Professor of Music

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 56 000 students and 6 600 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

The Artistic Faculty consists of the departments HDK-Valand – Academy of Art and Design and the Academy of Music and Drama.

Our vision

With the challenges facing society today, education and research within the arts are more important than ever. One of the strengths of the arts is that they create both perspectives and critical tools, as well as meaning and hope. The Faculty of Arts is a driving force within the arts, culture and learning, and within creativity and innovation in a broader sense. We are a locally based, globally oriented space for art, knowledge, criticism, visions and transformation. Art and culture are for everyone, and we are a meeting place for cultural actors, cultural institutions, creative industries and civil society as a whole. Our goal is to be a house with many entrances and even more exits.

The Academy of Music and Drama is now looking for a Professor of Music Education whose main tasks are to lead and develop research, education and collaboration in the subject of music education. You will be part of the pedagogical unit, one of four units in the department. For more about the Academy of Music and Drama, go to www.gu.se/scen-musik

Subject

Music education

Subject description

Music education research studies all forms of musical learning, including the parameters, prerequisites, traditions and conditions that govern the situations in which music informs various learning processes. Thus, problems are addressed in contexts where music is, or has been, part of upbringing, education, teaching and other influences applied in a particular cultural situation. Music education as a research field is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing on theories and methods from pedagogy, sociology, philosophy and other disciplines to understand and explain music education phenomena.

Research environment

The Academy has a broad research environment in the artistic and pedagogical field, with research and development projects involving collaborations at national, Nordic and international level. Both artistic and scientific research take place in the Academy’s research environment. Within the pedagogical unit, research is focused on music education and educational research in the artistic field. Since its inception, music education research in Gothenburg has focused on pedagogical issues related to music and learning in relation to societal challenges.         

Teaching

Within the pedagogical unit, teaching is given in music, dance and theatre as well as other artistically oriented courses within the framework of the teacher education programme, plus freestanding courses such as research preparation courses and courses aimed at community schools of music and arts. Several of these courses and programmes are provided in collaboration with our sister academy HDK-Valand. Furthermore, teaching is provided within the framework of the two doctoral programmes: Music Education and Research on Arts Education. In the former subject, the Academy collaborates with Malmö Academy of Music via the Networked Research School in Music Education and in the latter subject, the Academy collaborates with its sister academy HDK-Valand through the University’s Graduate School CUL (Center for Educational Science and Teacher Research). 

Collaboration

Researchers and doctoral students in music education collaborate with several universities and are part of multiple Nordic and international networks. An important form of collaboration is also the community outreach, not least with regular schools and performing arts schools. The Professor is expected to be active in the public debate on education in the arts, as it relates to current societal challenges.

Work duties

In line with Chapter 4 of the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance, a professorship is defined as “the principal teaching position. Alongside senior lecturers, professors form the backbone of the staffing structure and in this role also act as the main guarantor of high-quality education and research. In the context of all the different tasks that may be included in the employment of a senior lecturer, the work of the professor is very much determined by the areas of competence that come with the position, but also by the changing duties that the university faces over time”.

Research and training in music education and in arts education are two of the Academy’s core areas, and as such the Professor has a central role to play in each.

The duties of the Professor include:

- promoting the development of the subject area and following national and international research across the fields of music education, music didactics and aesthetics, and wherever there is a link with education science;

- initiating and leading development and research in the field of music education;

- applying for external research funding;

- collaborating internally at the University of Gothenburg and with other national and international universities, as well as with local communities;

- teaching, supervising and examining in third-cycle education, teacher training and freestanding courses.

Your duties as the Professor responsible for the subjects of Music Education and Research on Arts Education cover 50% of the post. This includes time for conducting your own research, representing the subjects, and supervising one doctoral student.  Remaining time may include supervision of additional doctoral students, externally funded research, or other teaching activities.

The Professor is the Academy’s academic representative in their subject area, for both internal and external contact. This responsibility requires proven communication and teaching skills.

Specific assignments within the Academy and the Faculty may also be included in the employment.

Responsibilities and tasks may change over time.

Skills development is included in the employment in accordance with the University of Gothenburg’s working hours agreement for teachers.

Distance learning may take place in line with the University of Gothenburg’s regulations.

Qualifications

The eligibility criteria for employing teaching staff are set out in Chapter 4 of the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance and in the University of Gothenburg’s own appointment procedures. A person who has demonstrated both scientific and teaching skills is eligible for appointment as a professor in a field other than the arts.  

For eligibility to be employed as a professor, scientific merits that significantly exceed what is called for to be admitted as associate professor is required. In addition, high pedagogical skill within the subject or adjacent subject areas is required, which must be documented, as well as experience of supervision of doctoral students. Furthermore, documented ability to lead, develop and implement education, research and/or artistic development work of high quality is required, as well as documented ability as an academic leader.

The following are requirements for the position: 

• A doctorate in Music Education. A doctorate in Musicology, Arts Education or Pedagogy/Pedagogical Work also qualifies, provided that the research has a clear focus on issues relating to music education.

Assessment criteria

Equal weight is given to scientific and teaching skills in appointments. In terms of scientific skills, particular emphasis is placed on recent research. Documented ability to initiate and lead research projects and research groups, and the successful supervision of doctoral students up to obtaining their doctorate is highly valued. International publications in scientific journals/anthologies and a proven ability to obtain external research funding are particularly valued. It is advantageous to be well established in the international field of Music Education Research, e.g. through participation in international research projects, periods as a visiting research fellow/visiting professor, editorship of scientific journals, participation in scientific investigations. Documented experience as an expert and member of the examining committee, as well as an opponent at dissertations, is also considered a merit for the position.

With regard to teaching skills, emphasis is placed on documented experience in the planning, implementation and evaluation of teaching activities, as well as the development of courses, programmes and educational offerings. In addition, extensive experience in supervision and examination is an advantage, particularly at second and third-cycle levels. Furthermore, emphasis is placed on authoring teaching material and experience of participating in external and internal evaluations and reviews of schools, teacher education and doctoral education.

If the appointee does not already have a good command of Swedish (Danish or Norwegian), they are expected to learn the language within two years, in order to be able to teach in Swedish and to be involved in other activities at the Academy.

We will make an overall assessment and hire the candidate who is considered to be best placed to implement and develop the above-mentioned tasks.

Great importance is attached to personal suitability.

Employment

Form of employment: Permanent position

Scope: Full time (100%)

Location: Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg

Start date: As agreed

Contact details for the position  

If you have any questions about the position, please contact unit manager Maria Larsson, 0766-18 64 19, maria.larsson@hsm.gu.se
 
If you have any questions about the recruitment procedure, please contact HR administrator Magdalena Eldh, 0766-18 40 10, magdalena.eldh@hsm.gu.se

Trade unions

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/hjalp-for-sokande  

Other information

Applicants who have not previously completed the courses on teaching in higher education provided by the University (or equivalent) will be expected to do so during the first two years of employment.

How to apply

Your application may be reviewed by international experts and it is preferable that the application and its appendices are written in English. If the application is written in Swedish, it may be translated. In the event of any discrepancy between the translated document and the Swedish original, the Academy accepts no responsibility for the translation or for any direct, indirect or other form of error that may occur in the translation. 

You can apply for the position via the University of Gothenburg’s recruitment portal by clicking on “Apply”. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their application is complete in accordance with the advertisement, and that it is received by the University by the closing date.   

Publications that cannot be attached digitally to the application should be sent to: 

Academy of Music and Drama
HR 
Box 210 
SE-405 30 Göteborg and must be received by the deadline.  

Applications must be received by: January 10^th, 2025 

The Academy of Music and Drama is located in central Gothenburg and is part of the Artistic Faculty at the University of Gothenburg. The Academy of Music and Drama educates musicians within a range of genres, as well as composers, teachers of music, dance and drama, musical and performance artists, opera singers and actors, and has more than 600 students. The Academy also carries out development work, third-cycle education and research, and extensive outreach activities, and has almost 170 employees. Together with our sister academy HDK-Valand, we are the broadest faculty of our kind in Scandinavia.

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden’s regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.