The School of Communication and Culture at Aarhus University invites applications for the position of assistant professor of rhetoric at the Department of Comparative Literature and Rhetoric.

The assistant professorship is a full-time, three-year fixed-term position, and subject to appropriate funding, there will be an opportunity to apply for a subsequent associate professorship.

The appointment begins on 1 January 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The School of Communication and Culture is committed to diversity and encourages all qualified applicants to apply regardless of their personal background.

The position

The assistant professorship in rhetoric at the Department of Comparative Literature and Rhetoric includes responsibilities across Aarhus University’s core activities in research, teaching and supervision, talent development and knowledge exchange within the field of rhetoric.

As teaching duties may extend beyond the Department of Comparative Literature and Rhetoric, the successful applicant should expect to teach on programmes offered by other departments within the School of Communication and Culture. Accordingly, the assessment committee will place particular emphasis on documented interdisciplinary media competencies relevant to rhetorical studies, Scandinavian studies and aesthetic studies.

Applicants must have strong, well-documented research qualifications in rhetorical studies. We particularly welcome applicants with expertise in both the classical rhetorical tradition and contemporary rhetorical scholarship.

We seek a committed and forward-looking scholar who will actively contribute to strengthening the department’s research and teaching profiles at both national and international levels.

Research

We are particularly seeking applicants with research experience and substantial knowledge in one or more of the following fields of study:

• deliberative rhetoric in different media ecologies, for instance social media, news media or digital rhetoric, including digital methodological approaches

writing and composition, in particular pertaining to citizenship and the formation of democratic competencies

• the rhetorical tradition and its significance for contemporary rhetorical criticism.

Teaching and supervision

We are seeking applicants with university-level teaching and supervision experience in rhetoric. The successful applicant will be expected to contribute to the department’s teaching and supervision activities and to teach and supervise on the department’s Master’s degree programme in rhetoric (2017), the Bachelor’s supplementary subject in rhetoric (2021), the Bachelor’s supplementary subject in creative and professional writing (2020) and the part-time professional Master’s degree programme in rhetoric (2018). The position involves teaching in all general areas of rhetoric offered by the department. Applicants are asked to consult the programme descriptions and indicate in their application which courses they would be able to teach.

The successful applicant will also be expected to contribute to the ongoing development of curricula and degree programmes in the field of rhetoric. In this context, experience of degree programme and curriculum development at universities or similar institutions will be considered an advantage.

Given the international focus of the degree programmes, the successful applicant will be expected to teach in both Danish and English. The successful applicant may also be asked to teach academically relevant courses offered by other departments within the School of Communication and Culture.

The person appointed to the position of assistant professor must complete Aarhus University’s teacher-training programme for assistant professors, which is designed for university teaching.

Knowledge exchange

The successful applicant is expected to engage in knowledge exchange, for instance, through research collaboration with private companies, government consultancy, collaboration with civil society and the public dissemination of knowledge.

The successful applicant will have excellent opportunities to participate in relevant collaborative initiatives with partners both inside and outside Aarhus University.

Qualifications

Applicants for the position of assistant professor must hold a PhD degree or document equivalent qualifications in rhetoric or another relevant field within communication or the humanities. Applicants must also be able to document, relevant to the position:
 

• an internationally oriented research profile within rhetoric, as documented by a PhD dissertation and/or, for instance, peer-reviewed research publications
• relevant teaching experience at university level in areas of relevance to rhetoric, including innovative teaching methods, as documented through a teaching portfolio.

Furthermore, it will be considered an advantage if applicants can document:

• experience of participation in national and international research networks
• time spent abroad working at one or more internationally recognised research institutions
• experience of knowledge exchange and public dissemination of knowledge.

Finally, applicants are asked to provide a research plan for the next three years, as well as a strategy or vision for their contribution to future developments in the field, including plans for publications, funding applications and collaborations with external partners.

Please note that although the application process can be completed on the Aarhus University system without uploading publications or a teaching portfolio, applications that do not include uploaded publications (a maximum of two) and a teaching portfolio (or equivalent documentation of teaching experience and qualifications) will not be considered.

Although the Aarhus University application system allows applicants to upload letters of recommendation, applicants are asked not to include letters of recommendation or references with the application. Applicants invited to an interview may be asked to provide references.

Work environment

Active participation in the department’s daily life is a high priority, and we emphasise the importance of strong working relationships among colleagues and with our students. To maintain and further develop the department’s strong teaching and research environment, the successful applicant is expected to have a regular and active presence at the department.

We respect the balance between work and private life and strive to create a work environment that supports it. You can read more about family and work-life balance in Denmark.

International applicants

International applicants are encouraged to read about the attractive working conditions and other benefits of working at Aarhus University and in Denmark, including healthcare, paid holidays and, if relevant, maternity/paternity leave, childcare and schooling. Aarhus University offers a wide variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including a relocation service and an AU Expat Partner Programme. You can also find information about the taxation aspects of international researchers’ employment by AU.

Applicants are expected to have Danish-language proficiency sufficient to teach and supervise, assess student work and perform the full range of academic, administrative and managerial duties associated with the position. The appointee must also be able to participate fully in the daily activities of the School of Communication and Culture, including reading work-related documents and participating in meetings and collegial events conducted in Danish.

The department

The place of employment is the Department of Comparative Literature and Rhetoric, Langelandsgade 139, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.

Prospective applicants are invited to view the department’s website.

School of Communication and Culture

The school is a part of the Faculty of Arts. You will find information about the school and its research programmes, departments and diverse activities on its website.

Contact

For further information about the position, please contact Karen-Margrethe Simonsen, Head of the Department of Comparative Literature and Rhetoric, by email: litkms@cc.au.dk.

If you need help uploading your application or have questions about the recruitment process, please contact Arts HR support by email: hsi@au.dk.

• 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 Finance 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, a research plan, copies of degree certificates and examples of academic production (mandatory, but no more than two examples). Please upload this material electronically along with your application.

About Arts

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 37,000 students (FTEs) and 8.700 employees and has an annual revenue of EUR 1.106 billion. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/