Professor, associate professor or assistant professor of Finno-Ugrian language studies
The Faculty of Arts invites applications for the position of
PROFESSOR, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OR ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF FINNO-UGRIAN LANGUAGE STUDIES
The successful candidate may be appointed to a permanent professorship or a fixed-term associate or assistant professorship (tenure track system), depending on their qualifications and career stage. The appointment is planned to begin on 1 January 2026.
Job description
The position is in the field of Finno-Ugrian language studies, with a focus on broader issues involving the language family. These require familiarity with non–sovereign state, Finno-Ugrian languages, meaning languages other than Finnish, Estonian or Hungarian. The field covers research on languages that are only remotely related to those within the Finnic language area. The appointee must hold academic qualifications in research on at least two branches of the Uralic language family.
The field of research and teaching encompasses comparative linguistics (incl. linguistic typology), historical linguistics, language contact, multilingualism (incl. heritage languages), minority languages and language ecology as well as the perspectives these provide on Finno-Ugrian languages and language communities, including their development and current state. Research and teaching are founded on the significance of vocabulary and grammar as the basis for empirical language studies and on interpreting phenomena involving the language family and communities over time. Effective performance in this position is facilitated by knowledge of international language studies and involvement in research networks. The successful candidate should be able to articulate a compelling vision of the field’s significance and future development for research at the University of Helsinki and in Finland. They are expected to show initiative in launching research projects and developing the research community.
The primary fields of teaching and supervision linked to the position are language diversity (incl. language structure and sociolinguistic change) and the interpretation of language development over time. The appointee must possess strong skills in Finnish, essential for teaching, along with sufficient proficiency in other languages central to Finno-Ugrian language studies. Their responsibilities will include teaching across all levels from bachelor’s to doctoral studies and the supervision of doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. The role includes teaching in the Bachelor’s Programme in the Languages and Literatures of Finland, the Master’s Programme in Finnish and Finno-Ugrian Studies, the Master’s Programme in Linguistic Diversity and Digital Humanities and the Doctoral Programme in Language Studies. The successful candidate will be expected to undertake administrative responsibilities as well.
The position is part of the recently funded profile-building area (PROFI 8) called Diversity in Society and Life (DIVSOL), which aims to establish a multi- and transdisciplinary research community. DIVSOL explores ethnic, cultural, linguistic, religious and socio-ecological diversity and seeks solutions to issues such as maintaining social cohesion in a diverse society. The appointee is expected to be capable of transdisciplinary collaboration and bring skills, alongside their specialist field, that support the DIVSOL area, especially involving themes such as minority–majority issues and multilingualism. Further information: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/diversity-society-and-life
Appointment criteria
An appointee to the position of assistant professor or associate professor must hold a doctoral degree and have the ability to conduct independent scholarly work as well as the teaching skills necessary for the position. In addition, the appointee must have the ability and motivation to pursue an academic career, as demonstrated by publications and other means.
An appointee to a professorship must hold a doctoral degree and possess top-level scholarly qualifications and experience in the supervision of scholarly research, as well as the ability to provide top-level research-based teaching and supervise theses. In addition, the appointee must present documentation of international cooperation in the research field they represent. They must also have academic leadership skills.
When assessing applicants’ qualifications, attention will be paid to both scholarly and teaching qualifications. 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, other teaching merits and, if necessary, a teaching demonstration, as well as participation in doctoral education. Furthermore, consideration will be given to applicants’ leadership and interaction skills as well as their active participation in the research community and public engagement. Also considered in the appointment are the applicants’ views on the development of research and teaching in the field and, for the shortlisted applicants, assessments by external assessors and interviews.
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, i.e., Finnish or Swedish; in this case, Finnish. To successfully attend to the duties of the position, the appointee must also have satisfactory skills in Swedish and good skills in English.
Salary
The salary will be based on levels 7 (assistant/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 work performance. The annual salary of an assistant or associate professor is approximately €55,000–68,500, while that of a professor is approximately €66,500–99,000, depending on the previous experience and qualifications of the appointee. The position includes a six-month trial period.
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 staff benefits on our website.
How to apply
The application, together with the required attachments, must be submitted through the University of Helsinki recruitment system by clicking on the link below. Internal applicants (i.e., current employees of the University of Helsinki) must submit their applications through the SAP Fiori portal.
Applicants are requested to enclose the following documents in English with their applications as a single PDF file:
- A curriculum vitae
- A numbered list of publications
- A report (max. 5 pages) on the applicant’s teaching expertise
- A report (max. 5 pages) describing the applicant’s research activities (activities in the academic community, success in obtaining research funding and international research activity)
- A written vision (max. 2 pages) for the applicant’s research activities and the development of the field
Please see instructions here.
Applicants are kindly asked to prepare to select up to 10 publications from their list of publications and submit them for assessment through the recruitment system after the application period.
Doctoral degree must be completed by the application deadline.
The application deadline is 18.6.2025.
The University of Helsinki welcomes applicants of any gender, linguistic or cultural background, or minority group.
Further information
Further information on the position can obtained from Professor Riho Grunthal (riho.grunthal(at)helsinki.fi) or Professor Kaius Sinnemäki (kaius.sinnemaki(at)helsinki.fi). Further information on the recruitment process can be obtained from HR Specialist Reeta Korhonen (hr-humtdk@helsinki.fi).
Further information on careers and the tenure track model at the University of Helsinki is available on our website.