10 July 2007

Professor Position,
Sociology of Technology
RWTH Aachen University,
Germany

"The Future Begins With Us."

Full Professor (W2) in Sociology
Faculty of Philosophy
RWTH Aachen University

We are seeking qualified applicants for teaching and research in the area of sociology with special emphasis in the areas of sociology of technology. The starting date is as soon as possible. The special emphases of the professorship are sociology and sociology of technology. In teaching and research the chair is to represent themes such as acceptance of technology and social conditions and consequences of innovations. Sociology can be studied as a major or minor subject within the Bachelor and Master programme. Furthermore, it can be an integral part of various teaching qualification or diploma programmes as well as of some graduate programmes.

A Ph.D. degree is required; highly desirable are Habilitation (postdoctoral lecturing qualification), an exemplary record of research achievement as an assistant, associate, and junior professor or university researcher, and/or an outstanding career outside academia. Ability in and commitment to teaching are essential and it is expected that applicants will be able to teach in German after two to three years.

RWTH Aachen aims to increase the number of women in areas in which they are under-represented. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

With 30,000 students, 10,000 employees and its emphasis on innovative research, RWTH Aachen University is one of the leading universities of technology in Europe. Its teaching and research are characterised by a distinctly international, practice-orientated and interdisciplinary approach.

The successful candidate would join a department of four sociology professors, embedded in a research atmosphere with a new expansion of post-doc positions and interdisciplinary research. One sociology colleague is German, one is American, and the last position for a Macro-Sociologist has yet to be filled. The university has an international focus and seeks for 20% of the professorships to be held by non-German speakers by 2012. There is also a dual-career programme for helping spouses and partners relocate. The position is likely to come with a generous yearly sum for travel, books, and equipment, a position for a PhD-candidate or Post-Doc, and 15 to 20 hours of secretary support per week. Expectations for external funding and publications are the same as with American professorships.

Applications showing evidence of interdisciplinary work, experimental work, innovative new approaches to technical sociology, or general enthusiasm for the field will be especially welcome.

The language requirement in the job description has been relaxed since the description was written. The successful applicant can begin teaching and working in English and start using German professionally only after it is comfortable to do so (as the current American professor has done), perhaps after 5 or 6 years.

Aachen is an historic city located at the corner of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. The atmosphere is very international. Paris is 3 hours by train; Brussels is 1.5 hours by train, and Cologne is 30 minutes by train.

Please send a cover letter stating research aims and a CV to: An den Dekan der Philosophischen Fakultät der RWTH Aachen Univ.-Prof. Dr. Paul B. Hill, Templergraben 55, 52062 Aachen

The deadline for applications is 27 July 2007.

In the case of international applications, the application deadline may be shifted into August or possibly September. Please write to heather.hofmeister@rwth-aachen.de for further information or if you need an extension to the application deadline.

Prof. Dr. Heather Hofmeister
RWTH Aachen University
Institut für Soziologie
Kármán Forum
Eilfschornsteinstraße 7
D-52062 Aachen
GERMANY

Email: heather.hofmeister@rwth-aachen.de
tel: ++49 +241 80 96036
web: www.heather-hofmeister.de