, and for an assistant/associate professor between €58,000 and €69,000, depending on the appointee’s qualifications and experience. In addition, the University of Helsinki offers comprehensive benefits to its employees, including occupational health care, wellbeing and sport services and opportunities for professional development. Further information is available at www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/why-university-helsinki/staff-benefits. The employment contract will include a probationary period of six months.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your application, together with the required attachments, through the University of Helsinki recruitment system via the link Apply for the position. Applicants who are currently employed by the University of Helsinki are requested to submit their application via the SAP Fiori portal at https://msap.helsinki.fi.

Applicants are requested to enclose with their applications the following documents in English:
• A curriculum vitae
• A numbered list of publications on which the applicant has marked in bold font their five key publications to be considered in the assessment
• A report (max. 3 pages) on the applicant’s research activities (including activities in the academic community, the acquisition of research funding and international scholarly work)
• A vision (max. 2 pages) of how the applicant intends to focus their research and to develop the field of European Studies
• A report (max. 3 pages) on pedagogical expertise

Detailed information on the CV and list of publications as well as the presentation of teaching skills can be obtained online: www2.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-social-sciences/faculty/applying-for-teaching-and-research-positions.

The enclosures must be uploaded as a single PDF file named as follows: fieldofposition_lastname_firstname. Other enclosures, such as recommendation letters or certificates, are not required.

Applicants are kindly asked to be prepared, after the closing of the application period and if requested by the Faculty, to submit up to five publications of their choice for evaluation by the assessors.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further information on the position and the working environment can be obtained from Professor Kaius Tuori, kaius.tuori(at)helsinki.fi and, representing the discipline of political history, Professor Juhana Aunesluoma, juhana.aunesluoma(at)helsinki.fi.

Further information on the recruitment process may be obtained from HR Specialist Minna Maunula, minna.maunula(at)helsinki.fi.

Technical support for the recruitment system: rekrytointi(at)helsinki.fi