Professor in Media and Communication Studies - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Informatics and Media is part of the Social Science faculty at Uppsala University. Researchers at the department contribute to the development of knowledge about current and future forms of communication and information in the disciplines Media- and Communication Studies (including Journalism), Human-Computer Interaction and Information Systems. Education in media and communication is offered within three tracks: media studies, communication studies and journalism studies. Research in Media and Communication is carried out within all three tracks and focus on social and cultural change connected to communication, media and digitalization. 

Principal duties: General responsibility for research and education at the Ph.D. level within the discipline Media and Communication Studies and responsibility for further development within the discipline. Teaching and supervision on all three cycles of studies offered within the discipline. Active participation in disciplinary teacher meetings - “kollegium”. Work with research grant applications and own research. It is the ambition of the faculty that around half of the working hours should consist of own research. Beyond this, there is an option for a salaried sabbatical after a couple of years of employment. The role as responsible for the discipline Media and Communication entails coordination and development of research within all three tracks of the discipline, this covers participation, planning and management of research projects (including application for research funding) and external cooperation in both research and education matters. Further, cooperation within the Department of Informatics and Media with researchers/teachers in Human-Computer Interaction and Information Systems is required. Administrative assignments, including management positions on the departmental or other levels within Uppsala University, can be part of the duty as professor.

Qualifications required: The eligibility criteria for employment as a professor are research as well as teaching experience (Higher Education Ordinance Ch 4 Sec 3). Research expertise should be demonstrated through independent research and through research activities of high international and national quality. The applicant should have demonstrated skills in planning, initiating and managing research projects, including the ability to secure competitive research grants, and well-documented aptitude in the supervision of Ph.D. students. Teaching skills should be demonstrated through merits in teaching and instruction. In addition, applicants should be able to demonstrate a well-documented ability in supervision at undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. levels, as well as meet the criteria stated in the Uppsala University's appointment regulations (section 33) and the Faculty of Social Sciences’ complementary guidelines (section 2b).

It is required that the pedagogical skills, the scientific competence and the professional skills are relevant for the subject content of the post and the duties that are included in the employment.

According to Uppsala University’s appointment regulations, it is also a general eligibility requirement that teachers possess the personal qualities necessary to capably perform the duties of the post. Applicants must have the ability to teach in Swedish and English.

The applicant is expected to have shown scientific excellence in any of the areas of media studies, communication studies or journalism studies. It is a merit if the applicant also has conducted qualified research in one or two other fields.

Assessment, research and teaching skills: Assessment for the appointment of professors at Uppsala University shall be based on the degree of skills required for the appointment.

In the appointment of this professorship, ranking will be based primarily on research and teaching expertise, with special emphasis on research expertise. A combined consideration of all bases of assessment, however, could result in an applicant deemed to be vastly superior in teaching expertise being ranked higher than a candidate with superior research expertise.

When the research expertise of an applicant is assessed, the quality achieved is of prime importance. The scope of the applicant’s research, in terms of both breadth and depth, is also essential to consider. The applicant’s contribution to the international and national scientific communities will be assessed based on quality and scope of research publications in the most relevant publication channels for the field. In the assessment of the requirement for international qualifications, the nature and specific conditions of the subject area will be taken into account.

Research expertise should be demonstrated through independent research that significantly exceeds the requirements of associate professor (docent) in terms of both quality and quantity.

Unless special circumstances exist, the applicant should have served as the primary supervisor for at least one Ph.D. student and supervised this student through completion and defense of their doctoral thesis.

In assessing teaching expertise, teaching quality will be the prime consideration. The scope of teaching experience, in terms of both breadth and depth, will also be afforded consideration. Furthermore, consideration will 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, and teaching and learning in higher education.

Assessment criteria, additional skills: Candidates must also possess the necessary administrative and other skills significant to the subject content and duties of the position. The ability to cooperate, to develop and supervise activities and staff, and to contribute to synergies both within and outside the department will also be considered. Attention will also be given to the applicant’s ability to interact with the surrounding community and inform the public about research and development work. 

Experience in managerial roles, demonstrated by supervision of a departmental environment or similar, will be considered meriting.

When Uppsala University appoints new teachers, the applicants selected are those who, following a qualitative total assessment of expertise and merits, are judged to have the best potential to carry out and develop the relevant duties and contribute to a positive development of the department.

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

The Recruitment Committee may in this recruitment come to use interviews, trial-lectures and referrals. The applicant should therefore submit a list of referees with insight into the applicant’s professional skill as well as personal qualities that may be of relevance for the position, e.g. ability to cooperate, ability to lead and working methods.

Personal circumstances (such as full or part-time parental leave, trade union appointments, military service, or other) that may benefit the applicants in the assessment of qualifications should be included in the list of qualifications and experience (Curriculum Vitae).

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.

Currently, there are more employees of male gender than female gender among the professors at the Faculty of Social Sciences. The university strives for a more even distribution of the legal genders in this category.

How to apply: A complete application should be submitted to Uppsala University’s on-line recruitment portal. It should comprise:

• Letter of application
• List of appendices Curriculum Vitae
• Account of academic qualifications
• List of publications Account of teaching qualifications
• Account of other qualifications
• Academic works and any educational works being brought to bear
• List of referees

Instructions on how to prepare your application are available on the Faculty’s website:

Instructions to applicants for appointment as professor

Note! Applications and appendices must be submitted digitally on the recruitment portal My Network. Any cited publications that are not in digital format must be sent in three copies to the Faculty of Social Sciences, Uppsala University, Box 256, 751 05 Uppsala. Please clearly mark the envelope/package with the reference number UFV-PA 2019/3115

For more information, please see:

Appointment regulations for Uppsala University

and the Faculty’s complementary guidelines

Salary: Individually negotiated salary

Starting date: According to the agreement

Type of position: Indefinite duration, full-time

Working hours: 100 %

For additional information on the appointment, please contact:

Head of Department Jenny Eriksson Lundström tel 018-471 5163, Jenny.Eriksson@im.uu.se

MCS subject responsible, Senior Lecturer Göran Svensson tel 018-471 1514, Goran.Svensson@im.uu.se.

For questions regarding the application process, please contact administrator Emma van Aller, 018-471 2559, samfak@samfak.uu.se.

We look forward to receiving your application no later than November 7th 2019, UFV-PA 2019/3115

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