Senior lectureship in Political Science - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Political Science at Karlstad University is a dynamic and growing education and research environment. The discipline and the department are characterised by quick decision-making and much room for individual initiatives and ideas for development. New study programmes have been developed recently and new research topics have been added through efforts within the discipline. Currently, approximately twenty co-workers are teaching and conducting research. Now we are looking for another motivated colleague and we look forward to your application!

Description

Apart from Political Science, The Department of Political, Historical, Religious and Cultural Studies comprises the subjects History, Cultural Studies, Religious Studies, Civics, Social Sciences, and Risk and Environmental Studies. The students who come to our department want to specialise within the fields of history and politics, as well as religion/ethics and culture. The studies are focused on local, regional, national and global contexts, and are conducted in both study programmes and freestanding courses. Cross-disciplinary collaboration is part of both education and research.

Research within Political Science is currently focused on three main specialisations - Public Administration, Critical Policy Studies focusing on for example gender equality and environment politics, and European Studies. Within the discipline, there is also a lot of interest in classical Political Science research issues related to democratic theory and political theory. Our research is also connected to a wider environment at Karlstad University and we collaborate mainly with four different centres: The Centre for Societal Risk Research (CSR), The Centre for Social Science Didactics (CSD), The Centre for Research on Sustainable Societal Transformation (CRS) & Service Research Centre (CTF).

We teach courses on all levels. For the bachelor level we offer a Political Science study programme and freestanding courses in Political Science, European Studies and Public Health Administration. We also offer a master program in Political Science. Political scientists are also involved in the Spatial and Social Planning Programme and the Teacher Education study programmes. Within the research programme, we offer courses on both theory and method, and we are also developing new specialisation courses within central research areas at the discipline. Aside from research and education, collaboration with society in general is important to us. One example of this is that political scientists often participate as commentators and experts in media.

Duties

The appointment includes the usual senior lecturer duties, which consist of three principal categories. The first comprises teaching and supervision on both bachelor-level, master-level and doctoral-level education. Duties may also include being course coordinator. The second category comprises participation in the discipline’s development work related to teaching and research. The third category comprises original research, where you are expected to actively and continuously apply for external funds and grants, follow the developments within your field or discipline and publish findings in international journals.

Qualification requirements

To be eligible for the position, applicants are required to hold a PhD in Political Science or possess equivalent scientific qualifications relevant for the position, have documented pedagogical skills and completed course in higher education pedagogy.

An applicant without higher education pedagogy qualifications may still be hired, provided the course in higher education pedagogy is completed within two years of employment, as part of the professional development commitment. Applicants without higher education pedagogy qualifications will complete such a course within the framework of the time allotted for professional development, if the employment is extended at a later stage. Since a significant amount of the teaching will be in Swedish, it is a qualification requirement that the applicant have full command of Swedish or another Nordic language, in both speech and writing.

For other eligibility requirements, please refer to the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 4 Section 4, and Karlstad University’s Appointments Procedure.

Assessment criteria

Special weight will be given to pedagogical skills, experience in teaching on all levels and experience in course development and being course co-ordinator and programme co-ordinator. Pedagogical skill must be well documented in a way that allows for quality assessment.

Special weight will be given to personal qualities such as flexibility, initiative, personal responsibility and the ability to collaborate well with colleagues.

Of special weight is also the ability to communicate in English, in both speech and writing.

Considerable weight is given to experience and expertise in teaching quantitative methods on bachelor level and master level.

Considerable weight is given to ongoing research, as well as the ability to independently initiate and conduct research.

Weight is also given to the ability to communicate with the community at large.

Weight is also given to the application of quantitative methods in research.

Being physically present at the workplace and participating in activities concerning the whole discipline and department are expected. The appointment will be made following a qualitative holistic review of competence and skills to determine which applicant has the best ability to perform and develop the duties at hand as well as contribute to the positive evolution of Political Science as a discipline. If applicants have qualifications of equal value, priority will be given to the applicant whose experience in research and teaching is deemed most relevant to the discipline’s current activities.

The University places great value on gender balance within the organisation. In case of comparable qualifications, the underrepresented gender can be given priority.

Terms

The employment is a temporary full-time position, starting as soon as possible and lasting until 30 June 2023. There may be a possibility for extension.

Application

Submit the application via the University’s web-based recruitment tool, Varbi. For advice on how to draft your application, refer to “Application Guidelines for the appointment/promotion of professor or senior lecturer”.

Applicants are responsible for submitting a complete application in accordance with the advertisement and for ensuring that the documentation allows for objective and qualitative assessments. A complete application should be submitted by the application deadline. An incomplete application may jeopardise a fair assessment of qualifications. Include at least two references, one of which should be from a current or previous supervisor and one should be from a director of studies or equivalent.

The application shall contain:

• CV
• Cover letter
• An in-depth account of teaching experience
• An in-depth account of research experience
• Verification of a completed course in higher education pedagogy or an account of equivalent skills
• An account of other experiences
• Managerial, collaborative, and administrative experience
• Plans for future work
• List of publications (in multi-authored publications, the role of the applicant must be specified)
• Copies of course transcripts, degree certificates, and other certificates
• No more than 10 scientific publications and no more than 5 materials intended to convey knowledge, such as textbooks, computer programs for teaching, or popular science articles

Attach all the documents and publications you wish to be considered to the electronic application (do not just provide links). Name each uploaded document to clearly indicate its content. Documents that cannot be submitted electronically, such as books or publications, should be sent in triplicate to the following address:

Karlstads universitet
Registrator
651 88 Karlstad
Sweden

Application deadline: 15 december 2021                                   

State the reference no: REK2021/212

We look forward to your application!