Associate Professor in Department of Political Science with special focus on discrimination research, Aarhus University

The Department of Political Science at Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University, invites applications for an associate professor position in the field of political science with a special emphasis on discrimination research. The associate professorship is a full-time and permanent position starting on 1 February 2025 or as soon as possible subject to mutual agreement.

Job description

The associate professor is expected to contribute significantly to the department’s research and teaching environment with special emphasis on research and teaching in the field of discrimination, and to the overall research strategy of the Aarhus BSS.

The associate professor will be part of the core group at the Centre for the Experimental-Philosophical Study of Discrimination (CEPDISC) at the Department of Political Science and is expected to conduct research within CEPDISC’s research areas and to take part in the activities at CEPDISC. CEPDISC is a centre of excellence devoted the experimental-philosophical study of discrimination and funded by the Danish National Research Foundation.

You are expected to teach and supervise students at Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD level and to carry out individual and group-based research of the highest international standard, which contributes to developing our academic field.

Your qualifications

Applicants must possess research qualifications and teaching skills corresponding to those obtained after successful completion of a period of employment as an assistant professor, but equivalent academic qualifications may also be accepted, i.e. applicants have typically 3-8 years of teaching and research experience after completion of their PhD.

It is required that non-Danish speakers within a short period (3 years as a maximum) acquire a reasonable knowledge of Danish. If necessary, the department will grant time off from teaching to attend Danish courses during the first two years of employment.

Research qualifications:

The department is ambitious in terms of research publications. Applicants are expected to have a well-documented international research profile with emphasis on innovative contributions in high standard, peer-reviewed publications.

The qualified applicant must have produced and published a significant body of independent, high-quality research, and must demonstrate progression in the form of research publications that go beyond the PhD dissertation, either thematically, theoretically, methodologically and/or empirically. Special weight is given to applicants having a solid publication track-record on discrimination research and to applicants having done experimental-philosophical research projects on discrimination.

Relevant outlets are journals and monographs. Publication in top journals in political science and related disciplines carries great weight. The same does publication of monographies within those disciplines at internationally recognized publishers. However, the main focus of the assessment is on the scientific originality and contributions of the publications, no matter their outlet.

A qualified applicant has at least three to five articles published or accepted for publication in high standard, international, peer-reviewed journals or fewer articles but also a book published with an internationally recognized publisher. A significant part must have been produced after finishing the PhD degree.

Emphasis will be put on recent productivity and take into account the number of years at present academic level.

Applicants must demonstrate the capacity to carry out independent research. An applicant is expected to have published sole-authored work and must document – through co-authorship declarations – substantial contributions to any co-authored publications.

In terms of evaluating the qualitative aspects of an applicant’s research competences, focus is on the publications submitted for assessment.

Didactical/pedagogical competences and experiences:

Teaching and advising students at different levels is a main activity of an associate professor at the Department of Political Science. The Department is ambitious in terms of our teaching programme at BA, MA and PhD level.

A qualified applicant must have experience from teaching several courses at different levels and on different topics. All applicants submit a teaching portfolio, where didactical/pedagogical competencies are carefully documented.

Qualifications relating to research cooperation and management, and knowledge sharing with the public

Applicants must have some experience in research cooperation and research management. Possible editorial experience from professional journals or edited volumes, and possible experience with planning and running professional conferences, workshops etc. also carries weight as do knowledge sharing with the public or in the form of contributions to textbooks.

External funding:

Applicants are also encouraged to provide information about their ability to attract external research funding.

Who we are
CEPDISC

is part of the

Department of Political Science.

The department is among Europe’s highest ranking Political Science departments. With around 100 academic staff members and 45 PhD students, we offer a lively and ambitious research and teaching environment. The Department of Political Science emphasises a dynamic and flexible research and teaching profile characterised by pluralism and openness. We expect active participation in CEPDISC, the activities of the department, and the relevant research field section. This includes being present at the department at least three working days per week.

The research conducted at the department covers most political science disciplines and represents a variety of methodological approaches. This enables us to focus on new problem areas as they appear in the national and international political arena, and it allows us to contribute actively to the development of the discipline. We also emphasise communicating our research results to the political administrative system and to the public in general.

The department is one of six departments at Aarhus BSS (School of Business and Social Science), one of the five faculties at Aarhus University. Aarhus BSS unites the business and social science-related research fields and brings them closer together to reflect the close relationship between society and the business community. As part of a top-100 university, Aarhus BSS has achieved the distinguished AASCB, AMBA and EQUIS accreditations.

CEPDISC (Centre for the Experimental-Philosophical Study of Discrimination) is a centre of excellence funded for a seven-year period by the Danish National Research Foundation (2020-2027) with the possibility of a 4-year extension. Its research is grounded in the combination of philosophical analysis, political and social psychology, and experimental (or other relevant quantitative) methods.

CEPDISC study discrimination from an experimental-philosophical perspective. The centre asks three main research questions: 1) What is discrimination and what forms of discrimination exist? 2) What are the moral objections to discrimination? 3) What are the psychological mechanisms behind discrimination and what can and should be done, given these mechanisms, to mitigate discrimination? These research questions are studied in 9 work packages each headed by a PI, who is also a core group member. The successful applicant can be expected to be asked to head an existing or novel work-package and to be involved in the work of other work-packages as well.

Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen is the Head of CEPDISC. CEPDISC’s present core group members are besides the Center Director: Andreas Albertsen, Kim Mannemar Sønderskov (Deputy Director), Lasse Laustsen, Lotte Thomsen, Marion Godman, and Søren Flinch Midtgaard. Together the core members cover relevant fields in political theory/philosophy and social and political psychology.

Further information

For further information about the position and the department, please contact Head of Department, Professor Christoffer Green-Pedersen, tel.: +458165692, email: [email protected]. For further information about CEPDISC, please contact Centre Director, Professor Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen: tel +4560658780, email: [email protected] .

If you need help uploading your application or have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR supporter, Line Møller Kristiansen Tel.: +4593522904, Email: [email protected].   

Shortlisting
Shortlisting is used. This means that an appointment committee (assisted by the chair of the assessment committee) advises the head of department on which applicants are the best overall match for CEPDISC’s, the department’s, and the faculty’s recruitment needs, and which possess the qualifications, competencies, experience and potential described above and in the faculty’s criteria for evaluating candidates to permanent positions here.
Through the shortlisting process, the head of department and the CEPDISC center leader selects the applicants who are to receive a thorough assessment of their professional qualifications. The assessment committee will then assess these applicants. All applicants will be notified whether their applications have been shortlisted and sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee.

Please note that the assessment of applicants is based solely on the material received prior to the application deadline.