Professor in Fine Arts

The Academy of Fine Arts is part of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Umeå University and is located at the Artistic Campus. With approximately 75 students, around ten employees, and many guest lecturers, it is a dynamic and international environment. The Academy of Fine Arts offers a 3-year bachelor's program (BFA) and a 2-year master's program (MFA). International contacts and exchanges are an important part of the education. Every summer, two or three summer courses are offered. Artistic research has been conducted at the department for more than two decades and is an important area of development. For more information about the Academy of Fine Arts, please visit our website: https://www.umu.se/en/umea-academy-of-fine-arts/ .

The Academy of Fine Arts has a wide range of workshops such as plaster, wax, printmaking, metal, wood, and clay workshops, as well as a foundry, photo lab, and sound studio. The workshops constitute an important learning environment, and accessibility is high for the students. Read more about the Academy of Fine Arts' workshops: https://www.umu.se/en/umea-academy-of-fine-arts/education/workshops/ 

We are now looking for a Professor in Fine Arts. The employment is permanent, full time, starting during April 2026 or by agreement. 

Tasks

The position includes 70% teaching in the main field of Fine Arts and 30% research in the main field of Fine Arts. Teaching primarily concerns the master's program, where lectures, seminars and supervision of students' individual artistic work are central. A key aspect of the position regards developing research and a doctoral program in Fine Arts, in collaboration with UmArts, Umeå University's center for architecture, design, and arts, and collaborating with other participating units (the Umeå Institute of Design, the Umeå School of Architecture, the Department of Creative Studies, and Bildmuseet) to contribute to the development of artistic research at Umeå University. In addition to these tasks, the position includes participating in staff meetings and contributing to the development of the subject and workgroup, as well as collaborating with the wider community.

For the part of the position financed by education grants, competence development time is included up to 14% of full-time, which is normally used for research and work on research applications. 

Currently, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities annually announces a publication-based research resource, for which employees can apply for up to 50% faculty-funded research time for a period of two years.

Qualifications

To qualify for appointment as professor in an artistic discipline, an applicant must have demonstrated both artistic and teaching expertise (Chapter 4, Section 3 of the Higher Education Ordinance) and has been awarded an artistic doctorate.

Artistic expertise refers to distinguished artistic qualifications from practice within the artistic fields, as well as the ability to conduct artistic research and/or development work and the ability to impart information about art with the wider community.

For employment on an artistic basis, teaching expertise involves demonstrated teaching expertise in artistic contexts, within or outside academia.    

Good language skills in Swedish or another Scandinavian language and English, both spoken and written, and the ability to teach in Swedish or another Scandinavian language and English are required for the position. 

Assessment criteria

The assessment criteria for the selection are: artistic and teaching expertise in fine arts as well as experience in artistic research in the fine arts. Experience of interdisciplinary collaborations, administrative expertise, good ability to cooperate and the expertise and suitability required in general to complete the work duties well are also assessment criteria.

The artistic expertise must have been demonstrated through documented independent artistic production or practice and development work in fine arts. Assessment criteria include: 
• artistic quality; 
• visibility and valuation within the art world and in professional contexts; 
• ability to collaborate and engage with the wider community;
• scholarships, etc.

The teaching expertise when appointing an professor in fine arts on an artistic basis must have been demonstrated through documented experience of teaching on an artistic basis within higher education, or equivalent expertise demonstrated in artistic contexts outside academia. Assessment criteria for teaching expertise for appointments on an artistic basis include:
• an ability to develop and implement high quality education at different levels; 
• experience of educational development work.  

Experience in developing artistic doctoral education is considered a merit.

Weighing the assessment criteria

Equal care must be given to the assessment of artistic and teaching expertise. 

Particular importance shall be placed on artistic and teaching expertise. In comparing these assessment criteria, higher importance shall be given to artistic expertise.

Great importance shall be given to the experience in artistic research in the fine arts.

In assessing the teaching expertise, particular importance shall be given to documented teaching experience in higher artistic education. High importance shall be placed on documented educational development work.

Importance shall be given to interdisciplinary collaborations, administrative expertise, good ability to cooperate and the expertise and suitability required in general to complete the work duties well.

The eligibility and assessment criteria can be found in the Appointments procedure for Teachers at Umeå University:  https://www.umu.se/en/legal-framework/human-resources-equal-opportunities-and-work-environment/appointments-procedure-for-teachers-at-umea-university2/ 

Application

Information regarding which documents must be attached to the application can be found in Guidelines for applications for employment and promotion at Umeå University’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities: https://www.umu.se/contentassets/50940fbdac714459ad8b6a4406596619/guidelines-for-applications_employment_promotion_at-umus-faculty-of-arts-and-humanities--ads-published-from-240129.pdf

Applications will be submitted via Umeå University's e-recruitment system Varbi no later than September 30, 2025.

Other information

The employment is permanent, fulltime, starting during April 2026 or by agreement. 

The place of work is Umeå. To carry out teaching, participate in seminars and meetings and fulfil other tasks included in the employment, a high level of presence at the environment is required.

Umeå University is a government agency, which means that employees receive special benefits, read more about this here: Benefits (umu.se). 

For further information about the position, please contact Per Nilsson, per.nilsson1@umu.se, +46 70 254 13 42 or HR specialist Roxana Wikström, roxana.wikstrom@umu.se.

For more information about the department, please visit: https://www.umu.se/en/umea-academy-of-fine-arts/ 

Welcome with your application!