Description
LUT University's Department of Social Sciences is hiring a professor in global media and communications.
The Department of Social Sciences was founded in 2022 under the LUT School of Engineering Sciences. The department analyses society and human activities in relation to global sustainability problems. The core areas of work are sustainable citizenship, people and technology, and societal renewal. The department will eventually detach and form an independent school of its own at the university. Our target is to establish degree programmes in social and communication sciences with 1000 students and 100 staff members by 2030 with focus areas such as global communication, disinformation and crisis communication.
The professorship is situated at the assistant, associate or full professor levels of the tenure track and will be filled through an open application process for a fixed term of four years (assistant/associate professor) or permanently (full professor). The tenure track system offers researchers a possibility to advance to the next level, provided they meet the requirements in the promotion reviews. The work will start with a six-month trial period. The professorship will be located in LUT's Lappeenranta campus, Finland.
The ideal candidates are interested in research topics related to global communications and would conduct, for example, comparative global communication and media analysis and research on tensions in geopolitics, platforms, and social media. Also, the candidates are expected to demonstrate a high level of academic competence and ambition for ground-breaking academic research in the field of global communication sciences. The candidates must also have extensive and active international networks and they are expected to be familiar with the international forums of the field, such as ICA.
Candidates must demonstrate a strong competency in quantitative methods, as the role involves teaching related courses. A commitment to upholding rigorous research ethics is essential. Prior knowledge of media technologies and their cutting-edge development is considered an asset.
The assistant/associate/full professors are required to have a doctorate, high-level scientific qualifications, experience in heading scientific research, the ability to acquire funding and provide high-level instruction based on research, the ability to supervise final theses, proof of international cooperation in their field of research, and when relevant to the duties of the position, practical experience in the field of the professorship. Spoken and written fluency in English is also required. Skills for collaborating within LUT and with national and especially international partners are crucial to the position.
The duties include basic and advanced education in key areas of communication sciences and societal engagement that serves industry, the economy, and society and general administrative work related to the university's operation. The general duties related to the field of research include the following:
- High-impact international research and publishing in the field of media and communication
- Planning and implementation of bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral education
- Supervision and evaluation of final theses and doctoral studies
- Acquisition of research funding
- Leadership and cost-conscious project management
- Systematic development of a new degree programme that may also have international partner institutions
- Active communication and collaboration with companies and other stakeholders
- Societal engagement with UN, EU, OECD, and third sector organisations relating to the field
- Taking part in the preparation of projects in other LUT units as an expert
- General administrative work related to the university's operation
The appointment process description explains the qualification requirements and tenure track appointment criteria.
The salary is determined according to the salary system for university teaching and research personnel. The pay will include an individual pay component based on performance and competence. The annual gross salary for an assistant/associate professor amounts to 49 300 - 66 300 euros and full professor 69 000 - 102 200 euros depending on the qualifications and experience of the candidate. In addition to a competitive salary, the wide range of benefits that come with this job include a holiday bonus, a generous holiday entitlement, research incentive scheme with personal rewards for high quality publications, flexible working hours, occupational health care, a collegial faculty environment and continued commitment for your support, learning, training and development.
The closing date for applications is 23 April 2025 at 12 noon, Finnish local time (UTC + 3h). Please submit your application and all required attachments by filling out the online form.
For further information, please contact Matti Kojo, head of department and associate professor, +358 50 30 23 920, matti.kojo@lut.fi.
Read more about Department of Social Sciences.
Read more about LUT School of Engineering Sciences.
Information for international staff
LUT University | Clean energy, water and air are life-giving resources for which we at LUT University seek new solutions with our expertise in technology, business and social sciences. We help society and businesses in their sustainable renewal. Our international community consists of over 9,000 members. Our campuses are in Lappeenranta and Lahti, Finland. We are one of the world's top universities for climate action. lut.fi/en
