Professor in Digital Art History

Uppsala University can announce a position endowed by the Anders Sandrew Foundation, the Anders Sandrew Professor in Digital Art History at the Department of Art History.

Uppsala University is a comprehensive research-intensive university with a strong international standing. The university conducts education and research of the highest quality and interact with society in various ways. Our most important assets are all the individuals whose curiosity and dedication make Uppsala University one of Sweden’s most exciting workplaces. Uppsala University has 53,000 students, 7,600 employees and a turnover of over SEK 8 billion.

The Department of Art History conducts research and teaching in the subjects of art history and textile studies. The department’s research profiles include, among others, medieval and Renaissance art and architecture; 18th-century visual art; architecture and urbanity; contemporary art, and digital art studies and AI. For more information, see: https://www.uu.se/en/department/art-history

The holder of the position will play an important role for the Department of Art History and the new research environment under the Disciplinary Domain of Humanities and Social sciences, the Anders Sandrew Institute for Culture and Creativity (ASIC&C). We look for candidates with a solid knowledge in the discipline of art history and demonstrated expertise in applying and critically assessing digital methods within the discipline. Research may focus on the development of digital tools for the visualization, documentation, analysis, and classification of artworks; the impact of computer vision and AI on art-historical interpretation, including issues of visual forensics and generative imagery, and the role of digitization and cultural heritage infrastructures in reshaping art-historical practice.

Subject

Digital art history

Duties

Overall responsibility for developing and conducting research and education within art history, with a particular focus on digital art history. This includes planning and leading research projects, conducting own research, actively seeking research funding for one’s own and colleagues research, including PhD students, teaching at various levels, and collaboration with external parties, nationally and internationally. The responsibility also includes communication and information about research and representation in various contexts. The research assignment (including research administration) normally amounts to around 50%, and teaching, supervision and course development at various levels normally amounts to around 50% (including teaching administration).

The holder of the position must also be prepared to undertake various types of management assignments at the department (e.g. director of studies for doctoral education or head of department) and at other levels within Uppsala University.

Eligibility requirements

Candidates who have obtained a PhD in art history, or have the equivalent competence, and who have demonstrated pedagogical competence are eligible for the position. It is required that academic competence, pedagogical competence and the candidate’s professional skills are relevant to the duties and subject that are central to the position.

Candidates must have completed training in tertiary-level teaching of no less than ten weeks or obtained equivalent competence. In special circumstances, the training can be carried out during the first two years of employment. To qualify as a supervisor of doctoral students, the candidate’s pedagogical training must include postgraduate supervisor training.

The documented ability to teach in Swedish or another Scandinavian language is required. Those unable to teach and manage administrative duties in Swedish may be expected to obtain this ability within two years.

The applicant must have the personal qualities required to fit the position. In this case, such personal qualities are e.g. flexibility, a good ability to work together with colleagues and a sense of responsibility.

Assessment criteria for candidates who meet the eligibility requirements

In the selection among eligible candidates, academic achievements and leadership skills will be given greater weight. Significance will also be assigned to pedagogical competence and administrative experience.

Academic competence: Academic competence should be demonstrated through independent research efforts. When assessing academic competence, research quality will be of primary concern. The scope of the research, mainly depth and breadth, will also be accorded significance. In the assessment of academic competence, special weight will be accorded research qualifications within digital art history.

Additionally, the ability to obtain funding for research will be accorded great significance as well as the ability to plan, initiate, lead and develop research groups and environments. Demonstrated ability to interact with other disciplines as well as the local community will be accorded great importance.

In this recruitment, the applicant’s plan for future their own research and its relevance for the department’s, the faculty’s, and the domain’s research will be important. The plan should indicate how the applicant envisages that research will be strengthened and/or renewed at the department., the faculty, and the domain for the humanities and social sciences.

Pedagogical competence refers to educational and teaching qualifications. In addition to academic teaching experience, educational and teaching qualifications from other activities that involve for instance supervision, in-service training or mentoring programs will be considered. In the assessment of pedagogical competence, primarily pedagogical quality will be considered. Scope, breadth as well as depth, will also be accorded significance. In the assessment of pedagogical competence, special weight will be placed on PhD supervision and experience of work with questions related to graduate education.

Additionally, the ability to plan, initiate, lead and develop teaching, as well as the ability to link teaching to research in art history, subject-specific didactics and higher education pedagogy will be accorded significance. The ability to interact on issues pertaining to tertiary education with parties within and outside the university is also counted as pedagogical competence.

Leadership skills and administrative competence: In the assessment of candidates, weight will be accorded leadership skills and administrative competence. Experience of leadership responsibility, demonstrated by, for example, taking responsibility for the departmental environment, will be accorded merit. Administrative competence may be demonstrated by, for instance, the ability to plan, organize and prioritize work in an efficient and purpose-adapted manner, as well as through the ability to establish and keep to a time plan. Competence includes overall planning and the ability to manage resources in a way that reflects relevant priorities as well as the ability to work in a structured manner, based on an awareness of relevant goals and quality expectations. Administrative expertise also includes entrepreneurship.

Leadership skills are demonstrated by the ability to lead operations and personnel, make decisions, take responsibility and motivate and provide others with the conditions required to achieve common goals effectively. The ability to coordinate a group as well as to generate commitment, participation and job satisfaction, and the ability to manage conflicts are further examples of demonstrated skills.

Collaborative competence is demonstrated through the ability to plan, organize and carry out projects in collaboration with the local community. Research presentation for a general audience, public debates and lectures are examples of collaborative interaction with the local community. The ability to convert knowledge exchanges with the local community into activities that are relevant to the development and quality of education is also considered collaborative skills.

All qualifications must be documented in a way that makes it possible to assess their quality and scope.

In this recruitment, Uppsala University will primarily consider the candidate who, after a holistic qualitative assessment of skills and competence, is considered to have the best capability to carry out and develop relevant duties and contribute to a positive development of the organization.

Additional information

Parental leave, part-time work owing to caring for children, union work, military service or similar activities are considered work experience and should be included in the applicant’s CV.

Application procedure: All qualifications must be documented in a way that makes it possible to assess their quality and scope. The application should contain the following:

• A letter of application
• CV (a brief account of qualifications and previous positions)
• An account of the candidate’s academic qualifications
• An account of the candidate’s pedagogical qualifications
• An account of the candidate’s leadership and administrative qualifications
• An account of any additional qualifications
• A list of scholarly and pedagogical publications
• Publications or other works that the applicant considers especially relevant to the position
• A reflective text that describes future research and initiatives
• Degree certificates and other relevant documents
• The recruitment group may make use of interviews, trial lectures, and references. Applicants must therefore submit a list of referees (no more than three) who can elucidate the applicant’s professional competence and personal qualities that have a bearing on the post, such as leadership qualities and the ability to cooperate with others

For further information, please see the Appointment Regulations for Uppsala University and the Faculty of Arts’ supplementary guidelines.

For further information about the position, please contact: Assistant head of department Henrik Widmark (phone: +46 (0)18-471 57 77, email: henrik.widmark@konstvet.uu.se).

About the position

The position is permanent (trial period may apply). The position is full time. Start date by agreement. Location: Uppsala. The candidate is expected to spend most of their working hours at the department in Uppsala.