Assistant Professorships in Pedagogy & Educational Studies – Copenhagen/Aarhus

The Danish School of Education (DPU) at the Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University, invites applications for four full-time assistant professorships positions in pedagogy and educational studies.  

One of the four assistant professorship positions will be offered the position as a tenure-track. The tenure-track assistant professorship is a five-year, fixed-term appointment, with the possibility of permanent employment (tenure) as an associate professor. (Conditions related to the tenure-position)

The assistant professorships are full-time, three-year training positions and will commence on 1 August 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. 

DPU welcomes applicants with a research background in empirical school research (primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school) and/or empirical research in higher education within one or more of the following areas: education and democracy, education for sustainable development, school exclusion and vulnerability, special education and learning, professional formation and development, educational psychology from a lifelong learning perspective, teacher education for preschool and/or primary and lower secondary levels, and general didactics.  

The selected candidates will be employed in one of DPU’s four departments (see the description of DPU below). 

The positions are based at DPU at either Aarhus Campus or Emdrup Campus (see the description of DPU below). It is important that the selected candidates take part in the daily activities of the relevant department, including teaching and supervision of students. As DPU is located in both Aarhus and Copenhagen, the selected candidates should expect some travel between the campuses. 

Research
The selected candidates for the assistant professorships are expected to develop new research projects with immediate relevance to one or more of the subject areas mentioned above.  

The selected candidates are also expected to contribute to research initiatives within their specific area(s) of research and to the broader research environment at DPU, including the development of new research projects with internal and external partners and the attraction of external research funding.  

Applicants must be able to document original scholarly production of a high international standard, as well as significant contributions to theoretical and empirical research within the relevant area(s).  

Applicants are furthermore asked to outline their visions and plans for the future development of their area(s) of research.  

Teaching  
The selected candidates are expected to have experience of or an interest in teaching at university level, and should be prepared to teach and supervise at Master’s and PhD levels as well as on DPU’s cross-departmental professional Master’s degree programmes.  

The selected candidates are also expected to contribute to the pedagogical and technological development of existing and new degree programmes within their specific area(s) of research. Experience in teaching and developing online, blended or hybrid formats, and in the use of technologies in teaching, will be considered an advantage, but is not a requirement. Applicants should document any prior teaching experience and outline their pedagogical initiatives, teaching approach and key focus areas relevant to the assistant professorship. 

Talent development
The selected candidates are expected to develop their supervision skills at Master’s level and to contribute to the academic development of students. 

Knowledge exchange 
The selected candidates are expected to engage in knowledge exchange as described in the strategy of the Faculty of Arts, for instance through research collaboration with external partners, public dissemination, consultancy work or collaboration with civil society actors. Applicants should document any prior experience of knowledge exchange and outline their plans for the impact of their research on educational practice and/or policy. 

Qualifications
Applicants must hold a PhD degree or equivalent qualifications in a relevant field and be able to document:

• a research profile within one or more of the above-mentioned areas
• experience of empirical educational research
• an internationally oriented publication profile
• experience of or an interest in international and interdisciplinary collaboration
• experience of or potential for obtaining external research funding
• experience of or an interest in developing and teaching innovative, online and technology-   enhanced methods of instruction
• experience of or an interest in supervising student projects.

It is of vital importance that the selected candidates take part in the daily activities of the relevant department at DPU, such as research and teaching activities and communities, as well as in administrative tasks and organisational boards (central board of studies, degree programme boards and relevant local management roles). We emphasise the importance of good working relationships, both among colleagues and with our students. 

Applicants must be able to teach and publish in English. If the selected candidates do not speak Danish, they will be required to acquire Danish-language proficiency within approximately two years. 

The application must be submitted in English. 

For full job description read here: Four Assistant Professorships in Pedagogy and Educational Studies (in Copenhagen or Aarhus) - Ledig stilling på Aarhus Universitet

Further information
For further information about the position, please contact the head of DPU, Claus Holm, by email: Institutleder-DPU@edu.au.dk or tel.: + 45 2688 5600. 

About the Danish School of Education 
The Danish School of Education (DPU) is one of the three schools at the Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University. 

Across its two locations at Campus Emdrup in Copenhagen and Nobel Park in Aarhus, DPU is home to approximately 200 academic and administrative staff, as well as roughly 80 PhD students. 

Our degree programmes 
The Danish School of Education currently offers a Bachelor’s degree programme in educational science and ten Master’s degree programmes in a range of educational and pedagogical disciplines, as well as six professional Master’s degree programmes that can also be studied as single-subject courses.  

Approximately 2,000 students are enrolled in the school’s Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes, of these is approximately 250 students enrolled in professional Master’s degree programmes. 

Many of these degree programmes are offered at DPU’s locations in both Copenhagen and Aarhus, with students fairly evenly divided between the two campuses. 

Our research
The Danish School of Education is Denmark's largest university environment for basic and applied research in pedagogy and education. 

The school is home to strong research environments within educational sciences, subject didactics, general education, educational psychology, educational anthropology, educational sociology and educational philosophy, in addition, we conduct interdisciplinary research aimed at specific educational fields of inquiry.  

DPU promotes public awareness of research in education and pedagogy through extensive dissemination activities with the aim of providing society with a rich and robust knowledge base.

Qualification requirementsApplicants 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 Finance 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.
• The application must outline the applicant's motivation for applying for the position, attaching a curriculum vitae, a teaching portfolio, a complete list of published works, a research plan, copies of degree certificates and examples of academic production (mandatory, but no more than two examples). Please upload this material electronically along with your application.

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:shortlisting

About Arts

The Faculty of Arts is one of Northern Europe’s most significant faculties for research and higher education in the humanities, theology and education. Within this broad academic scope, the faculty comprises approximately 700 researchers, 200 PhD students, 9,000 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students, and 1,500 further and continuing education students. We believe that the best ideas arise when different perspectives meet – and that research, teaching and innovation are best developed in dialogue with the surrounding society.

You can find more information here: Faculty of Arts | Aarhus UniversityThe 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/