Junior Professorship for Ethics of Digitalisation

Job List: 
Europe
Name of institution: 
Carl von Ossietzky University
Town: 
Oldenburg
Country: 
Germany
Job Description: 

The Institute of Philosophy at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences seeks applications for a
Junior Professorship for Ethics of Digitalisation
salary scale W1 with tenure track to W2 (m/f/x)
The professorship is to be filled as soon as possible. It is funded by the Tenure Track Programme of the German Federal Government and the Federal States, supporting junior scientists. Pending fulfilment of the applicable employment laws, the successful candidate will be employed as a temporary civil servant for a period of three years. A contract extension for a further three years is contingent on a positive evaluation of the initial three years. At the end of this period, appointment to a tenured professorship at W2 level is intended in accordance with the relevant statutory provisions. Candidates should be in the early stages of their career.
The core task of the professorship is to identify and philosophically reflect on the ethical problems that are connected, in society as a whole, with the rising digital technologies. It thereby strengthens the profile of the University of Oldenburg within the scope of digitalisation.
Both knowledge of the normative theories to be critically applied and knowledge of the technologies to which these theories are applied are required. Theories include not only those that have recently been developed with an eye toward digital technologies, but also fundamental moral theories (deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics) as well as philosophical theories of society, democracy and justice. Technologies include, for example, AI-based automation processes, which are research foci in Oldenburg already (in the areas of locomotion, health and energy).
Moreover, an above-average scientific university degree and an above-average PhD are required, with at least one of these degrees obtained in philosophy. Scientific excellence has to be demonstrated, inter alia, by publications in international peer-reviewed journals. Relevant teaching experience and experience in raising third-party funds are desired.
The University of Oldenburg offers the successful candidate a variety of scientific cooperation partners on site and at the nearby Universities of Bremen, Osnabrück and Hannover. Within the University of Oldenburg, partners are to be found in the research centre ‘Human-Cyber-Physical Systems’, the research training group ‘Social Embeddedness of Autonomous Cyber-Physical Systems’ and the PhD programme ‘Shaping the Future. Transformation of the Present through Scenarios of Digitalisation’.
The successful candidate will teach practical-philosophy modules of the BA, MA and MEd courses of study in philosophy as well as values and norms, the latter being a school subject in Lower Saxony. Furthermore, the successful candidate is to contribute, in cooperation with the social sciences and computer sciences, to conceptions of an MA and a BA course of study, and to support teaching these courses. As there is a cooperation agreement between the Universities of Bremen and Oldenburg, the successful candidate’s active involvement in this cooperation is expected.
The eligibility requirements for the position are based on the statutory provisions in the state of Lower Saxony (§ 30 NHG). For candidates who have been employed in Germany as a research associate or research assistant before or after their doctoral studies, the period spent as a doctoral student and researcher should not be longer than six years in total.
The University aims to increase its proportion of female professors and strongly encourages female scientists to apply. Therefore, equally qualified female candidates will be given preference. Applicants with disabilities will be preferentially considered in case of equal qualification. The position is suitable for part-time employment.
Applications include a full curriculum vitae, certificates, lists of publications, talks and courses, an account of present and previous third-party funded research activities, research and teaching concepts and a selection of publications, doctoral degree and employment phases (https://uol.de/fk4/formulare). The selection of publications should include a monograph and three articles. Preferably, applications are submitted in electronic version by 9th August 2021 to Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Fakultät IV, Dekanin Prof. Dr. Dagmar Freist, berufungen-fk4 [__at__] uol [dot] de.

Deadline for Applications: 
August 9, 2021
E-mail: 
berufungen-fk4 [__at__] uol [dot] de
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