Assistant professor / associate professor and professor of Special Education
Faculty of Educational Sciences invites applications for the position of
ASSISTANT, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND FULL PROFESSOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
Job overview
The assistant or associate professor and the professor will conduct and develop research in special education nationally and internationally, and teach in the Faculty’s bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programmes. The primary responsibility is to advance high-quality research on the learning difficulties, disabilities, learning and wellbeing of children, adolescents and adults. Research in the discipline seeks to generate and support evidence-based education and practice that promotes inclusion and learning in early childhood education settings, schools and society. These positions require experience with a broad range of research methods and the ability to develop them. Duties also include the acquisition of Finnish and international research funding.
The appointees must be fully committed to the development of the field, the Faculty’s degree programmes and the workplace community. While the primary teaching language is Finnish, some teaching may be in English. The roles include administrative duties, and the appointees must actively follow scholarly developments, be involved in public engagement and collaborate with international partners.
Qualification requirements and appointment criteria
Associate and assistant professors within the tenure track system must hold an applicable doctoral degree and be capable of conducting independent scholarly work, alongside the requisite teaching skills. Research relevant to the professorship’s field is considered an asset. In addition, the appointee must be capable and willing to promote their academic career through publications and other means, and develop teaching, learning and research in the field. The assessment of applicant qualifications considers not only research and teaching merits, but also success in securing external research funding and experience in domestic and international research projects.
Full professors must hold an applicable doctoral degree and possess advanced academic qualifications, experience in leading scholarly research, and evidence of success in securing external research funding and international collaboration in their research field. Applicants must be able to deliver teaching based on top-level research and supervise theses. The position also requires academic leadership skills. The assessment of applicant qualifications considers both scholarly and teaching-related qualifications.
Scholarly qualifications encompass relevant publications and other academically valuable research results, success in securing external research funding, international research experience, as well as academic responsibilities and elected positions, and international relations. Teaching qualifications encompass teaching experience and pedagogical training, the ability to produce learning material, other teaching merits and, if necessary, a demonstration of teaching skills and participation in training doctoral researchers. Also considered are applicants’ leadership and interaction skills and their active contribution to the academic community and public engagement. In addition, the appointment committee will review applicants’ views on the development of research and teaching in the field. The assessment of shortlisted applicants will consider statements by external experts and interviews by the appointment committee.
The applications will be assessed comprehensively, with due regard to career stage. The University of Helsinki has signed the DORA Declaration and applies its principles to the assessment of applicants’ academic merits.
According to the Government Decree on Universities, assistant, associate and full professors must be proficient in the language of instruction, in this case, Finnish. To successfully attend to the duties of these positions, appointees must also have good English skills, as teaching can also be provided in English. In addition, they must have at least satisfactory skills in Swedish. A person not educated in Finland in Finnish or Swedish may be exempted from the Swedish requirement. The University provides support for language learning. Read more about the language requirements.
The chosen applicant is expected to reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki. The Faculty of Educational Sciences provides assistance in relocation.
What we offer
The Faculty of Educational Sciences is a dynamic, inspiring and international working and studying environment that has invested in state-of-the-art research and teaching infrastructure. We encourage our staff to make bold and creative decisions while exercising high standards of ethical conduct in research, teaching and community relations.
The salary will be based on level 7 (assistant / associate professor) or levels 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 work performance. The annual gross salary of assistant/associate professor varies between 56,000 and 70,000 Euros and of full professor between 67,000 and 100,000 Euros depending on the appointee’s qualifications and previous experience. The employment contract will include a probationary period of six months.
The faculty’s administrative and technical staff, as well as expert colleagues will support the successful appointee in their role. The University of Helsinki provides its staff with occupational health and fitness services, professional development opportunities, as well as a first-class research and teaching environment and the conditions necessary for international cooperation. Read more about work at our university.
For international applicants we offer relocation services and support in settling-in, training and other events especially designed for our international staff members, a special UniBuddy-program and specialized support for spouses (HEI LIFE Spouse Network).
Application instructions
The application, together with the required attachments, must be submitted through the University of Helsinki recruitment system by clicking on the link below. Current University employees must submit their applications through the SAP Fiori portal.
All application documents must be in English and submitted as a single PDF file, named as follows: llastname_professor_specialeducation. Kindly see the instructions for the attached documents. Clearly indicate in your application which position (assistant/associate professor or full professor) you are applying for. Link the PDF file to the relevant position in the recruitment system.
The application must be accompanied by the following documents:
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A motivation letter or written application. Clearly indicate in your application which position (assistant/associate professor or full professor) you are applying for.
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A researcher’s curriculum vitae in accordance with University guidelines (max. 10 pages, see instructions above)
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A numbered list of publications (in which ten publications most relevant to the position are indicated in bold font, see instructions above)
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A plan for advancing research and teaching in the field and a vision for the development of the applicant’s research and the research field in general (maximum of 2 pages)
- A report on the applicant’s research activities (1–3 pages, including activity in academic communities, acquisition of research funding and international research).
Additionally we request applicants to fill out a separate report on their teaching qualifications via e-form.
Applicants are kindly asked to be prepared, after the closing of the application period and if requested by the faculty, to submit up to 10 publications of their choice to be reviewed by the external evaluators. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview and a demonstration of teaching skills.
Please note that the degree requirement must be met by the end of the application deadline. The application deadline is 11 August 2026 (23:59 EEST)
Further information
Further information on the position can obtained (2-22 June and 5-10 August) from the dean, professor Markku Jahnukainen (markku.jahnukainen(at)helsinki.fi) or professor Pirjo Aunio (pirjo.aunio(at)helsinki.fi).
For enquiries about the recruitment process and for technical support for using the University’s electronic recruitment system, please contact HR Specialist Hector Nystedt (recruitment(at)helsinki.fi).
Why Finland
Finland is a member of the European Union, has high quality and inexpensive childcare and free schooling (also in English), excellent family benefits and healthcare. Finland was recently ranked as the best country in the world for expat families, and Helsinki is in the world’s top ten most livable cities. Finland and the Helsinki region feature leading research and innovation facilities, clean environment, affordable accommodation, and excellent international, national, and local transport connections. Why Finland is a great place to live and work.
A diverse and equitable study and work culture is important to us. That is why we do our best to promote an inclusive university community. We encourage all qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for our positions.
Click this link to read about accessibility and inclusivity at our University.
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The internationally esteemed and highly successful Faculty of Educational Sciences at the University of Helsinki is Finland’s leading unit of research and teaching in Educational Sciences and Teacher Education. The Faculty of Educational Sciences conducts research related to human growth, development and learning.
Our research encompasses the different stages of the human life cycle, from early childhood to school age, adulthood, professional life and ageing. Our research is targeted systematically at different levels of society and the education system, as well as more broadly at professional life and culture. Our research focuses on growth, development, learning and teaching in diverse environments, contexts and subjects, as well as on educational policies and practices, and the structures of the education system. We investigate the significance of education in the lives of individuals, society and social justice, and we analyse how our understanding of humanity, knowledge and educational cultures can change. The perspectives of our research are individual, collective and societal. Our strengths include a broad-based theoretical approach, as well as methodological diversity and innovation.
Our research aims towards the realization of cultural and social possibilities for the wellbeing of an individual and a society in a changing world. We provide undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education that qualifies students for both the teaching profession and other positions requiring general education academic expertise. We also provide the pedagogical studies required to qualify as a teacher to students majoring in other faculties’ disciplines.