Bergen, Norway
Deadline: 14th Dec 2012
The University of Bergen (UiB) is an internationally recognised research university with more than 14,000 students and close to 3,500 employees at six faculties. The university is located in the heart of Bergen. Our main contribution to society is excellent basic research and education across a wide range of disciplines. The Department of Foreign
Languages at the University of Bergen has a vacancy for a permanent, full-time professor of modern Chinese language. There may also be a further vacancy for a permanent, full-time associate professor of modern Chinese language. For both posts, appointment will be made from 1 June 2013 or as soon as possible thereafter.
The Department of Foreign Languages will establish a Bachelor degree in Chinese language and culture in the autumn semester 2013. The degree will initially be based on a provisional syllabus, and those appointed to these posts will be responsible for developing permanent course offerings in Chinese language and linguistics, initially at the Bachelor level, but later also including Master’s and PhD levels. They must also be willing to develop and teach introductory courses in Chinese history, culture and society.
The Department of Foreign Languages has just over 50 academic staff, 11 administrative staff, and about 30 PhD fellows. The Department offers courses and degrees in Arabic, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Russian, German, and Spanish language and Latin American Studies. At present, the Department offers two introductory courses in Chinese language in collaboration with teachers from the Confucius Institute in Bergen.
Qualification requirements
Applicants must be able to document research activity and scholarly publications in the field of modern Chinese language at a high international level, and must have clear plans for future research. In line with current practice, higher academic qualifications will be required for appointment as a professor than as an associate professor.
The successful applicants will be expected to relocate to Bergen, for which reasonable removal expenses will be paid.
All staff, regardless of academic specialisation, are required to share overall responsibility for the subject and to contribute to the continuing development of the educational programme. Participation in administrative tasks is also expected. Teaching, student assignments and examining are normally conducted in Norwegian and Chinese, while Norwegian is the language of administration at the Department. The successful applicant is expected to have a good knowledge of Norwegian or another Scandinavian language, or be willing to learn Norwegian in a reasonable time after appointment. Basic teaching competence is also a requirement, but the successful applicant who does not have such competence at the time of his/her appointment will be offered training and will be required to produce evidence of such competence within one year of the date of appointment. This deadline is extended to two years for the successful applicant who does not master a Scandinavian language at the
time of appointment.
The General Regulations of the University of Bergen state that as part of the normal duties of the position, the successful applicant may also be required to undertake teaching, supervision and work in connection with examinations in his or her particular field outside the organisational unit to which the appointment belongs.
The University Senate emphasises that teaching qualifications must be given particular weight in appointing associate professors and professors. Applicants must document teaching qualifications by providing, for example:
– evidence of completed teacher training
– evaluation reports on the applicant’s teaching
– overview of scope and level of teaching
– overview of post-graduate and doctoral candidates supervision, and results obtained student awards received
– own teaching publications
– own teaching compendia and material
– reports showing participation in projects related to the development of teaching, such as forms of teaching, supervision or teaching environments.
Salary
For full professors, salary will be paid in accordance with pay level 68-78, at present starting at NOK 572 400 gross p.a. (code 1013). For associate professors, salary will be paid in accordance with pay level 57, at present NOK 468 100 gross p.a. (code 1011/pay framework 24), following ordinary meriting regulations (wage range 57-64). Higher initial placement may be considered for particularly well-qualified applicants. A pension contribution of 2 % will be deducted and paid in to the state pension scheme.
Additional information
For further information regarding this post, contact Assistant Professor Benedicte Irgens (coordinator for Chinese and Japanese studies), tel +47 55 58 88 43, e-mail benedicte.irgens@if.uib.no, or Professor Leiv Egil Breivik (Head of Department), tel +47 55 58 23 63, e-mail leiv.breivik@if.uib.no.
Women in particular are invited to apply. If, in the opinion of the assessment committee, several applicants have approximately equivalent qualifications, the rules on equal opportunities laid down in the Personnel Regulations for Academic Positions will be applied. State employment shall reflect the diversity of the population at large to the highest possible degree. The University of Bergen has therefore adopted a personnel policy objective to ensure that we achieve a balanced age and sex composition and the recruitment of persons of various ethnic backgrounds. Persons of different ethnic backgrounds are therefore encouraged to apply for the position.
The University of Bergen applies the principles of public openness when recruiting staff to scientific positions. Information about the applicant may be made public even when the applicant has requested not to be named in the list of applicants. In such cases the applicant will be notified.
How to apply for the job
Applications, including CV and list of publications, should be sent electronically via http://jobbnorge.no/job.aspx?jobid=86588
The electronical application must include the following documents:
1. Cover letter
2. Dissertation abstract, max. 3 pages
3. Scanned versions of original or certified copies of all academic diplomas and transcripts
4. List of representative publications
5. Name and contact information of three referees
6. Documentation of and information about pedagogical experience and qualifications
The documents may be in Word or pdf-format.
In addition, the following must be sent to the Department of Foreign Languages, University of Bergen, PO Box 7805, N-5020 Bergen:
1. A full list of publications (3 copies)
2. 3 sets of up to 5 scolarly works (including the doctoral thesis)
Applicants should note that academic publications that
are not submitted as part of the application cannot be considered. Applicants must indicate which academic works or parts thereof they wish to be given particular weight in the evaluation of their application. Additionally, up to 5 popular scientific and/or practical works (e.g. teaching materials) may be submitted.
The main criterion for assessment will be the quality of submitted research work, after which teaching, popular publication and administrative work will be considered. Applicants must specify whether they are applying for the professorship or the associate professorship.
The highest-ranked applicants will be invited to Bergen for interviews and trial lectures.
Applications must be received by 14 December 2012.
Mark application: 12/9626