Assistant professor, Associate professor or Professor of Art History
The Faculty of Humanities invites applications for the position of
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OR PROFESSOR OF ART HISTORY
for an appointment from 1 January 2027 or as agreed.
The successful applicant may, depending on their qualifications and career stage, be appointed to a permanent professorship or a fixed-term assistant or associate professorship (tenure track system).
JOB DESCRIPTION
Teaching and research in art history at the University of Helsinki encompass a broad swathe of visual arts, architecture and visual culture as a historical and contemporary phenomenon. Research in the discipline focuses primarily on the visual arts, architecture and built environment of Europe, particularly Finland and its surrounding areas, from the pre-modern era to the present. The research emphasises interaction between empirical work, archival sources and theoretical perspectives, linking to international research in the field and engaging in dialogue with several disciplines.
The appointee will teach and supervise theses particularly in the Bachelor’s Programme in Cultural Studies and the Master’s Programme in Cultural Heritage, as well as supervise doctoral theses and teach in the Doctoral Programme in the Humanities. They will be responsible for studies in art history alongside other teachers in the discipline, and their teaching will also serve neighbouring degree programmes.
The appointee must be able to deliver teaching informed by their own research, supervise doctoral and other theses as well as postdoctoral researchers, apply for research funding, head research projects, develop the discipline and promote the dissemination of research findings throughout society. Duties requiring good collaboration skills include participating in the planning and development of teaching together with the other staff of the Department of Cultures, degree programmes and discipline. The role also includes administrative duties and public engagement.
APPOINTMENT CRITERIA
The appointee must have an international outlook and an understanding of both their own specialist field and other research orientations in art history. The role requires a versatile art historian with extensive expertise in art history and cultural heritage, as well as skills aligned with the focus areas of the Faculty and the department.
Associate and assistant professors within the tenure track system must hold a doctoral degree and be capable of conducting independent scholarly work, alongside the requisite teaching skills. Additionally, they must have the capability and motivation for an academic career, as evidenced by publications and other means.
Professors must hold a doctoral degree and possess advanced academic qualifications, experience in leading scholarly research, the ability to provide research-based teaching and supervise theses, and evidence of international collaboration in their research field. Additionally, professors must possess academic leadership skills.
The assessment of applicant merits considers both scholarly and teaching merits. The former include scholarly publications and other research results of scholarly value, success in obtaining external research funding, scholarly work outside Finland and international elected positions. The latter include teaching experience and pedagogical training, the ability to produce learning materials, additional teaching merits, a demonstration of teaching skills if required, and involvement in doctoral education. Also considered are applicants’ leadership and interaction skills and their active engagement in the academic and wider communities.
Pursuant to the Government Decree on Universities (770/2009), appointees to teaching and research positions at the University must be proficient in the language in which they provide instruction, in other words, Finnish or Swedish; in this case, primarily Finnish. To successfully perform their duties, the appointee must also have excellent English skills. If the successful applicant is not proficient in Finnish, they will be expected to acquire sufficient proficiency within a reasonable period of time. Support for studying the language will be provided. Further information on language skills and the demonstration of language proficiency is available on the University website.
SALARY
The salary will be based on levels 7 (assistant or associate professor) or 8–10 (professor) of the job requirement scheme 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 performance. The annual salary of an assistant or associate professor is approximately €60,000–73,000, while that of a professor is approximately €74,000–99,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications. The position includes a six-month trial period.
The University of Helsinki offers its staff occupational health and fitness services, professional development opportunities, and a first-class research and teaching environment, alongside the conditions necessary for international collaboration. Read more about staff benefits on our website.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications, together with the required attachments, must be submitted via the University of Helsinki recruitment system using the link below. Internal applicants, defined as current University employees, must submit their applications via the SAP Fiori portal.
Applicants are requested to attach the following documents to their applications as a single PDF file:
- A short cover letter
- A curriculum vitae
- A report (maximum 5 pages) on the applicant’s teaching expertise
- A report (maximum 5 pages) outlining the applicant’s research activities, including engagement in the academic community, success in securing research funding and international research activity
- A written statement (maximum 2 pages) presenting the applicant’s vision for their research and the development of the field
- A numbered list of publications
See instructions.
Applicants should note that, after the closing date, the appointment committee will ask shortlisted candidates to select and submit up to 10 publications for assessment via the recruitment system. Candidates will also be invited to attend an interview and, where appropriate, provide a separate report of their teaching merits and deliver a teaching demonstration.
The application deadline is 31 March 2026.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Further information on the position can be obtained from Professor Kirsi Saarikangas (kirsi.saarikangas@helsinki.fi). For enquiries about the recruitment process, please contact HR Specialist Jenni Syväoja (jenni.syvaoja@helsinki.fi).
Further information on careers and the tenure track model at the University of Helsinki is available on our website.