The Department of Media Studies is looking for an Assistant Professor Assistant Professor Computational Humanities.

What are you going to do?

The field of Computational Humanities (CH) is blossoming, with progress being made in all humanities and social science disciplines. Thanks to the increasing availability of digital data and advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), the humanities are rapidly transforming. On the one hand, computational approaches are being applied to both long-standing as well as novel questions in the humanities; on the other hand, CH contributions are finding their way to society at large. Areas of interest include understanding human activities on social and online media, including (fake) news and other information flows; explainable and interpretable AI; digital archiving; fairness, accountability and transparency in online communication and other societal processes. The focus of this position will be on Natural Language Processing (NLP) applications related to CH, with a methodological scope spanning text mining, information retrieval and machine learning.

We are looking for an ambitious candidate, deeply familiar with current CH research as defined above, and seriously committed to foster the responsible application of CH and AI to societal challenges. You will work together with strong groups of NLP, Digital and Computational Humanities, and Media Studies researchers at both the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) and the Media Studies Department of the University of Amsterdam (UvA). We are looking for an inspiring teacher who will provide courses in various programmes at the UvA, with a main teaching-task in the Bachelor Media and Information (track Information Cultures), in the forthcoming Master Digital Humanities, as well as in other programmes at the Science faculty.

You will provide education in a dynamic context with ample opportunities for the development of innovative teaching methods. Your research will be part of the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation, an interfaculty research institute of the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Science.

Tasks and responsibilities:

• design and conducting independent research on the aforementioned topics, resulting in academic publications in peer-reviewed international journals and/or books;
• actively pursuing external funding for research, notably funding from research councils, national as well as European;
• actively contributing to and developing national and international research networks and other forms of cooperation;
• actively contributing to the research activities of Institute for Logic, Language and Computation;
• developing, coordinating and teaching courses in both Dutch and English, in the BA and MA programmes;
• supervising BA and MA theses and tutoring students; co-supervising PhD theses;
• actively contributing to the development and improvement of the broader teaching programmes in the department;
• taking part in committees and working groups, and carrying out departmental administrative tasks as directed.

You are a dynamic and ambitious researcher with a strong profile, demonstrable by international publications and an international academic network. Your publications show broad knowledge of both Computational and Digital Humanities, familiarity with Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence, and a strong affinity with Natural Language Processing. Your research matches the profile of the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation.

You are able to develop and provide modules on the aforementioned topics, and in particular NLP applications related to CH. You will teach courses such as 'Introduction to Digital Humanities', 'Coding the Humanities', 'Data-driven Research' or 'Socio-cultural Data Analysis'.

Important is proven flexibility in teaching on topics beyond your own research focus, a willingness to work in interdisciplinary teams of teachers and the ability to offer inspiring lectures and tutorials in the BA, MA and minor programmes that aspire to a wide range of students.

Your experience and profile:

• holds a PhD in a relevant field (e.g., in Computational/Digital Humanities, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Computer Science, or in a Humanities discipline coupled with a research and teaching track record in DH, CH, NLP or machine learning) with a research focus on NLP applications related to Computational Humanities;
• holds an international academic network in the research area concerned;
• provides research output commensurate with the level of the position;
• active and ambitious researcher with a strong publication record;
• demonstrable ability and ambition to obtain external research grants;
• wide and relevant teaching experience at BA and MA level;
• excellent command (near-native fluency) of both Dutch and English: 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 programme II, is a prerequisite for a permanent employment contract);
• experience with digital and audio-visual teaching facilities and affinity with ICT in university teaching;
• experienced in valorisation and practice-based education and/or research;
• good team worker and versatile at all levels, capable of multidisciplinary co-operation;
• excellent organisational experience and skills;
• acquired the Dutch Basic Teaching Qualification, or is willing to acquire this within the first two years.

Research that entails collaboration with non-academic institutions and agencies in the Netherlands, Europe, and beyond is highly welcome.

We offer a temporary employment contract for a period of two years with the intention of converting it into a permanent contract after a positive assessment. Our ideal starting date of the employment contract is 1 August 2021.

The gross monthly salary, dependent on relevant experience, will range from €3,746 to €5,826, based on 38 hours a week. This is excluding a generous holiday scheme (8%) and year-end bonus (8.3%). A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% rule’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement for the Dutch Universities is applicable.

We additionally offer:

• the opportunity to collaborate in interdisciplinary teams;
• opportunities for professional development;
• an inspiring academic and international working environment in the heart of Amsterdam.

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

The Faculty of Humanities provides education and conducts research with a strong international profile in a large number of disciplines in de 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 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.