The Department of Literary Studies and Linguistics in the Faculty of Humanities is looking for an Assistant Professor in Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, specialized in cognitive models of language, reasoning and/or music. 

The ideal candidate has an excellent profile in both research and teaching. 

The candidate is able to demonstrate being well-informed about different formal modelling methods and tools used in the cognitive sciences, AI and the humanities, and link modelling work to other research traditions in linguistics, musicology, and/or philosophy, and the humanities at large. The candidate is expected to contribute actively to the collaboration between the ILLC and the Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication (ACLC).The candidate’s profile also includes  administrative (coordination, mentoring, etc.) tasks.  

The candidate is expected to:

• develop an independent line of research in her/his area of expertise, resulting in contributions published at leading international venues;
• build up and coordinate a research team and supervise PhD candidates;
• attract external research funding;
• contribute to research valorization and outreach activities;
• teach (in Dutch and in English) and develop teaching activities in the fields of AI and Linguistics and related cognitive disciplines. Relevant programmes include: BSc Cognition, Language and Communication, BSc Artificial Intelligence, rMSc Brain and Cognitive Science, BA and (r)MA Linguistics, MSc Logic;
• take on coordination tasks in the relevant teaching programmes (e.g. BSc Cognition, Language and Communication; MSc Logic);
•  (co-)supervise Bachelor’s and Master’s research projects, including theses;
• contribute significantly to management and administration tasks in teaching and research at the ILLC, the relevant teaching programmes and the Department of Literary Studies & Linguistics.

• A relevant PhD degree (e.g. in Linguistics, AI, Logic, Cognitive Science, Philosophy);
• at least two years of postdoctoral research experience at the starting-date of the position;
• experience of work in at least two different institutes/universities/industry, preferably in different countries;
• experience in research and excellent research skills, evidenced by a strong track record of publications in renowned international conferences and journals (demonstrable ability to attract external research funding is a plus);
• a strong background, experience and expertise of research in the design and use of formal modelling of language and cognition and in bridging AI and Linguistics;
• a record of contributed and/or invited lectures at international conferences/workshops;
• the ability to further develop the BSc programme in Cognition, Language and Communication around this theme;
• experience with digital and audio-visual equipment; familiarity with ICT in academic teaching;
• teaching experience at university level and demonstrable pedagogical abilities, evidenced by a teaching portfolio;
• ability and interest to teach in various programmes, e.g. BSc Cognition, Language and Communication, rMA Brain & Cognitive Sciences, BSc/MSc Artificial Intelligence, BA/MA Linguistics, MSc Logic;
• ideally some experience with (co-)supervision of BA/BSc, MA/MSc and/or PhD students;
• ability to take on coordination tasks in the teaching programme BSc Cognition, Language and Communication;  
• ability to develop the management skills required for general academic administration and organization tasks;
• broad teaching skills, relevant to multiple departments in the Faculty of Humanities;
• excellent organizational experience and skills;
• a good team worker and versatile at all levels, enthusiasm, an interdisciplinary attitude, a strong team spirit, and the ability to motivate team members a strong affinity with the ILLC’s multidisciplinary environment as well as readiness to participate in interdisciplinary cooperation;
• excellent communication and social skills;
• the Dutch University Teaching Qualification (UTQ/BKO), or willingness to acquire this within the first two years;
• teaching and admin duties require native or near-native fluency in Dutch and English; appointments are subject to the candidate’s proficiency in both, or their undertaking to acquire thorough knowledge of Dutch and English as speedily as possible; non-native Dutch speakers must achieve an active and passive command of Dutch within two years. Passing the state examination for Dutch as a Second Language (NT2), programme II, is a prerequisite for a permanent employment contract.

The contract is initially temporary for a period of two years. Subject to a positive assessment, it will be converted to a permanent contract. The start of the contract is scheduled for 1 August 2020.
The scope of the employment contract is 38 hours per week (1.0 FTE). The UFO profile of assistant professor applies to this position (salary scale 11/12, depending on relevant work experience). The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities applies.

University of Amsterdam

With over 5,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

Faculty of Humanities – Department of Literary Studies & Linguistics

The Faculty of Humanities provides education and conducts research with a strong international profile in a large number of disciplines in the field of language and culture. Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the Faculty maintains close ties with many cultural institutes in the capital city. Research and teaching staff focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and are active in several teaching programmes.

The Faculty of Humanities offers assistant professors the opportunity to collaborate with leading researchers at research institutes that - partly as a result of their interdisciplinary approach - are world-renowned. Moreover, you will be teaching in a dynamic context in which new teaching methods are being developed.

The position will be embedded in the Linguistics section of the Department of Literary Studies & Linguistics in the faculty of Humanities. Research will be part of the Institute for Logic Language and Computation (ILLC).

Regarding teaching, the candidate is expected to play a prominent role in the new bilingual Dutch-English BSc programme Cognition, Language and Communication (CLC).

Teaching will also include tasks in other,  related programmes.

The wide range of research in the humanities at the University of Amsterdam is organized in five research schools, which together form the Amsterdam Institute for Humanities Research (AIHR). Each school covers an important research area within the Faculty of Humanities. In addition, the faculty also participates in a renowned interfaculty research institute with the Faculty of Science: the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation.

The central research area of the ILLC is the study of fundamental principles of encoding, transmission and comprehension of information. Research at ILLC is interdisciplinary, and aims at bringing together insights from various disciplines concerned with information and information processing, such as (computational) linguistics, logic, mathematics, computer science, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, musicology and philosophy.