Assistant Professor in Media and Digital Cultures

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 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 internationally acclaimed research includes Media and Journalism Studies, Archaeology, Cultural Studies, History, International Relations, Language and Literary Studies, and Linguistics.

Excellent research assessments and growing student numbers enable the Media Studies and Journalism programme to hire an assistant professor of Media and Digital Culture.

We are looking for candidates with a research agenda focusing on emerging issues at the intersection of media and the study of digital cultures: For instance, studies of how the next generation of digital and network technologies play a formative role in the practice of everyday life, culture and society; explorations into how digital cultures are being imagined, developed and experience through techno-economic practices and networks. We also welcome applications from researchers whose work explores the entanglement of algorithmic designs with shifting patterns of media and platform ownership and control. An interest in the intersection of gender, race, and class power dynamics and experience in conducting comparative research are also welcome.

Successful candidates should be able to teach classes in theory and method, have experience with mixed method and multi-sited research at the online-offline nexus that includes but is not confined to ethnographic methods. We are looking for candidates who can teach courses in media studies on the BA and MA level, and contribute to our research programme. The position combines teaching (60%) and research (40%).

Media Studies 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. “Digital Cultures” is one of the profile students can choose in the second year of the programme. It has an annual enrolment of 120-140 students from all parts of the world.

The MA programmes “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.

Research is conducted within the interdisciplinary 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 attracting external research funding. If appointed, you are expected to actively contribute to a vibrant research environment. Staff are given ample support in applying for research funding with national and international funding agencies.

The successful applicant is expected to

• Teach and supervise students in the department’s undergraduate and graduate programmes. 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 Centre for Media and Journalism Studies.

Qualifications

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 Studies, or related fields in the Social Sciences and Humanities
• Wide-ranging knowledge of theory and research on digital cultures and media from an interdisciplinary and mixed method perspective
• 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.

Organisation

Conditions of employment

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 (scale 11 CAO Dutch Universities) 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 www.vsnu.nl).

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.

Information

For information you can contact:

• Prof. dr. Marianne Franklin, Professor of Media. Cultural Industries and Society, m.i.franklin@rug.nl
• Drs. Miralda Meulman, Degree programme coordinator - about the formal procedure, 0031 50-363 8950, sec.amc@rug.nl

Please do not use the e-mail address(es) above for applications.