Professor of History
The Faculty of Arts invites applications for the position of
PROFESSOR OF HISTORY
The appointment term will be indefinite following a trial period of six months. The appointment is planned to begin on 1 January 2026.
Job description
History is among the University of Helsinki’s oldest disciplines, and historical expertise remains highly sought after in society. The discipline attracts a large number of student applications. The degree completion rate in the bachelor’s and master’s programmes is excellent, and a considerable number of doctoral degrees are completed as well. History professors appear as experts in the media and at events, and their public engagement is extensive. The discipline’s research projects and external funding are substantial, and publication activities are broad and abundant.
The field of the present professorship is Finnish history from 1800, with a focus on the 20th century. The appointee is expected to strengthen and reshape historical research and teaching in this field, and to boost its broader social impact. Furthermore, the appointee must be able to teach based on their high-quality research, supervise thesis authors and postdoctoral researchers, apply for research funding, lead research projects and promote the dissemination of research knowledge within society.
A broad approach to historical research, particularly the history of Finland, is an asset, as is knowledge of Finnish archival sources. Finnish history is viewed as part of the broader Baltic and European context, making the interplay between national, Nordic and international history key to the professorship. The professor will teach in the bachelor’s and master’s programmes in history and supervise doctoral theses.
The teaching language is Finnish, and proficiency in both Finnish and Swedish is essential for research and public engagement.
Appointment criteria
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 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 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, with up to 10 selected for assessment (if the application proceeds to the assessment stage, the applicant will be asked to provide these publications as files later in the process)
- 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 28.4.2025.
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 Department Head, Professor Hanna Korsberg (hanna.korsberg(at)helsinki.fi) or professor Anu Lahtinen (anu.z.lahtinen(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 at the University of Helsinki is available on our website.