Tenure track in South Asian Studies at Helsinki University

[Asko Parpola]

The University of Helsinki is among the leading multidisciplinary  
research universities in the world. In addition to its 11 faculties,  
the University includes several independent institutes, some of which  
are jointly operated with other universities. Some 36,500 students are  
currently pursuing an undergraduate or postgraduate degree at the  
University of Helsinki.
The University of Helsinki offers a
TENURE TRACK
for teaching and research personnel, intended to increase the  
predictability, competitiveness and attractiveness of academic careers  
while promoting internationalisation at the University.
The University employs talented, motivated academics who have  
completed their doctoral degree within the last ten years and have  
since accrued academic and other relevant qualifications. Successful  
applicants will be employed as assistant professors. The duration of  
the first employment contract will be three to five years, depending  
on the appointee’s background and experience. If the appointee  
produces successful work which fulfils pre-determined criteria,  
employment may be continued with a second fixed-term contract, after  
which the appointee may receive a permanent position as professor. The  
Rector’s decision on the establishment of the tenure track system  
(Decision No. 2012/39) can be found at  
http://www.helsinki.fi/recruitment/tenuretrack.html.
The academic qualifications and teaching experience of applicants will  
be considered when making the selection. Additional merit will be  
granted for international and interdisciplinary experience as well as  
experience in acquiring research funding.
The Faculty of Arts is announcing one open tenure-track position in
SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES
The assistant professorship will focus especially on the most  
important South Asian languages as well as on the study of the  
cultures and societies of the region, particularly contemporary India.  
The assistant professor is expected to contribute innovatively to the  
development of the field. He or she is also expected to provide  
teaching in South Asian studies with an interdisciplinary approach and  
to acquire external funding for international research projects that  
will advance the field.
The Faculty of Arts, University of Helsinki, is Finland’s oldest  
institution for teaching and research in the humanities and the  
largest in terms of the structure and range of disciplines  
(http://www.helsinki.fi/hum/english/). The assistant professorship in  
South Asian studies will be located at the Department of World  
Cultures, which hosts the
disciplines of Asian studies, African and Middle Eastern studies, Area  
and cultural studies, Classical philology and Comparative religion.  
The disciplines under Asian studies include East Asian studies, Altaic  
studies, South Asian studies and Indo-European studies.
The Department of World Cultures employs a teaching and research staff  
of over 80, among them a number of nationally and internationally  
distinguished top scholars in their fields. Thus the appointee will  
have the opportunity to receive critical, many-sided mentoring. He or  
she may also acquire teaching merits and qualify as a teacher by  
completing studies in university pedagogy. The Department will promote  
the appointee’s international networking and publishing in  
international forums.
The salary will be based on level 7 of the demands level chart for  
teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish  
universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary  
component based on personal work performance. The total monthly salary  
will range from 3,755 to 5,493 euro.
Applications must be accompanied by the following English-language  
documents: a CV, a list of publications, a report of experience and  
merits relevant to assessing the applicant’s teaching skills as well  
as other documents that may be relevant to the selection; or,  
alternatively, an academic portfolio containing the above-mentioned  
documents and information (for instructions, see  
http://www.helsinki.fi/recruitment/academic- portfolio.html). In  
addition, applicants are expected to enclose with their application a  
report (max. two pages, in English) on how they intend to develop both  
interdisciplinary research as well as research in their own  
speciality, if appointed.
Applications addressed to the Faculty of Arts, together with the  
required enclosures must be delivered to the following postal address:  
Registry of the University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 33 (Yliopistonkatu  
4), 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland, or by email: hy-  
kirjaamo at helsinki.fi. The deadline for applications is 15 June 2012  
(the Registry closes at 15.45 local Helsinki time).
Further information about the position may be obtained from Head of  
Department Lars-Folke Landgrén, +358 9 1912 2997,  
lars-folke.landgren at helsinki.fi, and Dean Anna Mauranen, +358 50 468  
7426, anna.mauranen at helsinki.fi.
www.helsinki.fi/university