Uppsala University, Department of Information Technology

Uppsala University has identified the strategic benefit of developing and strengthening artificial intelligence as a research method widely used within the natural and technical sciences. The initiative will bring new powerful tools to the sciences and increase in quality of research. A donation from the Beijer Foundation enables this professorship, which will be placed at the Department of Information Technology. The Department of Information Technology has a leading position in both research and education at all levels. The department has about 300 employees, of whom more than 30 professors, about 75 other academic teachers / researchers and about 130 active research students. More than 4,600 students study one or more courses at the department each year. For more information, see http://www.it.uu.se.

Description of Subject Area: The subject area of the Beijer professorship in Artificial Intelligence includes automated methods for data analysis. The methods typically utilize a model automatically built from data, and then these models are used to predict future data or to perform different types of decision making under uncertainty.

Duties: Research and research education within the subject area of the Beijer Professorship in Artificial Intelligence, supervision and teaching at third-cycle level and teaching at first- and second-cycle. Research in the holder’s field of specialization. Information about research and development and participation in the planning of research projects. The holder shall also keep abreast of developments within the subject area and the developments in wider community that are significant for the work at the university. The holder shall support scientific activities by developing artificial intelligence as a research tool for primarily natural and technical sciences. The position may include management assignments, for example within the research project on artificial intelligence within the sciences planned at Uppsala University.

Qualifications Required: According to the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance the eligibility requirements for employment as Professor are research as well as teaching expertise. It is necessary that the pedagogical skills, the research expertise and the professional skills are relevant to the content of the employment and the tasks that will be included in the employment.

According to the appointment regulations of Uppsala University research expertise must have been demonstrated by independent research work and by the fact that the applicant’s activities maintain a high international and national standard. The applicant must have demonstrated expertise in planning, initiating, leading, and developing research, have demonstrated the capacity to obtain research funding in competition, and demonstrated well-documented expertise in supervising third-cycle students. The applicant’s contributions to the international and national academic community must be assessed on the basis of, among other things, the quality and scope of his/her academic publications in publishing channels most relevant to the subject. Requirements for international merits must be assessed on the basis of the character and specific circumstances of the subject.

To be eligible for appointment as Professor applicants also must have completed teacher training of relevance to operations at the University, comprising ten weeks, or have acquired the equivalent knowledge. If special circumstances apply, this training for teachers in higher education may be completed during the first year of employment. A general eligibility requirement is that the applicant must possess the personal capabilities necessary to carry out fully the duties of the appointment.

Documented ability to teach in Swedish and/or English is a requirement unless special reasons prevail. The holder is expected to be able to teach in Swedish within two years.

Assessment Criteria/Ranking

Research Expertise and Teaching Expertise: The ranking of eligible applicants will be based primarily on research and teaching expertise, with special emphasis on research expertise. However, a combined consideration of all assessment criteria will be made, so that an applicant with vastly superior teaching expertise can receive a higher ranking than one with somewhat stronger research expertise.

Research expertise comprises research merits including research merits obtained outside the academy which includes for example technology development and innovation ability. In assessing research expertise special weight will be attached to research merits in both development, analysis and implementation of methods within artificial intelligence. Consideration will be given to experience of successful research collaborations with expertise in application areas. In assessing research expertise research quality must be the prime consideration. The scope of research, primarily in regard to depth and breadth, must also be afforded consideration. Furthermore, consideration must be given to the capacity to plan, initiate, lead, and develop research and education in the third cycle, the ability to acquire funding for research in competition, as well as the demonstrated capacity to interact with others both within academia and in the wider community.

As much attention shall be given to the assessment of teaching expertise as to the assessment of research expertise. Teaching expertise comprises educational and teaching qualifications. This expertise can have been achieved outside the academy through supervision, internal training, mentoring programs, etc.

In assessing teaching expertise teaching quality must be the prime consideration. The scope of teaching experience, in terms of both breadth and depth, must also be afforded consideration. Furthermore, consideration must be given to the capacity to plan, initiate, lead, and develop teaching and instruction, as well as the ability to connect research to teaching in respect to research in the subject at hand, subject didactics, as well as teaching and learning in higher education. The ability to interact concerning issues of teaching and learning in higher education with actors inside and outside the University is also included in teaching expertise.

Administrative Expertise: Administrative expertise is important for the employment and will be afforded high consideration. Administrative expertise also includes entrepreneurship. Administrative expertise is demonstrated, for example, through the capacity to plan, organise, and prioritise work in an efficient and task-related manner as well as through the ability to assign and observe time frames. Expertise includes overall operational planning and the capacity to manage resources in a way that reflects operational priorities as well as the ability to work in a structured manner based on an awareness of goals and quality.

Management Expertise: Management expertise is important and will be afforded high consideration. Management expertise is demonstrated through the capacity to lead operations and personnel, make decisions, take responsibility, and motivate others, providing them with what is needed for the efficient achievement of common goals. The abilities to coordinate the group and help create a sense of involvement, participation, and enjoyment in work and to deal with conflicts constitute further examples of demonstrated expertise.

Collaboration Expertise: Collaboration expertise is important and will be afforded high consideration. Collaborative expertise is demonstrated by the ability and skill of planning, organizing and implementing interaction with the surrounding community. Popular publications, public debate and lectures are examples of forms of interaction with the surrounding community. Other examples of collaboration are patent applications, commercialization and industrial cooperation. The ability to translate knowledge sharing with the surrounding community into activities of importance to the education's development and quality is part of the collaboration expertise.

All merits must be documented in a manner that makes it possible to assess both quality and scope.

In filling this position the university aims to appoint the applicant who, following a qualitative holistic assessment of her/his competence and expertise, is judged to have the best potential to carry out and develop the relevant duties and to help advance operations.

In an overall assessment of the applicant’s qualifications, parental leave, part-time work relating to care of children, union assignments, military service, or the like are to be regarded as work experience.

Uppsala University strives to be an inclusive workplace that promotes equal opportunities and attracts qualified candidates who can contribute to the University’s excellence and diversity. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and from people of all backgrounds.

Salary: Individually negotiated salary.

Starting date: As soon as possible or as otherwise agreed

Type of position: Permanent full-time position.

For further information about the position please contact Head of the Department of Information Technology Lina von Sydow, e-mail lina.von.sydow@it.uu.se.

For further information about Uppsala University appointment regulations see

Appointment Regulations for Uppsala University

For further information about Faculty appointment regulations see

Faculty Appointment Regulations

Please submit your application by August 26, 2019, UFV-PA 2019/1905.

In the event of any disagreement between the English and the Swedish versions of this announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

If you are an international candidate, you will find a lot of information about working and living in Sweden at www.uu.se/joinus.

Type of employment Permanent position
Contract type Full time
First day of employment AS soon as possible or as otherwise agreed
Salary Fixed salary
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100%
City Uppsala
County Uppsala län
Country Sweden
Reference number UFV-PA 2019/1905
Union representative
  • Seko Universitetsklubben, seko@uadm.uu.se
  • ST/TCO, tco@fackorg.uu.se
  • Saco-rådet, saco@uadm.uu.se
Published 27.Aug.2019
Last application date 29.Aug.2019 11:59 PM CEST

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