Assistant Professor in Media and Digital Humanities (1.0 FTE)

Department

Faculty of Arts

Organisation

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, University of Groningen, V24.0174

Job description

Since its foundation in 1614, the University of Groningen has established an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative university offering high-quality teaching and research. Its 34,000 students are encouraged to develop their own individual talents through challenging study- and career paths. The University of Groningen is an international centre of knowledge: It belongs to the best research universities in Europe and is allied with prestigious partner universities and networks worldwide.

The Faculty of Arts is a large, dynamic faculty in the heart of the city of Groningen. It has more than 5000 students and 700 staff members, who are working at the frontiers of knowledge every day. The Faculty offers a wide range of degree programmes: 15 Bachelor's programmes and over 35 Master's specialisations. Our research, which is internationally widely acclaimed, covers Media and Journalism Studies, Information Sciences and Digital Humanities, Archaeology, Cultural Studies, History, International Relations, Language and Literary Studies, and Linguistics.

Excellent research assessments and growing student numbers enable the Department of Media Studies and Journalism to hire an assistant professor of Media Studies and Digital Humanities.
We are looking for candidates that have an interdisciplinary research agenda at the intersection of Media Studies and Digital Humanities, focusing on media research and/or data studies, combined with an expertise in computational and digital methods. Applicants are able to apply digital tools to study textual, visual and social media data, and are able to critically reflect on the application of such tools and on data sets. We welcome applications from researchers whose work explores large data sets from media archives and media platforms. Candidates should able to teach computational and digital methods on BA and MA level.

The successful candidate is expected to teach in our BA and MA programs in Media Studies as well as the Minor and MA programs Digital Humanities, and to contribute to our research programme. The position combines teaching (60%) and research (40%).

Media Studies and Digital Humanities in Groningen
The international, English-taught BA programme in Media Studies focuses on the social and informative functions of media. It is rooted in the humanities but also draws upon methods and paradigms developed in the social sciences and other disciplines. The degree aims to provide students with a thorough understanding of the affordances of different platforms and the interplay between them; the political and economic underpinnings of media systems; patterns of use, production and content; and the functions and impact of media in culture and society. Throughout the curriculum it provides a comparative perspective by studying media in their cultural, historical, economic, political and international contexts. It has an annual enrolment of 120-140 students from all parts of the world.

The three MA programmes in Media Studies, “Social Media and Society”, “Datafication and Digital Literacy” and ‘Media Creation and Innovation’, provide students with cutting-edge knowledge of the digital transformations that profoundly change society. The MA programmes in Journalism focus on high quality reporting in a cross-media setting with a strong focus on digital skills and innovation, and combine academic reflection with academic skills. Our BA and MA programmes rank first among all Media Studies programmes in the Netherlands in the national student survey.

The MA programme Digital Humanities is a 60 EC track within the MA Communication and Information Science. It is a highly interdisciplinary programme embedded in the Faculty of Arts: it looks at culture, language and history through the lens of digital methods. The programme offers a systematic way to incorporate computational methods in humanities research. The MA relation with Media Studies is strong in the more theoretical oriented courses that contains a critical approach to data and tools but also teaches analytical and creative digital methods.

Research is conducted within the Centre for Digital Humanities and the Centre for Media and Journalism Studies. Its strategic themes focus on “Citizenship and Inclusion in Digital Societies”, “Data Infrastructures & Algorithmic Practices”, “New Interdependencies of Journalism” and “Cultures of Media Production”. Members of the Centre have been successful in recent years in attracting external research funding. If appointed, the candidates are expected to actively contribute to a vibrant research environment. They are provided ample support in applying for bids with national and international funding agencies.

The successful applicant is expected to

- teach and supervise students in the undergraduate and graduate programmes of Media Studies and Digital Humanities. International candidates will teach solely in English. They are expected to follow a Dutch language course
- participate actively in curriculum development, design and administration of course modules
- generate world-class research and publications at the intersection of media studies and digital cultures
- pursue research grants and other forms of external funding
- participate actively in international research networks and build international collaborations
- participate actively in the activities of the interdisciplinary research centres for Media and Journalism Studies (CMJS) and Digital Humanities (CDH).

Requirements

In addition to a number of basic requirements set by the University of Groningen, such as excellent social and communication skills, presentation skills, coaching skills and a results-oriented attitude, we are looking for candidates who have

- a PhD in Media Studies, Communication and Information Studies, Digital Humanities, Computational Social Sciences or related fields
- wide-ranging experience in research in media studies combined with a track record in computational and digital methods
- teaching experience at university level and proven didactic abilities
- gained their University Teaching Qualification or are prepared to do so within two years
- an excellent research track record, including relevant publications
- an outstanding national and international academic network as well as strong contacts with professionals in the field
- willingness to make substantial contributions to the development of the Department’s research and educational programmes
- organisational experience and skills
- excellent command of English (at least CEFR B2/C1 level for reading, listening, writing and speaking), and the willingness to learn Dutch in due course.

Conditions of employment

Contract length: 48 months.

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities

- a salary based on qualifications and experience of between € 4,332 and € 5,929 (salary scale 11) gross per month for a full time position a full-time position (1.0 FTE)
- a holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income
- an 8.3% end-of-the-year allowance
- attractive employee benefits such as the Employee Choice Model, Employment Conditions and a good pension and leave plan.

The appointment will be initially for a period of four years, with the possibility of appointment for an indefinite period (permanent contract). This will be determined based on an appraisal, which will be made after 3 years, as well as the needs of the programme. The conditions of employment comply with the Collective Labour Agreement for the University of Groningen (Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities 2022-2023, available in English at http://www.vsnu.nl).

Job Application

Applications should include the following - a cover letter that explains the motivation for applying for this position - a full curriculum vitae including a full list of publications and talks - a research plan of 1-2 pages that includes future ideas for projects and grant applications - a teaching statement that outlines your teaching philosophy and contains a description of courses taught and teaching qualifications - the names and contact details of two academic referees. Applications that are incomplete or are otherwise faulty will not be taken into account. You may apply for this position until 25 April 11:59pm / before 26 April 2024 Dutch local time (CEST) by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website). Online Job interviews will be held in May. Final rounds are planned for early June 2024. The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage: https://www.rug.nl/(...)rsity-and-inclusion/ Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/nl/sollicitatiecode and European Commission's European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code We provide career services for partners of new faculty members moving to Groningen. Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated.

Additional information

For additional information, please contact:

Prof. Susan Aasman, Professor of Digital Humanities at the Centre for Media & Journalism Studies
s.i.aasman@rug.nl

Drs. Miralda Meulman, Degree programme coordinator - about the formal procedure
+31 50 3632522
sec-millc@rug.nl

In your application, please always include the job opening ID V24.0174

Digital application form