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Assistant/Associate Professor in the Study of Religions
Odense, Denmark
The Department of Culture and Language at University of Southern Denmark invites applications for a full-time assistant or associate professorship in the Study of Religions. We seek an innovative and dedicated candidate with a strong research profile and research competences in a field of comparative and/or historical studies of religion not currently covered by the Study of Religions section.
The starting date is 1 November 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter. An assistant professorship is a three-year full-time position. Please indicate in your application what position you apply for.
Job description and requirements
The ideal applicant must document how they can contribute significantly to the department's research, teaching environment and funding activities in accordance with the department's research strategy.
Qualifications
The University is signatory of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA). We wish our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.
Applicants for both levels of position must have:
A PhD degree in the humanities-based study of religion.
A documented research and teaching expertise in a field of specialization. Possible fields could be but are not limited to Asian religions, Norse religion, or Ancient Mediterranean religions.
Good qualifications in teaching other fields than the field of specialization and willingness to teach courses in other disciplines within the Study of Religions, as relevant to our BA and MA curricula.
Good social skills and interest in taking active part in the life at the section of the Study of Religions, including various forms of administration, research collaboration, course development and facilitation of department and student environment.
A realistic plan for externally funded research projects based on an ambitious funding strategy.
Ability to teach courses as soon as possible. A willingness to learn Danish on a level where teaching and administrative tasks can be handled without problems is required. The BA- and MA-programs are in Danish, but non-Danish faculty are allowed to teach in English until they have reached the necessary level of Danish (see below).
The qualifications for applying for the associate professorship also include a research portfolio with new topics since the completion of the PhD thesis, and substantial teaching and supervision experience in several subjects. Likewise, candidates must be able to document experience with obtaining external research funding and cooperation with external stakeholders.
About the department
The Department of Culture and Language has approximately 200 employees, covering a wide range of subjects and research interests, including American Studies, Audiologopaedia, Classical Studies, Communication, Comparative Literature, Culture, Danish, English, German, History, Middle East Studies, Organisational Communication and the Study of Religions. Our faculty is committed to interdisciplinary research and teaching, encouraging students to explore the intersections of language, culture, and society. All employees are actively involved in various research centres, groups, and networks, contributing to cutting-edge projects and publications.
The department's researchers in the Study of Religions have strong and diverse research profiles. Current research areas include Qur'anic and early Islamic studies, Danish religion from the Reformation until the present, new religions, religion in the Stone Age, and hunter-gatherer religion. We seek a candidate who excels in research and teaching areas that are not covered by the current staff and its projects, and who is willing to cooperate and contribute to obligatory courses and selected themes in the curriculum. Experience in developing courses and research projects will be considered an advantage.
Working at University of Southern Denmark
The International Staff Office (ISO) at SDU provides a variety of services for new employees, guests and people who consider applying for a job at the University of Southern Denmark. International staff in tenured positions will be offered Danish language training in connection with the employment and are expected to achieve Danish language competences at CEFR B2-level within 5 years from being appointed.
The Department of Culture and Language is located on the island of Funen at the university's campus in Odense - the third-largest city in Denmark with 180.000 inhabitants. Odense provides family-friendly living conditions in a historic city with an urban feel where nature and other recreational areas are never far away. The city has excellent connections with public transportation to Aarhus and Copenhagen.
Contact information
For further information, please contact Vice Head of Department Anne Klara Bom at akbom@sdu.dk
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.
During employment, the assistant professor will complete the Lecturer Training Programme.
Application
The Faculty expects applicants to read the information "How to apply" before applying.
The application must include:
Application letter - It must be clearly stated whether you are applying for the assistant professor or associate professor position
Curriculum Vitae
Diplomas/Certificates
Teaching portfolio (if you are applying for the associate professor - Please read more here)
Plan for research dissemination and societal impact
List of publications indicating the publications attached
If applying for the associate professor position, a maximum of 6 of the most relevant publications (published as well as accepted and forthcoming work) since 2015. Applicants for the assistant professor position may include a maximum of 4 relevant publications. Please attach one pdf-file for each publication. For any publication with a co-author, a co-author statement must be submitted as part of the 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 and the applicant will receive the part of the evaluation that concerns them. 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 will be used in the assessment process. Please note that only a shortlisted applicant will receive an assessment. Here you can read more about shortlisting at SDU.
Application deadline
Application deadline: May 15, 2025 at 11.59 PM/23.59 (CET/CEST).
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 and Odense
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.