Assistant professor in artistic research and AI

We are looking for an up-and-coming researcher who wants to conduct pioneering research to take up a position as assistant professor in artistic research and AI

Lund University, The Faculty of Fine and Performing Arts

What we offer the successful candidate

Are you curious about the intersection of artificial intelligence, culture, and societal engagement through storytelling and the arts? At Malmö Theatre Academy, a part of Lund University, you have the opportunity to take the next step toward becoming a research leader of tomorrow by starting as an assistant professor (associate senior lecturer in the Swedish system), developing pioneering projects and ideas at the forefront of artistic research.

We are looking for a scholar-practitioner who wants to rethink the role of technology in society through artistic inquiry, technical innovation, and cultural analysis – with storytelling and performative practices at the heart of the exploration. You develop your qualifications in research and teaching over a period of 5 years and can then be promoted to permanent employment as a senior lecturer and eventually professor.

You will receive five weeks of training in teaching and learning in higher education and also get the opportunity to learn Swedish through the University’s Swedish language courses for new international staff. We offer you support for the move to Sweden. If you have a family, they will find new contacts and support through Lund’s International Citizen Hub.

The Swedish Research Council, Sweden's largest scientific funder, will announce attractive funding for assistant professors with an international background at the turn of the year 2025/2026. Lund University is now making a joint announcement that also aims to find candidates that the university can nominate to the Swedish Research Council at the end of 2025.

Read more about the Swedish Research Council: https://www.vr.se/english.html  

Read more about the University joint announcement: https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/shape-future-research

Duties – what we expect from you

As an assistant professor, you will have the chance to apply a long-term focus on the socially relevant and challenging research questions you are passionate about. To qualify as a senior lecturer, you will also need to develop your teaching skills during your time as an assistant professor, learn Swedish for teaching, be a good colleague and show that you are good at interacting with the surrounding community. And, of course, you will also participate in the department’s everyday work and development.

At the Malmö Theatre Academy, part of the Faculty of Fine and Performing Arts, you will primarily work on your own research project, as outlined in your attached project plan. You are expected to contribute with artistic or art-related expertise connected to AI, with a particular focus on narrative, process-based, interactive, and cross-disciplinary practices in film, theatre, and/or the performing arts.

Your duties will also include teaching, supervision, course development, and active participation in the faculty’s educational and research environments. There may also be an opportunity to contribute to the development of a new area of education aligned with your expertise.

You will work closely with several relevant research environments, such as ArtCollab, the Network of Research on Performative Text  and Sound, Narrative, Technology. The Faculty of Fine and Performing Arts also offers unique support for artistic, technology-oriented, and interdisciplinary research through the faculty-wide research infrastructure Inter Arts Center.

Qualifications for employment as an assistant professor

You hold a doctoral degree or have corresponding research expertise in fields such as Film Studies, Theater, Performing Arts, Digital Arts, Creative Technologies, Computational Media, Game Development/Game Design, Interaction Design, Visual Communication, or related disciplines.

We will primarily prioritise those applicants who have been obtained a doctoral degree within the last 7 years from the closing date for applications for the position. If you have documents recognised in Sweden proving that there are special grounds, such as parental leave, military service or illness, after graduating that have prevented you from working as a researcher, the doctoral degree in the subject can in such cases have been awarded earlier.

Requirements – what you must have in order to carry out duties

We hope that one of your first duties will be to conduct an innovative research project that is funded by the Swedish Research Council. Therefore, we are seeking those who have:

• A good ability to initiate, develop and implement high-quality research
• Good teaching ability
• Relevant experience from research outside Sweden
• Not received a salary or grant from Sweden since before 31 December 2021
• A submitted project description for an innovative project in artistic or art-related research in storytelling and AI
• Documented good leadership skills, e.g. through elected office assignments, leadership courses and assessed leadership skills
• Good communication skills
• Very good oral and written English language skills
• Good motivation and the ability to learn new languages

Additional qualifications – other credentials that we consider desirable  

We very much want you to thrive at Lund University and be able to make the best of your time at the Malmö Theatre Academy, and for that reason we consider it preferable if you can also demonstrate that you:

• Contribute in a positive way to the work environment
• Have or have had a postdoctoral appointment
• Have obtained research funding from funding bodies outside Sweden
• Currently hold an international position in the research field
• Have experience in artistic practice with documented artistic merit
• Have experience working with AI or digital technologies in artistic or creative practice

Promotion – what is required to be promoted to senior lecturer

When you are an assistant professor, you can apply for promotion to permanent employment as a senior lecturer. You will undergo a special assessment to determine if you fulfil the faculty’s requirements for employment as a senior lecturer. It is important for you to know that you can only apply once for promotion and that you must apply for promotion at least six months before your employment as an assistant professor ends.

When you apply for promotion, you will be assessed based on whether you have: 

• developed within your field during your time as an assistant professor
• good national and international standing as a researcher
• good ability to initiate new research efforts and to plan and launch new research projects
• good teaching ability, which means a good ability to conduct, develop and lead teaching and other educational activities at different levels and using a variety of teaching methods
• ability to participate in supervision of doctoral students to achieve a doctoral degree
• ability to engage with wider society and communicate your activities
• ability in other contexts to lead and develop activities

Form of employment

Fixed-term position, 5 years, in accordance with Chapter 4, Section 12a of the Higher Education Ordinance, with the opportunity for promotion to permanent employment as a senior lecturer.