Tenure-track Assistant Professor or Associate Professor in Upper Secondary and Vocational Education Research

The Department of Design Media and Educational Science at the University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Humanities invites applications for a position as Tenure-track Assistant Professor or Associate Professor in Upper Secondary and Vocational Education Research. The position is located at SDU Odense and is available from November 1 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Applicants are asked to state in their letter of application on which level they wish to apply.

The Department of Design Media and Educational Science is part of the Faculty of Humanities with research in a wide range of areas including Design Studies Media Studies Education Sciences Philosophy Information Studies Library Science Organizational Communication and Web department has a strong and vibrant research environment within Educational Science. The successful candidate is expected to take part in close collaboration on youth education research.

About the position
The candidate is expected to conduct cutting edge theoretical and empirical research on upper secondary and vocational education both individually and in collaboration with research colleagues in and outside of the department. The candidates research should address one or more of the following topics:

• Educational policy and strategy
• Leadership and organization
• General didactics and subject didactics
• Learning conditions and learning prerequisites
• Youth and school culture

In addition the department has a strong and growing research profile in Environmental and Sustainability Education. Research experience or interest in this area would therefore be considered a valuable supplement to one or more of the core research areas listed above.

The department has a strong tradition of educational science research in close collaboration with the youth education sector. Consequently a significant part of the successful candidates research work will involve engaging in this type of collaboration. The collaboration is organized in the Centre for Upper Secondary and Vocational Education Research (Center for Gymnasie- og Erhvervsskoleforskning) in which the candidate is expected to participate actively.

The candidate will conduct research-based teaching examination and supervisionas well as curriculum developmentin the departments MA study program Education (Pædagogik) the post-graduate masters program for upper secondary school teachers and leaders (Master i gymnasiepædagogik) and the national mandatory training program for upper secondary school teachers (Teoretisk Pædagogikum).

The teaching obligation for academic staff is described in the facultys norm agreement (Danish version/English version).

Furthermore the candidate is expected to undertake various administrative tasks related to research and teaching collaboration.

Tenure-track Assistant Professor (duration 2-6 years)
A tenure-track assistant professorship is a position that qualifies for and leads to an associate professorship after a positive assessment.

As an assistant professor your primary focus will be on developing and strengthening your research and teaching profile within the field. The position may also involve participating in and developing research projects as well as managing projects. Throughout the assistant professorship you are expected to gain experience with applications for external funding. Additionally you will have the opportunity to enhance your competencies through SDUs Research Academy (Danish description/English description).

During the assistant professorship you will be required to completeSDUs Lecturer Training Programme(Universitetspædagogikum).

Administrative tasks for an assistant professor may be membership of collegial councils boards and committees as well as course responsibility for relevant degree programs. The departments assistant professors will have a department colleague as a mentor.

The application for an assistant professor tenure-track program must include a suggestion for a tenure-track plan which specifies the candidates goals regarding

• the development of their research profile in terms of publications research projects (including applications for external research funding) and conference participation
• the development of their teaching profile within the framework of relevant study programs including suggestions for specific courses
• outreach activities
• academic citizenship tasks and their contribution to the department

The final tenure track plan will be set up in a dialogue between the assistant professor and the head of department.

Read more about tenure-track at SDUhere.

Associate Professor (tenured)
As an associate professor you are expected to conduct high-quality research within the field of upper secondary and vocational education develop research projects and national and international collaborations. The position involves applying for research grants managing research projects teaching in the departments educational programs and supervising Ph.D. students and postdocs.

Besides membership of different boards councils and committees an associate professor is expected to be able to serve in various administrative roles including e.g. course responsibility or head of study program.

Associate Professors in the department have the opportunity to apply for theprofessor promotion programme.

In the application the candidate is expected to present an ambitious and realistic plan for

• the development of their own research profile as well as the research area including funding possibilities
• outreach activities related to their research
• the ongoing development of their pedagogical and didactic skills
• academic citizenship tasks and their contribution to the department

Candidate Profile
The successful applicant is expected to document research and teaching qualifications at associate or assistant professor level.

Tenure-track Assistant Professor
Candidates for the tenure-track program must hold a Ph.D. degree. Candidates are assessed according to the following criteria:

• an internationally oriented research profile withinupper secondary and vocational education or related fields as documented by a PhD dissertation; additional research publications will be considered an advantage
• participation in relevant conferences and seminars
• relevant experiences with teaching and supervising at the university level equivalent to that attained through a PhD degree

Furthermore it will be considered an advantage if applicants can document

• experience with participation in national and international research networks
• previous experience with research dissemination and outreach activities
• previous experience with applications for external research funding
• previous experience with contributing to organizational work

Associate Professor
Candidates for the associate professorship must hold a Ph.D. degree. Candidates are assessed according to the following criteria:

• a well-defined internationally oriented research profile as documented by a substantial number of peer-reviewed articles in renowned journals and/or books or book chapters
• participation in internationally renowned seminars and conferences
• participation in relevant national and international research networks
• a record of outreach activities
• experience with applying for external research funding
• a well-defined teaching profile as well as experience in teaching and supervising BA and MA students documented through a teaching portfolio
• completed lecturer training program (or comparable didactic training program)

Furthermore it will be considered an advantage if applicants can document

• experience with research collaboration and research project leadership
• experience with supervision of Ph.D.-students
• a sound knowledge of the Danish youth education sector
• experience with collaborations with different actors in the sector
• experience with administrative tasks related to university education

For both job categories applicants are expected to be able to communicate teach and publish in Danish or another Scandinavian language as well as to be able to publish in a Scandinavian language and in English. Applicants who do not speak Danish at the time of employment are expected to acquire this competence within the first five years of employment.

About the department
The Department of Design Media and Educational Sciences is one of two departments at the Faculty of Humanities at SDU. The department has approximately 150 employees and houses research and teaching in a wide range of different areas including design studies media studies educational science philosophy information studies library science business communication and web communication. The department is located at Campus Odense Campus Kolding and Campus Sønderborg.

The field of educational science at the department holds a strong national and international position with respect to both primary and secondary school research. The latter is anchored in the Centre for Upper Secondary and Vocational Education Research and in the inter-university collaboration onthe national mandatory training program for upper secondary school teachers (Teoretisk Pædagogikum). The Centre for Upper Secondary School and Vocational Education Research has a significant and leading national position in upper secondary and youth education research and in addition has an international orientation. As an associate or assistant professor you are expected to contribute to the further development of this position through your research and outreach activities. The Centre for Upper Secondary and Vocational Education Research is organised with close synergy between research development and teaching and has a strong collaboration with upper secondary schools and upper secondary education.

Researchers in the department are affiliated with a research group which based on a common academic interest constitutes an academic working community across job this collaborative forum researchers have the opportunity to discuss research issues develop joint projects and receive feedback from peers. Collaborations between research groups/programs with overlapping interests are encouraged and supported.

Besides participating in the Centre for Upper Secondary School and Vocational Education Research the candidate is expected to participate in one of the Departments research groups within the field of educational science:

TheResearch Group for Education Didactics and Formationexplores the interconnections between educational practices didactic methods and the concept of formation. Their work aims to improve teaching strategies and educational outcomes by examining how political cultural and ethical values shape education systems. They also focus on the development of innovative teaching tools and the impact of digitalization on learning environments. The group addresses both fundamental research questions and methodological and empirical research questions related to education general and subject-specific didactics and formation. Additionally they investigate the boundaries and connections between these fields and between research with a fundamental character and research with an empirical orientation in national and international contexts.

TheResearch Group for Subject School and Professionfocuses on the interplay between school practices professional development and subject-specific didactics. Their research aims to enhance teaching methodologies and learning outcomes across various educational levels from primary schools to higher education institutions. The research program investigates fundamental questions as well as empirical research questions related to subjects (in plural) various types of schools and professions and the connections between them. The research interest is oriented towards historical studies practice-oriented empirical contemporary studies and theoretical and philosophical studies each of which can inform and qualify research and future development of subjects schools and professions both nationally and internationally.

Both research groups are located at Campus Odense.

We recommend that as an international applicant you take the time to visitWork in Denmarkwhere you will find information and facts about moving to working and living in Denmark as well asthe International Staff Office at SDU.

Contact information
Professor Ane Qvortup () or Head of Department Alexandra Holsting () can be contacted for further information.

Conditions of employment
Appointment to the position will be in accordance with the salary agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Please check links for more information onsalary(only available in Danish)andtaxation.

Application
The Faculty expects applicants to read the information How to apply before applying.

The application must include:

• Application letter (Applicants are asked to state in their letter of application on which level they wish to apply)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Diplomas/Certificates
• Teaching portfolio (if you are applying for associate professor - Please read morehere)
• Plan for research dissemination and societal impact
• List of publications indicatingthe publications attached
• If applying for the associate professor position a maximum of 6 of the most relevant publications. Applicants for the assistant professor position may include a maximum of 4 relevant publications. Please attach one pdf-file for each publication. For any publication with a co-author aco-author statementmust be submitted as part of the pdf-file
• Referencesletters and other relevant qualifications may also be included.

Application and all appendices must be in English. Please always include a copy of original diploma/certificates. We only accept files in pdf-format no more than 10 MB per case you have more than one file per field you need to combine the pdf-files into a single file as each field handles only one file. We do not accept zip-files jpg or other image files. All pdf-files must be unlocked and allow binding and may not be password protected.

The assessment process
Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee and the applicant will receive the part of the evaluation that concerns him/her. The assessment report will subsequently be forwarded to the Head of Department who will assemble an appointments committee. An interview may form part of the overall assessment of the applicants qualifications.

The committee may request additional information and if so it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the necessary material.

If the application does not meet the requirements mentioned above the Faculty of Humanities may reject your application without further notice. Applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated.

Shortlisting and tests will be used in the assessment process. Please note that only a shortlisted applicant will receive an assessment.Hereyou can read more about shortlisting at SDU.

Application deadline
Application deadline is May 28 2026 at 11.59 PM/23.59 (CET/CEST).

The University wishes our staff to reflect on the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

About SDU
SDUwas founded in 1966 and now has more than 27000 students almost 20% of whom are from abroad. It has more than 3800 employees and 115 different studyprogrammesin the fields of the humanities social sciences natural sciences health sciences and engineering. Its main campusis located inOdense but SDU is present also in Kolding Sønderborg Esbjerg and Copenhagen.