Junior professorship in Material Culture Education and Communication (W1 salary scale with tenure track to W2)

About us

In School III – Linguistics and Cultural Studies, research and teaching focus on analysing and interpreting language, literature, art, music, and everyday culture. The school benefits from a remarkable combination of philologies with cultural studies and arts-related disciplines and a diverse range of interdisciplinary options.

The Institute for Material Culture located within it is oriented decisively towards cultural studies and the study of material culture. It is characterised by close links between teaching and current research as they relate to the analysis of material culture and by the diverse range of courses it offers. By paying attention to everyday objects – with strong emphasis on textiles, clothing and fashion, their uses, and their representations in various media – it traces meanings that are reflected in, for instance, social relationships, mentalities and power relations. The Collection of Everyday Textiles Culture (STAK) is a unique collection sited within the Institute and drawn on for research and teaching.

Your tasks

• The chief tasks of your new position will be research and teaching in the designated area. You will develop a distinctive personal research profile in the area of digitalisation/digitality and their communication and a teaching profile that reflects this expertise. You will be involved in developing a profile for the institute that spans the crossover area between materiality, mediality, and digitality and is connected to the textiles sphere. It is expected that this research profile will develop from a focus area in one main field of education and communication in and beyond the school’s context. The research work of the professorship is expected to contribute to the research focus areas of the school and the university. Successfully developing your own research focus areas will form part of the evaluation in connection with the tenure track procedure. You will advance the institute’s research and teaching as a team player.
• In the area of teaching, you will represent the subject area of teaching and communicating material culture. The professorship is tasked here with providing courses for the degree programmes in which the Institute for Material Culture is involved that focus on teaching and communicating material culture in and beyond the school context. The professorship also plays a role in coordinating and continuing to advance the development of degree programmes (especially the dual-subject bachelor’s degree “Material Culture: Textiles”, the M.Ed degree “Textile Craft and Design” (for M.Ed. students preparing to teach in the school types Grundschule, Hauptschule, Realschule and in special education, Sopäd), and the M.A. degree “Museums and Exhibitions”). The professorship has a particular responsibility for these degree programmes focussed on education and communication.
• You will offer courses taught through German and, if applicable, English.
• You will mentor and promote the academic career development of students and employees.
• It is envisaged that you will participate in existing regional, national, and international research and practice-oriented cooperation frameworks and advance them further for the benefit of research and teaching. You will play an active role in the Centre for Teacher Training (Didaktisches Zentrum, DiZ) including its specific structures for professional development and research support.
• As the University of Oldenburg and the University of Bremen are connected by a cooperation agreement, active participation in the cooperation is expected.
• You will also participate in academic self-governance.
• You will promote a university culture that is diverse and equitable.

Your profile

Required characteristics

• You meet the prerequisites for employment specified in Section 30 of the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act (NHG).
• You provide evidence of a minimum of three years’ teaching experience at a school or equivalent pedagogical experience or relevant empirical research experience corresponding to these duties.
• You are an early career researcher and have gained an outstanding doctorate in empirical cultural studies or a related discipline with relevance for material culture and a scholarly profile in the teaching and communication of material culture in and/or beyond the school context.
• A track record of performance in research and/or teaching on the topic of textiles or a willingness to advance research and teaching in this area further will be fundamental.
• Teaching experience in the area of communicating material culture is essential and must be demonstrated by relevant university courses taught.
• You have initial experience in competitive third-party funding.
• You have a collaborative working style that promotes a diverse and equitable working environment.
• You have initial experience in mentoring and promoting academic career development.
• You must demonstrate your ability to link up to and build on the focus areas mentioned above, including your own prospects for further developing your research and teaching, in a research concept of no more than four pages and a teaching concept of no more than two pages.
• Your skills in the German language should be at or close to the level of a speaker of German as a first language (at least C1) or you must be willing to acquire these skills.

Desired characteristics

• You will ideally have a work focus area in the field of sustainability.
• Experience (underscored by publications) in working with empirical methods used in cultural studies would be beneficial.
• We would welcome experience in the area of interdisciplinary and international cooperation.
• University teaching experience in the area of teacher education would also be advantageous.

We offer

• A creative, international and inspiring working environment. We promote interdisciplinary cooperation within the university, with universities and research institutions around the world, as well as renowned university institutes and external research institutions.
• A wide service and advisory offers, e.g. for international researchers, for reconciling family and work or for applying for national, European and international research funding.
• A diverse range of further education offered for all career levels, as well as services for occupational health promotion.
• A certified family-friendly university on a lively and sustainable campus with good infrastructure.

Our standards

The University is committed to adhering to transparent quality-assured processes.

We aspire to increase the proportion of female professors and encourage women to apply. Women will be given preference in the selection process in case of equal qualifications.

Applications from people with disabilities or those with equal status will be given preference in the selection process in case of equal suitability, qualifications and performance. To protect your interests, please indicate in your application letter whether you have a disability or equal status.