Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages

Job description

A permanent position of Associate Professor of Chinese history is available at the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages (IKOS), University of Oslo, starting in August 2022 or as soon as possible.

The person hired will divide her or his time equally between research and teaching. The successful candidate will contribute to the development of research, both individually and in collaboration with others in the department. The main research areas of the present staff cover broad areas of Chinese studies, such as language and literature, religion, contemplative history, environment, education, migration, ethnic minorities, Taiwan, and China’s global relations.

The successful candidate will, furthermore, participate in teaching, such as in BA courses on Chinese history, classical Chinese, and MA courses on Chinese culture and history, Chinese studies, particular research topics, and research methodology. There is ample opportunity to integrate one’s own research in most courses. The position will also include supervising MA students and possibly PhD candidates, exam setting and assessment at all levels, and to carry out administrative duties in accordance with the needs of the department.

Qualification requirements

• PhD or equivalent academic qualifications within Chinese history
• Good communication skills in Chinese and documented ability to use modern and classical Chinese sources in research and teaching
• Documented experience in teaching Chinese history, including pre-modern periods, at university level
• Documented pedagogical skills (either a teaching course certificate or based on teaching experience), see how to document your pedagogical skills
• Documented potential for project acquisition
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position

The following qualifications will count in the assessment of the applicants:

• International peer-reviewed publications in Chinese history, with emphasis on works published within the last 5 years. Originality and creative thinking will be weighted more heavily than quantity.
• Ability to teach undergraduate courses on all periods of Chinese history as well as more specialised graduate courses
• Experience with supervision of MA and/or PhD theses within Chinese history
• Primary-source based research on non-contemporary history
• Experience with archival work
• Potential to contribute to the long-term development of the academic and research environment at the Department
• Pedagogical qualifications, documented results from teaching and supervision, and disposition to inspire students
• Ability in leadership and administration
• Ability to create and contribute to a positive environment for collaboration
• Experience with and ability to build international networks
• Skills within popular dissemination and public outreach
• Since teaching at BA level is mainly in Norwegian, the ability to teach in a Scandinavian language can be an advantage

In the evaluation of the qualified candidates the full range of these criteria will be explicitly addressed and assessed.

Academic quality, development potential and breadth will be prioritised in this order. The selected candidate is expected to contribute to the objective in the University of Oslo’s strategic plan to “strengthen its international position as a leading research-intensive university through a close interaction across research, education, communication and innovation”.

The successful candidate should demonstrate mastery of both English and one of the Scandinavian languages as working languages. If an appointee is not fluent in a Scandinavian language, she or he is expected to reach proficiency equivalent to level B2 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) within two years. Within three years the appointee is expected to, in Norwegian, be able to actively participate in all functions the position may involve, including teaching. The Faculty of Humanities will aid and facilitate the appointee in reaching said proficiency.

We offer

• Salary NOK 563 900 – 677 600 per annum depending on qualifications
• A professionally stimulating working environment
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Attractive welfare benefits
• The opportunity to apply for promotion to full professorship at a later stage

How to apply

The application must include:

• Application letter (statement of motivation, summarising scientific work and research interest)
• Curriculum Vitae (list of education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience, project acquisition and coordination experience, and other relevant qualifications)
• Complete list of published and unpublished works
• Description of one or more research projects which may be relevant for the Department,
• List of reference persons: 3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)

Do not include Letters of Recommendation at the initial stage.

Please note that all documents should be in English or a Scandinavian language, either in the original or in translation. University diplomas in Chinese can be submitted in the original.

Applicants are required to describe and document the entire range of qualifications and criteria described in the announcement of the post with concrete examples.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “Apply for this job”.

Selection procedure

As the first step in the evaluation process, a Selection Committee will assess all applications and invite the most qualified applicants to submit a portfolio of educational certificates and academic works (up to 10 publications, which should not exceed 500 pages in total) for expert assessment.

Writing samples and publications should, therefore, not be enclosed with the application. Applicants who are invited to submit academic works are asked to select three works, published within the last 5 years, to be considered as most relevant for the position. In longer publications (monographs), applicants should specify the relevant pages. Applicants are also asked to submit a portfolio of 3-6 pages that documents other qualifications (public outreach, teaching and supervision, and any experience with leadership and administration). Finally, the most highly ranked candidates will be invited for an interview and a trial lecture (Covid contingencies may apply).

Formal regulations

Please see the rules for appointments to Associate Professorships.

The successful candidate who at the time of appointment cannot document basic teaching qualifications will be required to obtain such qualifications within a two-year period. Please see the rules for practicing the requirement for basic university pedagogical competence at UiO.

Within her/his normal duties and in accordance with her/his academic competence, the person appointed may also be asked to work outside his/her the Department. The appointment is made under the condition that the employer may change the subject area and assigned tasks according to the needs of the Department.

According to the Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) § 25, Chapter 2, demographic information about the applicant may be used in the public list of applicants, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The University of Oslo has an Acquisition of Rights Agreement for the purpose of securing rights to intellectual property created by its employees, including research results.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contactinformation

For questions about the position:

• Head of Deparment Rune Svarverud
• Professor Halvor Eifring

For questions on how to apply: HR-Officer Natali Helgesen

Apply for this job