Professor in Childhood Studies and Educational Anthropology

The Danish School of Education (DPU) within the Faculty of Arts at Aarhus University invites applications for a Full Professorship in Childhood Studies and Educational Anthropology. The professorship is a full-time, permanent position and is available from 1 March 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter. 

The selected applicant will be a part of the Department of Educational Anthropology and Educational Psychology, and the position will be based at either Emdrup Campus in Copenhagen or Aarhus Campus.  
 
It is important that the selected applicant takes part in the daily activities of the department, including both teaching and supervising. Since DPU is located in both Aarhus and Copenhagen, the selected applicant should expect some travel activity. 

The position 

The selected applicant will be expected to continue and expand research and teaching activities and output at the highest level within social and cultural childhood studies and educational anthropology at DPU. 

Research into children’s everyday lives in and across institutional settings is at the centre of the research activities at the department. Research into various groups of children who differ in terms of age, ethnicity, social situation, or geographical location is pivotal, as is research into children and childhood in the welfare state. The department’s activities also include teaching and supervision in these subjects on the Master’s and PhD degree programmes. 
 
The selected applicant will play a leading role in consolidating the fertile and diverse academic environment related to childhood studies at the Department of Educational Anthropology and Educational Psychology and at the Danish School of Education as a whole, by contributing to core activities in the areas of research, education, talent development and knowledge exchange, and in general by exercising academic leadership relating to research, education and academic development. 

Research  

The selected applicant must have a strong profile and track record within the field of social and cultural childhood studies combined with an ethnographic empirical research approach. The selected applicant will take a leading role in confirming and further developing the department’s international profile in childhood studies through international collaboration, publishing, and external funding, and by developing established partnerships and forming new ones in terms of new research projects with internal and external partners and attracting external research funding.  
 
The selected applicant must be able to document original scientific production at the highest international level and significant scholarly contributions to theoretical, methodological, and thematic developments within the field of childhood studies.  

The selected applicant must state their visions for future developments in the field, as well as documenting a solid track record in research leadership, research funding and international research cooperation.  

It is of vital importance that the selected applicant takes part in the daily activities of the Department of Educational Anthropology and Educational Psychology, such as research and teaching activities and communities as well as management and/or organisational boards (central study board, degree programme boards and different local management positions). 

Education 

The selected applicant will be expected to take part in the department’s teaching and supervision activities, including teaching and supervising on the department’s Master’s and PhD degree programmes. The selected applicant will also be expected to be the driving force in developing and rethinking programmes within the field of educational anthropology. 
 
Talent development 

The selected applicant will be expected to recruit and supervise PhD students and to integrate them into the department’s research environment, as well as participating in the development and implementation of PhD courses on research in childhood studies. 

Knowledge exchange 

The selected applicant will be expected to engage in knowledge exchange as mentioned in the strategy for the Faculty of Arts and the strategy for the Danish School of Education, for instance with government agencies, municipalities, NGOs or wider civil society actors, and also contribute to public debate. Applicants should document prior experience and creativity in the field of knowledge exchange. 
 
Qualifications  

Applicants must provide research plans and explain how they will meet the expectations of the professorship in terms of strengthening and developing research and teaching within the field of social and cultural childhood studies and educational anthropology.  
 
Applicants must also be able to document:  

• Academic publications at the highest international level, including research innovation in the field of social and cultural childhood studies and educational anthropology 
• Active participation in international research collaboration 
• Experience in research organisation, including obtaining and administering external funding within the field of childhood studies and educational anthropology 
• Strong teaching competences and experience in supervising at all levels 
• Commitment to teaching development, supervision of student projects, talent development, research management and the development of PhD courses 
• Experience in leading, supporting and developing fertile academic environments. 

If the selected applicant does not speak Danish, they will be required to learn Danish within about two years. 

For further information about the position, please contact the head of the Department of Educational Anthropology and Educational Psychology, Charlotte Mathiassen, by email: cham@edu.au.dk or tel.: +45 6186 3645. 

Qualification requirements

Applicants should hold a PhD or equivalent academic qualifications.

Formalities

• Faculty of Arts refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities (the Appointment Order).
• Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.
• Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities .
• Further information on the application and supplementary materials may be found in Application Guidelines.
• The application must outline the applicant's motivation for applying for the position, attaching a curriculum vitae, a teaching portfolio, a complete list of published works, copies of degree certificates and no more than eight examples of academic production (mandatory). Please upload this material electronically along with your application.

If nothing else is noted, applications must be submitted in English. Application deadline is at 11.59 pm Danish time (same as Central European Time) on the deadline day.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Shortlists may be prepared with the candidates that have been selected for a detailed academic assessment. A committee set up by the head of school is responsible for selecting the most qualified candidates. See this link for further information about shortlisting at the Faculty of Arts: shortlisting

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners: http://ias.au.dk/au-relocation-service/. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here: http://international.au.dk/research/

Faculty of Arts

The Faculty of Arts is one of five main academic areas at Aarhus University.

The faculty contributes to Aarhus University's research, talent development, knowledge exchange and degree programmes.
With its 550 academic staff members, 240 PhD students, 9,500 BA and MA students, and 1,500 students following continuing/further education programmes, the faculty constitutes a strong and diverse research and teaching environment.

The Faculty of Arts consists of the School of Communication and Culture, the School of Culture and Society and the Danish School of Education. Each of these units has strong academic environments and forms the basis for interdisciplinary research and education.

The faculty's academic environments and degree programmes engage in international collaboration and share the common goal of contributing to the development of knowledge, welfare and culture in interaction with society.

Read more at arts.au.dk/en

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/