Media Studies at the Faculty of Humanities, Odense (Denmark)

The Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS) and the Department of Design, Media and Educational Science at the University of Southern Denmark invite applications for a full professorship in Media Studies. The candidate is expected to start in October 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS)

DIAS at SDU is a hub for interdisciplinary excellence at and beyond the frontier of knowledge, bringing together outstanding researchers from various disciplines to foster interdisciplinary research and innovation. DIAS encourages and supports curiosity-driven research and fosters the meeting of minds across disciplines and levels of seniority. The centre cultivates an ambitious, open-minded and playful environment that nurtures both academic growth and a strong sense of community. 

For questions about DIAS, you may contact Professor Sten Rynning, Director of DIAS (director-dias@sdu.dk).

Information about the Department of Design, Media and Educational Science

The Department of Design, Media and Educational Science is home to approximately 150 employees, covering a wide range of subjects and research interests, including Language Acquisition, Design, Education Sciences, Information Studies, Library Science, Upper Secondary Didactics, Media Studies, Organisational Communication, Philosophy, Tourism and Experience Economy, and Web Communication. Our faculty is deeply committed to interdisciplinary research and teaching, fostering collaborations across disciplines and with external partners. The department emphasizes a productive balance between curiosity-driven research and applied research, focusing on societal challenges and innovative solutions. Our researchers are involved in a number of cutting-edge research centres, groups, and networks, contributing to significant publications and projects that impact both academia and broader society.

The department fosters a vibrant research environment in Media Studies, with the Media Research Group at its core. The group adopts a forward-thinking approach, grounded in historical perspectives on media’s materiality and social practices, while focusing on how media permeates everyday life and shapes broader cultural, political, and economic dynamics on a global scale.

Our current research engages with a diverse array of media forms and practices, including film, television, games, auditory media, social media, as well as emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, health communication, and the role of media in museums. We actively track the dynamic developments within these industries and their cultural fields, while also paying close attention to contemporary media usage across different demographic groups, such as children, older people, and marginalized communities. Furthermore, we are committed to addressing key societal issues such as digitalization and climate change and are pioneers in exploring the sustainability and "greening" of media industries.

Further information is available from Professor Susana Tosca by email: stosca@sdu.dk 

Candidate profile

We seek a candidate with broad knowledge of the field and expertise across theoretical traditions, methodological approaches, and diverse media practices, whose profile both complements existing work and reflects the ability to further develop media research at the department and engage in interdisciplinary activities at DIAS. We are particularly interested in candidates who combine scholarly excellence and originality with a proven interest in leading and contributing to collaborative work, public dissemination, and societal engagement.

As a DIAS Professor, you are also expected to actively engage with activities at Danish Institute of Advanced Study as a DIAS chair. More specifically, your DIAS affiliation requires active participation in DIAS lectures and related activities.   The candidate will be expected to contribute actively to DIAS, including but not limited to participation in DIAS activities, mentoring of DIAS fellows, and promotion of DIAS nationally, internationally and within SDU, as well as through strengthening the bonds between the department/faculty on one hand and DIAS on the other, through interdisciplinary collaborations when meaningful.

As a fully tenured professor, you are also employed to contribute significantly to the academic development in the department and of your field. Your main work tasks include research, teaching, and related organizational work. This also includes supporting the career development of younger scholars and the realization of the department’s strategic goals.

Candidates must therefore: 

• Have an excellent academic profile and publication track record including substantial international publications.
  
• Present an ambitious and innovative research and publication plan including plans for acquiring external funding and team building.
  
• Demonstrate interest for engaging in cross- and inter-disciplinary research and dialogue in order to engage further in the framework of DIAS.
  
• Be able to teach and supervise core topics in media studies
  

Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of collegial engagement for creating and upholding a stimulating, creative and curiosity-driven research environment.

We recommend that as an international applicant you take the time to visit Working in Denmark where you will find information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU.

Conditions of employment

Appointment to the position will be in accordance with the salary agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Please check links for more information on salary (only available in Danish) and taxation. 

Application

The Faculty expects applicants to read the information "How to apply" before applying. 

The application must include: 

• Application letter/cover letter

• CV

• Documentation of qualifications (diplomas, etc.)

• Teaching portfolio

• Research plan, including documentation of research management experience and record of external funding 

• Complete list of publications. The enclosed publications must be clearly marked. 

• Up to 6 relevant publications. One pdf-file per publication should be attached. In case of co-authorship, signed statements stipulating the extent and nature of the candidate's contribution should be included in the relevant pdf-file

• References letters and other relevant qualifications may also be included

Application and all appendices must be in Danish, English or one of the Scandinavian languages. Please always include a copy of original diploma/certificates.

We only accept files in pdf-format no more than 10 MB per file. In case you have more than one file per field you need to combine the pdf-files into a single file, as each field handles only one file. We do not accept zip-files, jpg or other image files. All pdf-files must be unlocked and allow binding and may not be password protected.

The assessment process

Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee. When the assessment committee has submitted its report, the applicant will receive the part of the evaluation that concerns him/her. 

The assessment report will subsequently be forwarded to the Head of Department who will assemble an appointments committee. An interview may form part of the overall assessment of the applicants' qualifications.

The committee may request additional information, and if so, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the necessary material.

If the application does not meet the requirements mentioned above, the Faculty of Humanities may reject your application without further notice. Applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated.

Shortlisting and tests may be used in the assessment process. Please note that only shortlisted applicants will be assessed. Here you can read more about shortlisting at SDU.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

About SDU

SDU was founded in 1966 and now has more than 27,000 students, almost 20% of whom are from abroad. It has more than 3,800 employees, and 115 different study programmes in the fields of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, and engineering. Its main campus is located in Odense, the third largest city in Denmark, but is present also in Kolding, Sønderborg, Esbjerg and Copenhagen. 

Application deadline: February 27, 2025 23.59. PM (CET/CEST).

Read more HERE.