Application deadline: September 16, 2013
Umeå School of Architecture, Sweden
Östra Strandgatan 30 C
SE-90333 Umea
The Umeå School of Architecture (UMA) is now searching for a Rector who will also act as Head of the Department.
The Umeå School of Architecture at Umeå University is a young and dynamic school, which emphasises the interplay between artistic development and scientific research, with an outspoken global profile. It is an international laboratory for experimental architecture. Here future architects are being trained by qualified architects and subject-specific teachers in a unique environment, which is based on an integrated approach of the artistic, technical and academic fields.
The school was founded in 2009 and presently consist of a faculty of about 30 teachers and researchers, 250 architect students at the bachelor and master levels, and a handful of PhD students, all working together in a creative atmosphere. In addition to the five-year long architectural program and the two masters programmes in “Immediate Architectural Intervention” and “Sustainable Architectural Production”, the school is now planning to offer a third master degree level programme.
The Umeå School of Architecture is now searching for a Rector who will also act as Head of the Department. This implies having the responsibility for the academic content, staff and economy. The Rector works closely with the university as a whole on positioning the School of Architecture and the Arts campus in the forefront of programmatic development and planning, policy formulation, and evaluation. The arts campus provides unique opportunities to develop the school with synergies from, for example, industrial design, fine arts and the field of digital humanities. The new leader is expected to have high ambitions and will – together with faculty and staff – further organise and develop the young school. An international perspective and network of contacts, as well as a willingness to develop the school’s regional network, are mandatory.
Your background is that of an architect with experience in education and/or research. You are expected to be an inspiring team-leader capable of conducting innovative development work in collaboration with students, faculty and staff, and key actors of the university. You should also be accustomed to playing a prominent role in international contexts. You have long experience of leadership at different levels and excellent skills in education, communication and administration. Speaking a Scandinavian language, in addition to English, is a considerable advantage.
More information about the position and how to apply can be found here
The research perspective and the pedagogical approach at UMA has an international outlook—and most programmes are given in English—while it also promotes cooperation with the other Swedish institutes of architecture at KTH (Stockholm), Chalmers (Gothenburg) and Lund’s University (Lund). Trans-disciplinary collaborations, working with stakeholders, and looking beyond the Western hemisphere are essential elements of the curriculum. The school is an active member of the Swedish Ph.D. Research School in Architecture, ResArc, funded by the national Swedish Research Council “Formas”, that includes the strong research environments “Architecture in the Making”, and “Architecture in Effect”. UMA is also part of the Nordic Academy of Architecture and collaborates, among other institutions, with the Sint-Lucas School of Architecture, Brussels.
The architecture school is, together with the Umeå Institute of Design, the Umeå Academy of Fine Arts and Bildmuseet – the university museum of contemporary art—beautifully located at the newly built Arts campus of Umeå University, a unique meeting place for the arts, the humanities, culture and technology in close proximity to the city centre. Umeå is one of Sweden’s fastest growing cities. The average age of the 117,000 people who live in Umeå is 38. The number of citizens will increase—the goal is to pass the 200,000 figure before 2050. The city offers world-class art, drama, films, industries, music and research. Umeå will be the European Capital of Culture 2014.
