Associate Professorship in Anthropology with a special responsibility for external partnerships
The Department of Anthropology, part of the School of Culture and Society, invites applications for the position of Associate Professor in Anthropology. The associate professorship is a permanent full-time (37h/w) position that begins 01.01.26 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Place of employment: Aarhus University, Department of Anthropology, Moesgård Alle 20, 8270 Højbjerg, Denmark.
The position
We are seeking a colleague who is passionate about research and/or their regional and thematic specialization, a scholar who will contribute to strengthening our cross-sector partnerships, benefiting in this way our educational programs, students, and our research impact. Your research could fall under the remit of organizational anthropology, anthropology of development, or business anthropology, or you may have worked or conducted research within corporate settings. The important thing for us is that you have a solid research profile and a real interest in, and ideally experience with, building bridges between students and the labor market. In this capacity, the applicant will be expected to work in close coordination with the department’s existing external relations unit MANTRA and strengthen our strategic sector collaborations. The applicant will furthermore be expected to work with the Head of Department and the educational coordinators to develop our educational programs.
The Department of Anthropology
The Department of Anthropology offers a welcoming atmosphere, a close-knit and collegial environment, a superb student population, explorative and internationally orientated research and teaching environments, and good possibilities for career development, project funding, and administrative support at the school and the faculty levels.
The Department of Anthropology is one of Europe's largest and most vibrant teaching and research environments within its field. Scientific staff currently consists of 27 associate and full professors, 13 assistant professors and postdocs, and 28 PhD-fellows, we are also the temporary home of a number of visiting and affiliated researchers.
We are an open and dynamic community of staff and students that explores the fascinating diversity of the worlds that humans inhabit and addresses the burning issues of our time, developing new theoretical and methodological approaches along the way in order to understand and tackle them. We have broad collaborations with various disciplines, including philosophy and history of ideas, biology, and medicine and host numerous externally funded research projects. Our research is critically engaged attending to contemporary issues on a local and global scale while seeking to push the boundaries of the state-of-the-art within our field. See a more detailed description of our research activities here: Research. The department is located at the Moesgaard Campus in the beautiful woodlands south of the city of Aarhus, adjacent to Moesgaard Museum.
The work environment
As a collegial environment, we emphasize the importance of mutual support and non-hierarchical interaction among all academic and non-academic staff. We are deeply passionate about our educational programs, and we are excited about our students, which is easy because they are brilliant, curious, and brave. We care about each other. Applicants are expected to contribute to the department’s academic and social environment, and the person appointed will therefore be expected to be present at the department a minimum of three days a week, in accordance with school policy.
Education & talent development
The Department of Anthropology is home to three education programs: A bachelor and master program in anthropology, including a general track and a track in visual anthropology, and an international master program in Human Security. The associate professor will be expected to teach and supervise students across these programs, at both BA and MSc level. We emphasise the importance of maintaining a dedicated and respectful relationship between staff and students, so applicants should be able to demonstrate and exemplify their commitment to participatory teaching initiatives and student involvement as part of their teaching portfolio. The associate professor is, furthermore, expected to contribute to talent development at the Department of Anthropology and will be expected to recruit and supervise PhD students and postdocs as well as teach and develop PhD courses.
Knowledge exchange
It is expected that the successful applicant will engage in knowledge exchange as described in the strategy for the Faculty of Arts Strategy Arts 2020-2025 (au.dk), by, for instance developing research cooperation with private companies, government consultancy, cooperation with civil society partners or through the public dissemination of knowledge. Applicants should document any prior experience within the field of knowledge exchange.
Qualifications
Past research achievements will be assessed based on the active research time of the applicant in question. We therefore ask applicants to specify any career breaks they have had (for instance due to parental leave or sick leave) so that we may deduce such periods when assessing the research productivity.
Only submitted publications will be assessed; a list of publications is not sufficient. Applications without submitted publications will not be assessed. References or recommendations should not be included with the application. Applicants who are selected for a job interview may be asked to provide professional references.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that some groups of people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about the position but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly, we encourage you to get in touch or to just apply. You may be just the right candidate.
Language and further information
Linguistic ability in Danish and the ability to teach and supervision in both Danish and English at university level will be an advantage given the intended role in strengthening our students’ ties to and understanding of the Danish labour market. Applicants who do not speak Danish will be expected to obtain Danish Education 2, within three years. The course will be supported by the School.
For further information about the content of the position, please contact Head of Department, Nina Holm Vohnsen (afdelingsleder.antropologi@cas.au.dk) For further information about the application procedure, please contact HR supporter Gerd Bech Thomsen (gebeth@au.dk)
The School of Culture and Society
The School of Culture and Society comprises strong academic environments within Anthropology & Human Security, Archaeology & Heritage Studies, Philosophy & History of Ideas, Global Studies, History & Classical Studies, Culture, Cognition and Computation, the Study of Religion, and Theology. The school provides education to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students, fostering a strong foundation in academic excellence, interdisciplinary perspectives, and critical thinking.
The School of Culture and Society is a dynamic research institution dedicated to the comprehensive study of cultural and social conditions. Our research explores the relationship between humanity and its environments, including nature, technology, and theology, spanning from prehistoric times to the present and encompassing both local and global perspectives. We aim to be a driving partner in collaborations which, across sectors and disciplines, contribute to research development and answer significant societal questions. In research and education, we work to actively put human and cultural science into action in relation to partners outside the university.
The School is committed to the following objectives:
International applicants
International applicants are encouraged to check Family and work-life balance in Denmark (au.dk) and Attractive working conditions (au.dk) for further information about the 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 broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including a Relocation and onboarding services for international AU staff and career counselling for expat partners.
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.
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 700 academic staff members, 200 PhD students, 9,000 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 https://international.au.dk/
The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.
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Place of employment: Aarhus University, Department of Anthropology, Moesgård Alle 20, 8270 Højbjerg, Denmark.
The position
We are seeking a colleague who is passionate about research and/or their regional and thematic specialization, a scholar who will contribute to strengthening our cross-sector partnerships, benefiting in this way our educational programs, students, and our research impact. Your research could fall under the remit of organizational anthropology, anthropology of development, or business anthropology, or you may have worked or conducted research within corporate settings. The important thing for us is that you have a solid research profile and a real interest in, and ideally experience with, building bridges between students and the labor market. In this capacity, the applicant will be expected to work in close coordination with the department’s existing external relations unit MANTRA and strengthen our strategic sector collaborations. The applicant will furthermore be expected to work with the Head of Department and the educational coordinators to develop our educational programs.
The Department of Anthropology
The Department of Anthropology offers a welcoming atmosphere, a close-knit and collegial environment, a superb student population, explorative and internationally orientated research and teaching environments, and good possibilities for career development, project funding, and administrative support at the school and the faculty levels.
The Department of Anthropology is one of Europe's largest and most vibrant teaching and research environments within its field. Scientific staff currently consists of 27 associate and full professors, 13 assistant professors and postdocs, and 28 PhD-fellows, we are also the temporary home of a number of visiting and affiliated researchers.
We are an open and dynamic community of staff and students that explores the fascinating diversity of the worlds that humans inhabit and addresses the burning issues of our time, developing new theoretical and methodological approaches along the way in order to understand and tackle them. We have broad collaborations with various disciplines, including philosophy and history of ideas, biology, and medicine and host numerous externally funded research projects. Our research is critically engaged attending to contemporary issues on a local and global scale while seeking to push the boundaries of the state-of-the-art within our field. See a more detailed description of our research activities here: Research. The department is located at the Moesgaard Campus in the beautiful woodlands south of the city of Aarhus, adjacent to Moesgaard Museum.
The work environment
As a collegial environment, we emphasize the importance of mutual support and non-hierarchical interaction among all academic and non-academic staff. We are deeply passionate about our educational programs, and we are excited about our students, which is easy because they are brilliant, curious, and brave. We care about each other. Applicants are expected to contribute to the department’s academic and social environment, and the person appointed will therefore be expected to be present at the department a minimum of three days a week, in accordance with school policy.
Education & talent development
The Department of Anthropology is home to three education programs: A bachelor and master program in anthropology, including a general track and a track in visual anthropology, and an international master program in Human Security. The associate professor will be expected to teach and supervise students across these programs, at both BA and MSc level. We emphasise the importance of maintaining a dedicated and respectful relationship between staff and students, so applicants should be able to demonstrate and exemplify their commitment to participatory teaching initiatives and student involvement as part of their teaching portfolio. The associate professor is, furthermore, expected to contribute to talent development at the Department of Anthropology and will be expected to recruit and supervise PhD students and postdocs as well as teach and develop PhD courses.
Knowledge exchange
It is expected that the successful applicant will engage in knowledge exchange as described in the strategy for the Faculty of Arts Strategy Arts 2020-2025 (au.dk), by, for instance developing research cooperation with private companies, government consultancy, cooperation with civil society partners or through the public dissemination of knowledge. Applicants should document any prior experience within the field of knowledge exchange.
Qualifications
- Applicants must have a PhD or equal qualifications in Anthropology or related areas of research as well as research and teaching qualifications equivalent to those acquired during the course of an assistant professorship.
- Applicants must have a solid research profile which can be focused either nationally or internationally and be able to present their vision and plans for the future development of their research field.
- A strong international publication profile, including documented experience in communicating research results to a non-academic audience is of great importance. We invite applicants to explicitly reflect on their chosen formats of communication of research results.
- Applicants must be able to document participation in national and international networks as well as experience in attracting external research funding.
- The ideal candidate should be able to document research and/or practical collaboration with non-academic organizations within the corporate sector, the public sector or beyond.
- The ideal candidate should be able to demonstrate their experience in establishing collaborations between students and non-academic partners. We invite applicants to submit a one-page outline of where they see untapped potential for future collaborations, which may help our students transition to the labor market in Denmark and abroad.
Past research achievements will be assessed based on the active research time of the applicant in question. We therefore ask applicants to specify any career breaks they have had (for instance due to parental leave or sick leave) so that we may deduce such periods when assessing the research productivity.
Only submitted publications will be assessed; a list of publications is not sufficient. Applications without submitted publications will not be assessed. References or recommendations should not be included with the application. Applicants who are selected for a job interview may be asked to provide professional references.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that some groups of people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about the position but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly, we encourage you to get in touch or to just apply. You may be just the right candidate.
Language and further information
Linguistic ability in Danish and the ability to teach and supervision in both Danish and English at university level will be an advantage given the intended role in strengthening our students’ ties to and understanding of the Danish labour market. Applicants who do not speak Danish will be expected to obtain Danish Education 2, within three years. The course will be supported by the School.
For further information about the content of the position, please contact Head of Department, Nina Holm Vohnsen (afdelingsleder.antropologi@cas.au.dk) For further information about the application procedure, please contact HR supporter Gerd Bech Thomsen (gebeth@au.dk)
The School of Culture and Society
The School of Culture and Society comprises strong academic environments within Anthropology & Human Security, Archaeology & Heritage Studies, Philosophy & History of Ideas, Global Studies, History & Classical Studies, Culture, Cognition and Computation, the Study of Religion, and Theology. The school provides education to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students, fostering a strong foundation in academic excellence, interdisciplinary perspectives, and critical thinking.
The School of Culture and Society is a dynamic research institution dedicated to the comprehensive study of cultural and social conditions. Our research explores the relationship between humanity and its environments, including nature, technology, and theology, spanning from prehistoric times to the present and encompassing both local and global perspectives. We aim to be a driving partner in collaborations which, across sectors and disciplines, contribute to research development and answer significant societal questions. In research and education, we work to actively put human and cultural science into action in relation to partners outside the university.
The School is committed to the following objectives:
- Fostering an international environment characterized by strong academic and interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Embracing an innovative and experimental approach to research, teaching, and communication.
- Cultivating a school that both generates knowledge and educates students for the present and future.
- Advancing a broad engagement with digital humanities.
- Upholding a strong commitment to both local and global societal challenges.
- Creating an inclusive, diverse, and sustainable workplace and organization.
International applicants
International applicants are encouraged to check Family and work-life balance in Denmark (au.dk) and Attractive working conditions (au.dk) for further information about the 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 broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including a Relocation and onboarding services for international AU staff and career counselling for expat partners.
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.
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: shortlistingFaculty 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 700 academic staff members, 200 PhD students, 9,000 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 https://international.au.dk/
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/
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Deadline: 05 May 2025
Academic contact person:
Nina Holm Vohnsen
Lektor, afdelingsleder
nina.vohnsen@cas.au.dk
+4526838862
+4587162113
Vacant positions: 1
Hours per week: 37
Expected date of accession: 01 January 2026