The Department of Media and Culture Studies of the Faculty of Humanities is looking for an Assistant Professor with a profile in New Media and Digital Culture and a specialisation in urban new media, starting 15 August 2024.

Wat ga je doen?
We seek a new colleague who is a dynamic researcher and teacher with a strong affinity with current developments of critical approaches and new research methods for the critical examination of the impact of mediatisation, digitisation and algorithmisation on contemporary urban culture. Research foci we are interested in, include:

• new media art & activism;
• inclusive cities and social equity;
• participatory culture and civic engagement;
• inclusive and sustainable urban futures.

Your research will be part of the Institute for Cultural Inquiry (ICON) with its research groups Media & Performance and Gender Studies, and research initiatives such as [urban interfaces], Green Media Studies, and Transmission in Motion. The position also offers possibilities for you to connect with Utrecht University’s interdisciplinary Strategic Themes such as Institutions for Open Societies, Pathways to Sustainability, and Dynamics of Youth, and the Focus Areas such as Governing the Digital Society and Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.

As an Assistant Professor, depending on your expertise, you will teach courses on new media theories, new media philosophy, green media, urban mobile media, and smart urban technologies. You will participate in the BA Media and Culture, the MA New Media and Digital Culture, and the RMA Media, Art & Performance Studies. You may also collaborate with colleagues in interdisciplinary teaching teams in minor programmes such as Creative Cities, Gender Studies, Postcolonial Studies. You will also be involved in the supervision of individual student projects such as internships and BA and MA theses.

We offer an inspiring research and teaching environment and foster innovative projects in research, teaching, and public engagement. For this, we work closely with other academic disciplines, institutional and industrial partners, and various societal stakeholders. Moreover, we welcome your active contribution to broader, interdisciplinary research agenda of media and culture studies and participation in research collaborations within the department and beyond.

We are looking for candidates specialised in new media with a focus on the cultural, societal, and ecological implications of emerging and transforming digital media technologies and practices. Specifically, we are looking for candidates who can contribute to research and teaching on digital media practices, citizenship, and various contemporary societal challenges in relation to the mediatisation, digitisation, and algorithmisation of (urban) culture.

You are committed to furthering new and innovative developments in academic research, teaching, and to participating in interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships within and beyond the university. Moreover, you have affinity with creative methods like research-by-design and artistic research, and/or are willing to explore the use of new methods in education, research, and external partnerships.

As an ideal candidate, you meet the following requirements:

• You hold a PhD in the Humanities or in a field relevant for this position, with a research focus on new media and digital culture.
• You have demonstrable research interests and experience in the field or (urban) new media.
• You have relevant teaching experience on BA and MA level and in supervising individual thesis projects.
• You are an active and ambitious researcher with output that reflects this.
• You have ambition to obtain external research grants.
• You have demonstrable ability and ambition in outreach, interprofessional collaboration, and challenge-driven education or research.
• You are a strong team worker and capable of multidisciplinary collaboration.
• You have experience in setting up and coordinating courses.
• You have excellent organisational experience and skills.
• You have acquired the Dutch Basic Teaching Qualification, or are willing to acquire this within the first two years.
• You are fluent in English, preferably close to near-native standard. If you do not have a native command of Dutch you are expected to obtain NT2 level spoken and written Dutch within two years of appointment.

We offer:

• an employment contract for 12 months with the prospect of a permanent employment contract;
• a working week of 38 hours and a gross monthly salary between €4,332 and €5,929 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale 11 under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU);
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

The job’s allocation is set to 40% research and 60% teaching. Within the 60% for teaching, there is 10% free space that will not be scheduled.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating professional development, leave schemes and schemes for sports and cultural activities, as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

Universiteit Utrecht

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

The Faculty of Humanities has around 7,000 students and 1,100 staff members. It comprises four knowledge domains: Philosophy and Religious Studies, History and Art History, Media and Culture Studies, and Languages, Literature and Communication. With its research and education in these fields, the Faculty aims to contribute to a better understanding of the Netherlands and Europe in a rapidly changing social and cultural context. The enthusiastic and committed colleagues and the excellent amenities in the historical city centre of Utrecht, where the faculty is located, contribute to an inspiring working environment.

The department of Media and Culture Studies has a staff with a diversity of backgrounds, skills, and views. As a department, we are committed to support our staff and their development and we foster various forms of interdisciplinary collaboration and team-based teaching and research. In our department, we study a wide range of media as well as cultural and artistic expressions, also in their intermedial relations. We interpret culture as a dynamic combination of artistic, creative, and everyday activities that people use to shape their identities, and within which social processes, structures and institutions are shaped. We welcome colleagues who can further strengthen the diversity of perspectives and backgrounds in our department.