Associate professorship in the subject area of 'the welfare city'

Aarhus School of Architecture announces an associate professorship in the subject area of 'the welfare city' with a special focus on the connection between urban spaces and housing. The associate professorship is intended to contribute to the continued development and strengthening of the architectural education's focus on sustainable urban spaces and housing of high architectural quality. The associate professorship should also contribute to ensuring the conceptual, methodological, and practical competencies that are necessary for the school to go on training excellent architects with a holistic and site-specific approach to urban development and housing.

The associate professorship should, furthermore, help strengthen and develop Aarhus School of Architecture's research and artistic research in the area of the welfare city – with a special focus on the city as a social organism and a place of habitation for people who have to respect and live in harmony with nature and the landscapes that coexist with the cities. That is, the concepts of 'welfare' and 'welfare architecture' need to be revised to include issues such as biodiversity and non-human actors. This also involves topics such as social inequality, polarisation, and loneliness. All of these aspects combined should contribute to new ways of understanding, organising, designing, transforming, and building the 'welfare city'.

In the words of the French philosopher Gaston Bachelard, ‘the house is one of the greatest powers of integration for the thoughts, memories and dreams of mankind’. Without the home, humans would be dispersed creatures. In other words, to live well is essential to both the individual and the collective, and therefore to all the family and social forms that bind together society. There are no ideal solutions for cities and homes in our society; a society that is constantly in motion and is now more transformative than ever before. There is, however, room for envisioning cities and homes that are much more intertwined with historical, social, geological, and biological conditions than we have seen in the 20th and 21st century so far. We need to build 'earthly cities' that are smart enough to remember where they come from and to integrate and respect nature as a stream of time and life that is the premise for our continued raison d'être.

We are looking for a colleague who can contribute to research and teaching in this vital area. The position is open from 1 August 2025 or as soon as possible after this date.

About the Position

An associate professorship is a permanent position with research and/or artistic research as principal responsibilities. Publication, scientific dissemination, and teaching are requirements for the position. The position may also, by agreement, involve project management, strategic work, and administrative work.

As a starting point, the research to teaching ratio is 40/60. The distribution of the workload may vary from task to task, and you may be required to also perform other tasks on behalf of Aarhus School of Architecture.

We are looking for applicants with a strong academic and professional integrity, who can help set the agenda for the architectural development of society. It is important to us that the applicant has significant professional knowledge about urban development and housing and is also able to communicate this knowledge to students, the adjacent academic environment, and society in general.

The associate professor will be part of a dynamic research and teaching environment with activities ranging from practice-based work in our fabrication facilities, to desk crits (critiques), and research and dissemination. There will be a particular emphasis on the applicant's desire and ability to contribute to teamwork and cross-disciplinary collaboration with colleagues and external parties. Relevant international contacts and networks will also be rated highly.

Your tasks would include the following 

• Development and management of educational components at Bachelor level (BA), Master level (MA), and at the continuing and further education level
• Teaching at the BA, MA, and continuing and further education level
• Research development in the areas of welfare city and housing
• Drawing up applications for external research funding
• Supervising students and PhD students
• Performing external examiner tasks and examinations
• Participating in relevant councils and committees at the school
• Developing and nurturing external networks

We expect you to have

• An educational background as an architect or similar
• A PhD background that is relevant to the field of study of the associate professorship
• Research production at an international level, artistic research at an international level or a significant career background in architectural practice – or a similar field – at an international level
• Relevant teaching experience, strong skills in collaboration and pedagogy, a strong professional network and extensive experience from the areas of the welfare city and housing
• Completed a teacher training course

Personal Skills

The following statements should reflect your personality

• In terms of your work, you are visionary and passionate and capable of translating your visions into tangible results.
• You are passionate about developing the welfare city and its architecture through research and education, and you have a special interest in the area where the city and the home overlap.
• You are able to act in an outgoing manner, you focus on collaborating with others, and believe that sharing knowledge is the foundation of a good research environment.
• You attach importance to interdisciplinary input and are capable of prioritising different external perspectives.
• You like to motivate and develop students into strong, independent professionals – and you are willing to assume responsibility for creating an inclusive study environment.
• You thrive in an academic environment where respect for the expertise of others and openness to new perspectives are crucial.
• You want to develop further a strong culture of learning in the education as well as a good shared collegial work environment.

The Affiliation of the Associate Professorship

The research part of the associate professorship will be affiliated with one of the school's research labs, subject to further agreement. The associate professorship should contribute to developing further the lab's research, and, preferably, contribute new perspectives to existing focus areas. More about the research labs

The teaching part of the position will, based on the subject area of the welfare city, involve the Bachelor and Master levels and the level of continuing and further education.

What We Can Offer You

At Aarhus School of Architecture, we offer you a creative and innovative research and teaching environment. You will be co-responsible for the further development of the school's research and teaching within the subject area of the welfare city, with the focus areas mentioned above as focal points.

 Our school is located in Denmark's first new-built school of architecture, completed in 2021, in the heart of Aarhus, with greatly expanded workshop facilities, and with an open structure that appeals to collaboration across the school's many academic environments. See our facilities

This building has made the school a more integrated part of the city and the surrounding area; an area that is now a creatively and socially committed environment. An environment in which tomorrow's architecture is created in collaboration with architecture firms and the other stakeholders of the building industry, entrepreneurs, the municipality, the citizens of Aarhus, and partners from all over the world. Being a Scandinavian institution, we have a long-standing tradition of cultivating a local approach to architecture. This is also our starting point for a strong international focus.

As an employee of Aarhus School of Architecture, you will have opportunities to work with people of different age groups and from many different cultures. We work together across the institution, and we all have an important role to play. For which reason our voice is heard regardless of the position we are employed in. We are of the opinion that we create the best framework for an attractive and vibrant workplace through mutual recognition and by focusing on cooperation.

How to Apply

Send us your application, including a description of your visions for research and teaching and for developing the subject area of the position, as well as your thoughts on collaborating with external knowledge environments and stakeholders.

The application must not exceed six pages (A4) in total and can be in either Danish or English.

You also need to upload the following documents (as PDF files)

• Diplomas at Master and PhD level
• An updated CV
• A portfolio containing selected examples of your professional, academic and/or teaching-related practice (no more than 20 MB)
• A list of publications

Please submit your application online no later than on 26 March 2025.

Aarhus School of Architecture is a versatile workplace with room for diversity, and we encourage all interested applicants who possess the relevant qualifications to apply for the position.

Please note that the position will be advertised and filled in accordance with the Ministry of Higher Education and Science's Order of 12 April 2019 regarding the employment of artistic and academic staff at the higher educational institutions of fine arts in the area governed by the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science.

Shortlisting

Aarhus School of Architecture shortlists applicants. Shortlisting means that only those applicants who based on an overall assessment best match the needs of the school are selected for further academic assessment. This selection is based on the formal and academic requirements for applicants stated in the call. All applicants will be informed of whether their application has been shortlisted for assessment.

Subsequently, a hiring committee assesses the selected applicants in relation to the specific position.

Salaries and Terms of Employment

Your salary and terms of employment will be in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) with the opportunity of negotiating a supplement for qualifications based on your experience and qualifications.

Concurrent employment will be accepted to a limited extent if this employment is compatible with performing the work of an associate professor.

Non-Danish speaking applicants are expected to acquire Danish language skills at user level within a horizon of three years.

Further Information

Please direct any questions about the position to Head of Research Thomas Bo Jensen:  
Phone: +45 8936 0300 / Email: tbj@aarch.dk.