University Lecturer in Folklore Studies

The Faculty of Arts invites applications for the position ofUniversity Lecturer in Folklore Studies to be filled on a permanent basis starting on September 1, 2023 or as agreed.

Folklore studies examines vernacular communicative practices and related expressive traditions as well as heritagization processes in history and in the present. Teaching of folklore studies is strongly methodological and, in addition to the methodology, the university lecturer's areas of focus include oral history, research on vernacular narratives and narration as well as study on cultural memory serving the entire Department of Cultures.

Folklore studies is part of the Department of Cultures, the strength of which is multidisciplinary research and teaching in the humanities. The University lecturer in folklore studies provides teaching and supervision in accordance with the curriculum at all levels from undergraduate to PhD studies. Duties require good cooperation skills and include participation in the planning and development of teaching together with other staff members from the department, degree programmes and the discipline.

The university lecturer will supervise and examine theses, conduct independent research in their own discipline and contribute to the development of the discipline, as well as undertake administrative tasks as mutually agreed.

Requirements for the position and assessment of qualifications

The appointee to the position must hold an applicable doctoral degree, to have the ability to provide research-based teaching of high quality and to supervise theses – mainly in Finnish – as well as ability to collaborate and plan.

When assessing applicants’ qualifications, attention will be paid to both scholarly and teaching merits. Scholarly qualifications include scholarly publications and other research results of scholarly value and experience in research projects. Teaching qualifications include teaching experience and pedagogical training, the ability to produce learning materials, other teaching merits and, if necessary, a teaching demonstration. The successful candidate will have good interpersonal skills, scientific networks and the ability to work in a multidisciplinary teaching and research community.

Pursuant to the Government Decree on Universities (770/2009), appointees to teaching and research positions at the University must be proficient in the language in which they provide instruction, i.e., Finnish in this position. To successfully attend to the duties of the position, the appointee must also have good English skills and have at least satisfactory oral and written skills of Swedish. Applicants with a different language background, or who have not received their basic education in Finnish or Swedish, are exempted from the Swedish requirement without a separate application. Further information about language skills and their demonstration can be found on our website.

What we offer

The salary for the position will be based on levels 5-6(-7) of the job requirement scheme for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal performance. The gross annual salary is ca. €42,000–€56,000, depending on previous qualifications and experience. There will be a six-month trial period for the position.

The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development. Further information about staff benefits is available at our website.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted through the University of Helsinki electronic recruitment system by clicking on the Apply Now link below. Current employees of the University of Helsinki must submit their applications through SAP Fiori’s Suffeli recruitment portal. https://msap.sap.helsinki.fi

The application must be accompanied by the following documents in one PDF format:

• A curriculum vitae
• A report (max. 5 pages) on pedagogical expertise or alternatively, an academic portfolio containing equivalent information
• A report (1-2 pages) on the applicant’s research activities including the acquisition of research funding or alternatively, an academic portfolio containing equivalent information
• A list of publications.  

Other attachments, including letters of recommendation or certificates, are not required at this point. Further information is available on our webiste.

The University of Helsinki welcomes applicants of all genders, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds.

The deadline for applications is March 23, 2023.

Further information

Further information about the position can be obtained from Professor Lotte Tarkka (lotte.tarkka(at)helsinki.fi).

For information on the recruitment process, please contact HR Specialist Hector Nystedt (hr-humtdk(at)helsinki.fi)

You can read more about working at the university can be found on our website.

The Faculty of Arts at the University of Helsinki is the oldest and the largest humanities teaching and research unit in Finland in terms of its disciplinary structure and range of subjects. It is also a major international research, education and cultural community.

Cultural research includes African studies, Ancient Near East studies, archaeology, art history, Asian studies, cultural heritage studies, European area and cultural studies, ethnology, folklore studies, gender studies, Latin American studies, Middle Eastern studies, museology, Nordic studies, North American studies and Study of religions.