Assistant professor in ethics or political philosophy with a (future) focus on technology and society (tenure track) (EXPIRED)

The department of philosophy at the University of Twente is looking for an

Assistant Professor in ethics or political philosophy focusing on emerging technology and its role in society (e.g., biomedical, environmental, digital)
Two-year appointment with prospects for a permanent position

The Challenge

For the research part of your appointment, you will develop your own research line. This will initially be developed within Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies, a new ten-year long international research programme of seven academic institutions in the Netherlands that will run from January 2020 to December 2029. This programme has the aim of achieving breakthrough research in at the intersection of ethics, philosophy, technology / engineering and social sciences, and to position its consortium at the top of its field internationally. It has a combined budget of € 27 million ! It includes four research lines, “Nature, life and human intervention”, “The future of a free and fair society”, “The human condition” and “Synthesis: Ethics of Technology, Practical Philosophy, and Modern Technology Driven Societies”. Please note that we will be advertising other positions in this programme and that you can apply for several at once.

Your research will further be embedded in the research programme of the University of Twente as well as in the four-university 4TU.Center for Ethics and Technology (www.ethicsandtechnology.eu). We expect candidates to apply for external funding and to engage in international and interdisciplinary collaboration.

You teach courses within your specialization area in the master programme in Philosophy of Science, Technology and Society (PSTS). You also teach introductory courses in different areas of philosophy, for bachelor and master programs in engineering and social science. You will be involved in the supervision of master’s theses in the PSTS programme and will supervise PhD students.

The division of tasks is 40% research – 50% teaching – 10% management and administration. Research time can be increased through grant acquisition !

Our offer

You will be appointed for two years with a prospect for a permanent position upon good performance (i.e., you get a permanent position if your performance is evaluated positively after two years). The university offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues in which internationalization is an important part of the strategic agenda.

• Starting salary between € 3.637 to € 5.656 gross per month based on your experience;
• An additional holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary and a year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• A solid pension scheme;
• Possibilities to save up holidays for sabbatical leave;
• Minimum of 29 holidays in case of full-time employment;
• Professional and personal development programs;
• A high degree of responsibility and independence, while collaborating with close colleagues, researchers and other university staff is strongly encouraged.

Candidates we seek

• show vision and entrepreneurial drive (seeing opportunities and possibilities, showing ambition);
• hold a Ph.D. in philosophy, preferably with a specialization in ethics or political philosophy. We also welcome dual areas of specialization, e.g., ethics and another area, such as philosophical anthropology, epistemology, or philosophy of language;
• have experience in research, which is apparent from publications in highly ranked academic journals, presentations at international scientific conferences, and other academic activities;
• possess good communication skills and an excellent command of English, at least at C2 level;
• have teaching experience (both lecturing and tutoring) at an internationally accredited university preferably including students in science & engineering, social science, or other nonphilosophical fields, and preferably including professional and/or applied ethics
• possess a University Teaching Qualification (UTQ) certificate, or be willing to obtain this, and have a real passion for, and the ambition to become a creative and effective teacher;
• are active in, or are willing to build up, networks for obtaining research funding, and have ambition to work closely with companies and government agencies.

Information and application

For more information, please contact Prof. dr. Philip Brey, e-mail: [email protected] or phone: +31534894426 or prof. dr. ir. Peter-Paul Verbeek, email: [email protected] or phone +31534894460. For a copy of the Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies research programme, please make a request to Seeta Autar at [email protected].

Your application should include a CV (which should include the title of your dissertation and a short description of its contents), a letter of application (including a summary of your teaching evaluations), a writing sample, and contact information for 2 or more references and should be sent no later than February 13th, 2020. Applications should be uploaded through https://www.utwente.nl/en/organization/careers/!/644951/assistant-professor-in-ethics-or-political-philosophy (link at bottom of page). Since only three documents can be uploaded per application, please combine documents if needed.

About the department of philosophy

The philosophy department (https://www.utwente.nl/en/bms/wijsb/) has over 30 members (faculty, postdocs, PhD candidates). It is a thoroughly international department, with English as the main language. It specializes in its research in the philosophical and ethical study of technology and its impact on people, society, and the environment.

Our department has around 40 members (including PhD students), with strong concentrations of researchers working on biomedical and environmental philosophy and ethics in relation to technology, as well as in computer and information ethics, including AI and roboethics.   There are also strong interdisciplinary centres and groups in the biomedical, sustainability and information technology field at the University of Twente, including the Techmed Centre, Digital Society Institute, and research concentrations on sustainability, energy and resilience.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our university. We are committed to enhancing and sustaining diversity in the composition of our staff. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.