Senior lecturer in Design Studies with specialization in child culture

Application deadline: April 21, 2017

HDK – Academy of Design and Crafts
University of Gothenburg
Kristinelundsgatan 6-8
405 30 Gothenburg
Sweden

www.hdk.gu.se

The academic programmes in the field of design at HDK – Academy of Design and Crafts, University of Gothenburg are based on a holistic view of the discipline and focus particularly on the shared creative expertise that lies at the heart of all design work. The Design department consists of the Bachelor’s programme in Design and the Master’s programmes: Design, Child Culture Design (CCD) and Business & Design (the latter in collaboration with the university’s School of Business, Economics and Law). There is also a doctoral programme in Design with approximately ten doctoral student positions and HDK is working actively to build up a research environment. HDK also offers freestanding courses in the field.

Design as taught at HDK involves a dialogue among practice-based, theoretical and social issues related to design and design practice. We focus on design as a creative artistic practice, from the reflecting practitioner’s knowledge about the act of designing with an insider’s perspective to the debate and theory concerning design on-going in various social, cultural, economic and technological contexts, both in the contemporary times and historically. As such, a critical discussion of the subject includes a discussion of the societal, historical, disciplinary and theoretical contextualizing and conceptualizing of the subject in a broader context, i.e., what we term “design studies.”

An important ingredient in the approach of CCD is input from research and knowledge from other disciplines, such as psychology, sociology and pedagogy. The students are then trained in translating this knowledge in design projects. Child Culture Design Studies is a unique area for HDK in which the connection between social science and artistic skills is studied based on the child’s perspective, development and role in society.

Job assignments
You will be a member of the faculty working with Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in Design and you will be conducting research. The position is primarily active in the Child Culture Design programme. As a senior lecturer, you will take part in teaching, supervision, administration and various forms of development work, and you are expected to play an active role within the teaching staff. You are expected to conduct research as part of your position and thus promote development in the field of Child Culture Design Studies.

You will be responsible, along with others, for working to make our organisation outwardly focused and involved in social issues and for developing and problematising design and the designer’s role from an artistic perspective. The work includes a focus on knowledge acquisition, methods/processes, participation/co-creation, sustainable development, post-disciplinarianism, gender/norm criticism and global challenges.

Today, the Child Culture Design approach includes the development of a multidisciplinary knowledge platform that is a result of targeted lectures, seminars and literature studies in parallel with practical project work. You will be responsible for further developing and then implementing Child Culture Design Studies in collaboration with those responsible for the courses and programme.

Employment
This is a permanent position, 50%. The Faculty requires the applicant to serve a trial period of 6 months. 

Further information regarding the position and the appointment procedure
–Regarding the position please contact Johnny Friberg, Head of Design Department: T +46(0)766 18 47 72, [email protected]
–Regarding the appointment procedure, please contact Elisabeth Welander, HR Officer T +46(0)31 786 4885, [email protected]

Information on eligibility, grounds for assessment, unions and on how to apply is published on the university’s website.