Substitute University Lecturer in Ethnology

The University of Helsinki Faculty of Humanities invites applications for University Lecturer in Ethnology for a fixed-term position 1.1.2024-31.12.2028.

The position has a six-month probation and is based in the Department of Cultures.

Ethnology examines everyday culture as well as the structures and processes involved in its formation, taking into account different temporal layers. The teaching of ethnology reflects the multidisciplinary and methodological nature of the discipline, as well as its basic research and applied approach. The teaching priorities of the Lecturer in Ethnology will include not only cultural research methods but also issues related to cultural heritage and heritage processes.

The strength of the Department of Cultures is its interdisciplinary humanistic research and teaching. The University Lecturer in ethnology provides teaching and guidance according to the curriculum at all levels of the undergraduate degree as well as in postgraduate studies. Duties requiring good collaborative skills include participation in teaching planning and development work with the department, degree programs and other staff on the discipline. The Lecturer will supervise and review theses, conduct research in the field, contribute to the development of the discipline and undertake administrative tasks as mutually agreed.

Requirements for the position and assessment of qualifications

According to the Regulations of the University of Helsinki, an appointee to a University Lecturer position shall hold an applicable doctoral degree and have the ability to conduct independent scholarly work as well as to be able to provide high-quality teaching based on research, develop teaching on the basis of research and supervise theses and dissertations which are mainly written in Finnish.

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 or Swedish. The teaching language of this position is Finnish. To successfully attend to the duties of the position, the appointee must also have good English skills. Applicants with a different language background or who did not receive their education in Finnish or Swedish can be granted an exemption from the Swedish language proficiency requirement without a separate application. Further information about language skills and their demonstration can be found on our website.

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. Teaching qualifications include teaching experience and pedagogical training, the ability to produce learning materials, other teaching merits and, if necessary, a teaching demonstration.

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 €42,000–€56,000.

There will be a six-month trial period for the position.

How to apply

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

• A curriculum vitae and certificate of doctoral degree
• A report (max. 5 pages) on pedagogical expertise or alternatively, an academic portfolio containing equivalent information
• A report (1-3 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. 

Further information about academic portfolios is available on our website.

Other attachments, including letters of recommendation or certificates, are not required at this point.

External applicants, please submit your application using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the Apply Now button. Applicants who have a helsinki.fi username and a valid employment contract, a grant researcher's contract or a visiting researcher's contract at the University of Helsinki are requested to leave their application by using the Employee login.

Application deadline is 11th of October 2023.

Further information about the position can be obtained from professor Pia Olsson (pia.olsson(at)helsinki.fi). Further information about the recruitment process can be obtained from HR Specialist Reeta Korhonen (hr-humtdk@helsinki.fi).

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. The Faculty of Arts studies and teaches languages and literature spoken in Europe and the rest of the world, in total almost 40 languages. It also develops general theories of linguistics, translation and literary studies.