The section Psychology of Conflict, Risk and Safety in the Technology, Human and Institutional Behaviour (HIB)-department is currently seeking an assistant professor in human - virtual avatar and/or agent interactions. Cornerstone of our section is the countless ways people can get involved in events that threaten the psychological, community, or societal safety and which challenge their resilience. We take an interdisciplinary approach to understand and develop interventions to counter such threats, combining (social) psychological perspectives with communication sciences, and public administration. Our work includes topics such as conflict (e.g., polarization) and crisis management, risk perception and risk communication (e.g., about environmental or technological risks), crime prevention (e.g., cybercrime and subversive crime), and restorative justice interventions. Our research and teaching is designed:

1. around new technology (e.g. for physiological measurements, eye tracking, sociometry, virtual reality, automated emotion detection, online communities), facilitated by our BMSlab (including our state-of-the-art mobile lab facility);
2. in close collaboration with partners from practice in the Netherlands and abroad, such as National Crisis Centres, TNO, law enforcement agencies, the military, ministries and municipalities, Kenniscentrum Veilige Digitale Samenleving (Apeldoorn) and the Dutch Perspectief herstelbemiddeling.

Your challenge

Currently, we seek a colleague who has expertise in and can strengthen our profile and ambitions in the area of human - virtual avatar / agent interactions that are aimed at eliciting conducive behavior change in the domains of conflict, risk or safety (e.g., persuading people to take pro-environmental measures in their lives). Several of our colleagues focus on the development of VR / AR applications and interventions to promote risk prevention and awareness, conflict management and/or law enforcement (e.g., VR training applications for law enforcers and mediators). An important challenge in this domain is how to best design such applications for situations in which some reluctance, resistance and/or non-cooperative tendencies exist: how should encounters between humans and avatars / agents be developed and set up to elicit behavior change among the targeted humans in the virtual environment? You will contribute to our interdisciplinary research domains of resilience, emerging technologies and societal transformations, or health in the Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social sciences (BMS).

In addition to research, you will contribute to the education of our students, by coordinating, developing and teaching courses in the Bachelor and Master Programme of Psychology. You will engage in supervision of Bachelor and Master-theses in the Psychology programmes and will supervise PhD-students.

You have a strong interest and shown ability to collaborate in an academic, multidisciplinary environment and to achieve societal impact. A successful candidate will also demonstrate her or his intrinsic motivation and strong abilities for teaching, both lecturing and tutoring, designing and coordinating courses. Furthermore, we encourage you to apply if:

• you have a PhD degree in a field related to our research area (e.g. psychology, communication science, public administration).
• preferably, and given the current composition of the team, you have a promising track record in the domain of human-non-human interactions in non-cooperative, VR/AR environments.
• you have a passion for teaching and the ambition to become a creative teacher.
• you have strong abilities for high-quality, interpretive research in organizational contexts.
• you have ability and ambition to work closely with external stakeholders.
• you are effective in acquiring external funding.
• you have excellent communication skills and are a team player.
• you are fluent in English. Knowledge of, or willingness to learn Dutch is an advantage.
• you have a University Teaching Qualification (Dutch: BKO) or equivalent, or are willing to acquire one within three years.

We offer a fulltime structural position, starting with a temporary appointment with the prospect of a permanent position after a positive evaluation. Our terms of employment are in accordance with the Dutch Collective Labor Agreement for Universities (CAO). Depending on experience and qualifications, the gross monthly salary on a full-time basis ranges between € 3.974,- (scale 11) to € 6.181,- (scale 12) (the 30% tax ruling might be applicable). Additionally, the University of Twente offers attractive employment conditions such as:

• an 8,3% end-of-year bonus and 8% holiday allowance;
• an attractive solid pension scheme;
• a minimum of 29 leave days in case of full-time employment based on a formal workweek of 38 hours. A fulltime employment in practice means 40 hours a week, therefore resulting in 96 extra leave hours on an annual basis;
• possibilities to save up holidays for sabbatical leave;
• we are a family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid) and career support for partners;
• professional and personal development programs;
• finally, you will work in a lively, inspiring and dynamic working environment in an organization focusing on internationalization, where you will have a high degree of responsibility and independence.

Many of the major societal challenges of our current and future world - such as transitions in health care, building capacity for resilience and risk-management, creating inclusive and sustainable, safe communities-warrant a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to technological innovations. The department Technology, Human and Institutional Behaviour (HIB) at the University of Twente (The Netherlands) comprises expertise in psychology, communication science and public administration and aims to integrate individual, (inter)organizational, institutional, and societal perspectives on technologies of behaviour change. In addition, innovative technologies are increasingly used to understand human behaviour in our rapidly digitalizing world. The HIB-department is committed to designing, evaluating, implementing and teaching about comprehensive technology-based solutions supporting people in behaviour that promotes their health, safety, resilience, connectedness and joy.

More information about the department HIB can be found on the following website:

https://www.utwente.nl/en/bms/organisation/departments-institutes-new/department-hib/

The section of Psychology of Conflict, Risk & Safety

More information about the departmental section Psychology of Conflict, Risk & Safety can be found on the following website: https://www.utwente.nl/en/bms/pcrv/