Assistant or associate professor in the field of curriculum studies with a focus on Danish as a second language, based either in Copenhagen or Aarhus

The Danish School of Education (DPU) at the Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University, invites applications for a position as an assistant or associate professor in the field of curriculum studies with a focus on Danish as a second language.

The assistant professorship is a full-time, three-year training position starting on 1 January 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter, subject to mutual agreement. The selected applicant is requested to complete a course in university teaching designed especially for assistant professors.

The associate professorship is a tenured permanent position starting on 1 January 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter, subject to mutual agreement.

Applicants must state explicitly whether they are applying for an assistant or an associate professorship.

The position is full-time and based at the Department of Educational Theory and Curriculum Studies, Educational Philosophy and General Education.

The position

As an assistant/associate professor in Danish as a second language, you will contribute to national and international research and publications within the field, participate in national and international networks and actively engage in the dynamic research environment of subject matter didactics within the department. You will teach and supervise students on the Master’s degree programme in Danish as a second language and preferably also contribute to teaching and supervision on the Master’s degree programme in Danish as a school subject. Your tasks will primarily consist of:

• Conducting research and publishing findings in the field of Danish as a second language through national and international publication channels
• Contributing to (the development of) national and international networks within the field
• Contributing to the research environment of subject matter didactics within the department
• Conducting research-based teaching and supervision and contributing to the development of the Master’s degree programme in Danish as a second language
• Preferably, conducting research-based teaching and supervision on the Master’s degree programme in Danish as school subject.

Qualifications

The selected applicant for the position as an assistant/associate professor should have experience conducting research in second language learning, second language acquisition and/or second language pedagogy. Additionally, experience in conducting research into multilingualism and literacy would be considered beneficial.

Applicants for the associate professorship should have several international publications in these research areas, as well as extensive experience in teaching Danish as a second language and preferably also Danish as a school subject.

Applicants for the assistant professorship should have national and international publications in these research areas, as well as experience in teaching Danish as a second language and preferably also Danish as a school subject.

In continuation of the overall job description above, we expect the selected applicant to contribute to developing a systematic base for research in Danish as a second language and to be able to document the following:  

• Research experience and plans for research in second language learning, acquisition and/or pedagogy
• Research experience and plans for research in multilingualism and literacy
• Experience in and plans for the development of teaching and supervision of students in Danish as a second language, and preferably also in Danish as a school subject.

Assistant professorship – specific qualifications 

The selected applicant for an assistant professorship must have a PhD or the equivalent in the field of curriculum studies with a focus on Danish as a second language and will be required to document: 

• Experience in the field of Danish as a second language
• Knowledge of theory, methods and practice within the field 
• Experience of or interest in teaching in relation to the Master’s degree programme in Danish as a second language, and preferably contribute to teaching and supervision on the Master’s degree programme in Danish as a school subject   
• An internationally oriented research profile  
• A relevant and internationally oriented publication profile 
• Experience of or interest in participating in national and international research networks 
• Experience of or interest in communication and knowledge exchange 
• Experience of interdisciplinary collaboration as well as interdisciplinary research  
• Experience of or potential for obtaining external research funding 
• Experience of or interest in interdisciplinary teaching, including innovative teaching methods
• Experience of or interest in supervising student projects and interest in researcher talent development. 

The selected applicant for an assistant professorship will be expected to develop new research projects with immediate relevance to the field of research. 
 

Associate professorship – specific qualifications 

The selected applicant for an associate professorship must have a PhD or the equivalent in the field of curriculum studies with a focus on Danish as a second language as well as research and teaching qualifications equivalent to those acquired through an assistant professorship, and must also be able to document: 

• Experience in the field of curriculum studies with a focus on Danish as a second language
• Experience with theory, methods and practice within the field 
• An internationally oriented research profile 
• A well-established, relevant international publication profile 
• Participation in collective research projects 
• Experience in teaching in relation to the Master’s degree programme in Danish as a second language and the ability to contribute to teaching and supervision on the Master’s degree programme in Danish as a school subject
• Proficiency in languages relevant to the area of research 
• Participation in national and international networks 
• Experience of interdisciplinary cooperation  
• Experience of attracting external research funding 
• Experience of supervising student projects and an interest in researcher talent development. 

The selected applicant for the associate professorship will be expected to develop new research projects with immediate relevance to the field of research and will also be required to document scientific production at an international level as well as scholarly contributions to the field of curriculum studies with a focus on Danish as a second language.   

The selected applicant for the position will be required to teach and publish in English. If the selected applicant cannot speak Danish, they will be supported in learning Danish within a period of three years. 

Research

The Department of Educational Theory and Curriculum Studies, Educational Philosophy and General Education at DPU is a dynamic research environment conducting educational research of high international standard.

The assistant/associate professor will be affiliated with the research unit in Danish as a school subject, which conducts research in L1 education encompassing languages, literatures, literacies and Danish as a second language. For more information about the research unit, please follow this link: https://dpu.au.dk/forskning/forskningsenheder/den-fagdidaktiske-danskgruppe

The selected applicant will also be expected to contribute to research initiatives in relation to the field of curriculum studies and the general research community at DPU in terms of new research projects with internal and external partners as well as external research funding.

Applicants will be required to document original scientific production at the highest international level as well as scholarly contributions to theoretical and empirical research within the field of curriculum studies with a focus on Danish as a second language.

Applicants are furthermore asked to state their visions and plans for future developments within the field.

It is of vital importance that the selected applicant takes part in the daily activities of the department, such as research and teaching activities and communities, as well as in the work of management and/or organisational boards (central study board, degree programme boards and different local management positions).

Teaching

The selected applicant will be expected to have experience or an interest in teaching at university level and should be prepared to teach and supervise at all levels of the degree programme (Master’s and PhD), specifically on the Master’s degree programme in Danish as a second language and preferably also on the Master’s degree programme in Danish as a school subject. Finally, the selected applicant will also be expected to contribute to the development of new degree programmes in relation to subjects within the field of curriculum studies, and in this connection, experience or interest in the field is likely to be considered favourably.

Talent development

The selected applicant will be expected to recruit and supervise PhD students and participate in the development and implementation of PhD courses.

Knowledge exchange

It is expected that the selected applicant will engage in knowledge exchange as mentioned in the strategy for the Faculty of Arts, for instance in research cooperation with private companies, government consultancy, cooperation with civil society actors or public dissemination of knowledge. Applicants should document any prior experience within the field of knowledge exchange. We emphasise the importance of good working relationships, both among colleagues and with our students. 

Further information

For further information about the position, you are welcome to contact associate professor, head of the Department of Educational Theory and Curriculum Studies, Educational Philosophy and General Education and Educational Philosophy, Helle Rørbech, via mobile at +45 93521225 and/or by email at hero@edu.au.dk. You can read more about the department here: https://dpu.au.dk/om-dpu/organisation-og-strategi/afdeling-for-fagdidaktik-generel-paedagogik-og-paedagogisk-filosofi

Applications must be submitted in English. 

About the Danish School of Education 

The Danish School of Education at Aarhus University is Denmark’s largest centre for research and teaching in the fields of education, didactics and learning, with approximately 240 full-time researchers, including 80 PhD students, and 4,500 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students. The school’s activities are characterised by a high degree of interdisciplinarity and close interaction with society, including businesses, organisations, government agencies and institutions, both in Denmark and abroad. 

International applicants 

International applicants are encouraged to read about family and work-life balance as well as the attractive working conditions and other benefits of working at Aarhus University and in Denmark, including healthcare, paid holidays and, if relevant, maternity/paternity leave, childcare and schooling. Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including a relocation service and career counselling for expat partners. For information about taxation, see the taxation aspects of international researchers’ employment by AU. 

An appointee who does not speak Danish will be required to acquire proficiency in Danish equivalent to level B2 (CEFR) to handle tasks, including administrative and managerial responsibilities, and to participate fully in the activities of the Danish School of Education within approximately three years of commencing the appointment. These include, but are not limited to, teaching and examining students, reading work-related texts, and participating in meetings and collegial gatherings in Danish. 

Formalities

• Faculty of Arts refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities (the Appointment Order).
• Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.
• Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities .
• Further information on the application and supplementary materials may be found in Application Guidelines.
• The application must outline the your motivation for applying for the position, attaching a curriculum vitae, copies of relevant degree certificates, and (if relevant for the position) a teaching portfolio. Please upload this material electronically along with your application.
• If you submit your application for the assistant professorship, please upload a maximum of five samples of your scholarly output (mandatory).
• If you submit your application for the associate professorship, please upload a maximum of eight samples of your scholarly output (mandatory).

If nothing else is noted, applications must be submitted in English. Application deadline is at 11.59 pm Danish time (same as Central European Time) on the deadline day.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Shortlists may be prepared with the candidates that have been selected for a detailed academic assessment. A committee set up by the head of school is responsible for selecting the most qualified candidates. See this link for further information about shortlisting at the Faculty of Arts: shortlisting

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners: http://ias.au.dk/au-relocation-service/. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here: http://international.au.dk/research/

Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts is one of five main academic areas at Aarhus University.

The faculty contributes to Aarhus University's research, talent development, knowledge exchange and degree programmes.
With its 550 academic staff members, 240 PhD students, 9,500 BA and MA students, and 1,500 students following continuing/further education programmes, the faculty constitutes a strong and diverse research and teaching environment.

The Faculty of Arts consists of the School of Communication and Culture, the School of Culture and Society and the Danish School of Education. Each of these units has strong academic environments and forms the basis for interdisciplinary research and education.

The faculty's academic environments and degree programmes engage in international collaboration and share the common goal of contributing to the development of knowledge, welfare and culture in interaction with society.

Read more at arts.au.dk/en

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.