Integral University

Faculty of Educational Sciences invites applications for the position of ASSISTANT, ASSOCIATE OR FULL PROFESSOR OF ADULT EDUCATION The appointee may be appointed to a fixed-term tenure-track assistant or associate professorship or permanent full professorship, depending on their qualifications and career stage. Further information on the University of Helsinki's tenure track system is available on the University website. The appointment is to begin on 1 January 2027. Job overview The position focuses on transformations of adult education. We are looking for candidates whose expertise strengthens research on adult education by providing novel theoretical and methodological approaches. An appointee is required to show experience in research on two of the following areas:  New forms of professional development or expertise Adult education policies and practices in national and global contexts Workplace learning and transformations in working life. The appointee is expected to build and lead active interaction with cooperative networks with decision-makers in private, public and/or third sector, and representatives of other stakeholders, and advance societal impact of research. The position is located in the General and Adult Education discipline.  Successful performance requires collaboration with domestic and international actors and experts in adult education, and active participation in obtaining external research funding. The position includes Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral level teaching and supervision in the areas mentioned above. The role includes administrative duties, and the appointee expected to contribute to public engagement.  The broadly oriented professorship in adult education strengthens the discipline as a whole and supports the renewal of its international, national and broader societal significance. It is an investment in the future of research and education at a time when adult education is playing an increasingly central role amidst multiple changes and crises. Qualification requirements and appointment criteria  Associate and assistant professors within the tenure track system must hold an applicable doctoral degree and be capable of conducting independent scholarly work, alongside the requisite teaching skills. Research relevant to the professorship’s field is considered an asset. In addition, the appointee must be capable and willing to promote their academic career through publications and other means, and develop teaching, learning and research in the field. The assessment of applicant qualifications considers not only research and teaching merits, but also success in securing external research funding and experience in domestic and international research projects.  Full professors must hold an applicable doctoral degree and possess advanced academic qualifications, experience in leading scholarly research, the requisite teaching skills and evidence of success in securing external research funding and international collaboration in their research field. Applicants must be able to deliver teaching based on top-level research and supervise theses. The position also requires academic leadership skills. The assessment of applicant qualifications considers both scholarly and teaching-related qualifications.  Scholarly qualifications encompass relevant publications and other academically valuable research results, success in securing external research funding, international research experience, as well as academic responsibilities and elected positions, and international relations. Teaching qualifications encompass teaching experience and pedagogical training, the ability to produce learning material, other teaching merits and, if necessary, a demonstration of teaching skills and participation in training doctoral researchers. Also considered are applicants’ leadership and interaction skills and their active contribution to the academic community and public engagement. In addition, the appointment committee will review applicants’ views on the development of research and teaching in the field. The assessment of shortlisted applicants will consider statements by external experts and interviews carried out by the appointment committee. The applications will be assessed comprehensively, with due regard to career stage. The University of Helsinki has signed the DORA Declaration and applies its principles to the assessment of applicants’ academic merits.  To successfully attend to the duties of the position, the appointee must have good proficiency in English. If the appointee is not proficient in Finnish or Swedish, they are expected to acquire sufficient proficiency in Finnish and/or Swedish within a reasonable time after being selected for the position. The University provides support for language learning. Read more about the language requirements. The chosen applicant is expected to reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki. The Faculty of Educational Sciences provides assistance in relocation.  What we offer The Faculty of Educational Sciences is a dynamic, inspiring and international working and studying environment that has invested in state-of-the-art research and teaching infrastructure. We encourage our staff to make bold and creative decisions while exercising high standards of ethical conduct in research, teaching and community relations.  The salary will be based on level 7 (assistant / associate professor) or levels 8-10 (professor) 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 work performance. The annual gross salary of assistant/associate professor varies between 56,000 and 70,000 Euros and of full professor between 67,000 and 100,000 Euros depending on the appointee’s qualifications and previous experience. The employment contract will include a probationary period of six months.  The faculty’s administrative and technical staff, as well as expert colleagues will support the successful appointee in their role. The University of Helsinki provides its staff with occupational health and fitness services, professional development opportunities, as well as a first-class research and teaching environment and the conditions necessary for international cooperation. Read more about work at our university.  For international applicants we offer relocation services and support in settling-in, training and other events especially designed for our international staff members, a special UniBuddy-program and specialized support for spouses (HEI LIFE Spouse Network). Application instructions The application, together with the required attachments, must be submitted through the University of Helsinki recruitment system by clicking on the link below. Current University employees must submit their applications through the SAP Fiori portal.  All application documents must be in English and submitted as a single PDF file, named as follows: llastname_professor_adulted. Link the PDF file to the relevant position in the recruitment system. Kindly see the instructions for the attached documents.  The application must be accompanied by the following documents:  A motivation letter or written application.  A researcher’s curriculum vitae in accordance with University guidelines (max. 10 pages, see instructions above) A numbered list of publications (in which ten publications most relevant to the position are indicated in bold font, see instructions above) A plan for advancing research and teaching in the field and a vision for the development of the applicant’s research and the research field in general (maximum of 2 pages)  A report on the applicant’s research activities (1–3 pages, including activity in academic communities, acquisition of research funding and international research).  Additionally we request applicants to fill out a separate report on their teaching qualifications via e-form Applicants are kindly asked to be prepared, after the closing of the application period and if requested by the faculty, to submit up to 10 publications of their choice to be reviewed by the external evaluators. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview and a demonstration of teaching skills.  Please note that the degree requirement must be met by the end of the application deadline. The application deadline is 11 August 2026 (23:59 EEST) Further information Further information on the position can obtained (3-22 June and 5-10 August) from the dean, professor Markku Jahnukainen (markku.jahnukainen@helsinki.fi) or professor Sami Paavola (sami.paavola@helsinki.fi) For enquiries about the recruitment process and for technical support for using the University’s electronic recruitment system, please contact HR Specialist Hector Nystedt (recruitment@helsinki.fi). Further information on careers and the tenure track system is available on our website.  Read more about working at the University of Helsinki. Support for international employees.  Why Finland  Finland is a member of the European Union, has high quality and inexpensive childcare and free schooling (also in English), excellent family benefits and healthcare. Finland was recently ranked as the best country in the world for expat families, and Helsinki is in the world’s top ten most livable cities. Finland and the Helsinki region feature leading research and innovation facilities, clean environment, affordable accommodation, and excellent international, national, and local transport connections. Why Finland is a great place to live and work. A diverse and equitable study and work culture is important to us. That is why we do our best to promote an inclusive university community. We encourage all qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for our positions. Click this link to read about accessibility and inclusivity at our University. JOIN US TO BUILD A BETTER WORLD – TOGETHER! #HelsinkiUniCareers The internationally esteemed and highly successful Faculty of Educational Sciences at the University of Helsinki is Finland’s leading unit of research and teaching in Educational Sciences and Teacher Education. The Faculty of Educational Sciences conducts research related to human growth, development and learning. Our research encompasses the different stages of the human life cycle, from early childhood to school age, adulthood, professional life and ageing. Our research is targeted systematically at different levels of society and the education system, as well as more broadly at professional life and culture. Our research focuses on growth, development, learning and teaching in diverse environments, contexts and subjects, as well as on educational policies and practices, and the structures of the education system. We investigate the significance of education in the lives of individuals, society and social justice, and we analyse how our understanding of humanity, knowledge and educational cultures can change. The perspectives of our research are individual, collective and societal. Our strengths include a broad-based theoretical approach, as well as methodological diversity and innovation. Our research aims towards the realization of cultural and social possibilities for the wellbeing of an individual and a society in a changing world. We provide undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education that qualifies students for both the teaching profession and other positions requiring general education academic expertise. We also provide the pedagogical studies required to qualify as a teacher to students majoring in other faculties’ disciplines.