Assistant professorship (non-tenure-track) in Assyriology at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen (UCPH

Assistant professorship (non-tenure-track) in Assyriology at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen (UCPH)

The Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), invites applications for an assistant professorship (non-tenure-track) in Assyriology starting on January 1st, 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The assistant professorship is a fixed-term position for three years from January 2027 to December 2029.

The Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies ((Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).) covers the study of culture, religion, ethics, language and society around the world historically and today. The department hosts both language-based regional studies outside Western Europe and thematically oriented studies including comparative cultural studies, minority studies and the study of religions. The assistant professor will work in the interdisciplinary Ancient Culture Studies section, which consists of Assyriology, Middle Eastern Archaeology, Egyptology, and Mesoamerican Studies ().

The section focuses on the world’s earliest complex societies in the Middle East and Mesoamerica and the lasting legacies of their ideas. Our research and teaching span combines ancient languages and archaeology to understand some of the most significant transformations in our collective past, including the rise of villages and cities, the emergence of writing and religion, and the development of technology, craftsmanship, political power, and social inequality.

Our researchers study both ancient texts and material culture, as well as the context of these past legacies in the present.

The Ancient Culture Studies section at UCPH maintains the only full-degree program in Assyriology in the Nordic countries, from BA and MA, to PhD degrees. Assyriology at UCPH builds on a long-standing and internationally recognized research tradition, characterized by philological expertise, high academic standards, and active participation in global scholarly networks. The field has contributed significantly to the study of the ancient Near East and continues to foster international collaboration and excellence in both research and teaching.

Applicants are invited to familiarize themselves with the Faculty’s strategic landmarks:
Strategic landmarks – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)

The assistant professor (non-tenure-track) position is a fixed-term three-year academic position. The successful candidate is expected to conduct philologically founded research in Assyriology at a high international standard and to contribute to knowledge exchange with international scholarly communities, relevant stakeholders, and the wider public. The candidate will be expected to conduct research-based lectures and seminars, supervision, and examination of undergraduate and graduate students in Assyriology, as well as in courses taught in collaboration with Middle Eastern Archaeology, Egyptology, and Mesoamerican Studies.

The teaching load equates up to seven contact hours per week over the course of a 14-week semester, in addition to examining and supervising students. The position includes the mandatory completion of a university teacher-training course for assistant professors. In addition, the assistant professor will participate in outreach activities and share in the administrative responsibilities of the Ancient Culture Studies section, including convening courses, attending meetings, and participating in shared academic governance.

The assistant professor will have a background in Assyriology, and a track record of conducting innovative and impactful research in one or more areas of cuneiform studies that complements existing expertise in Assyriology and the section for Ancient Culture Studies. In addition to relevant language/dialect and period specialization, applicants are encouraged to demonstrate knowledge and expertise in one or more Assyriological fields of research, such as – but by no means limited to – religion and ritual practices;

political, social and economic history; literature and…