Postgraduate studies position at Aalto University

22 January 2020

Aalto University is a community of bold thinkers where science and art meet technology and business. We are committed to identifying and solving grand societal challenges and building an innovative future. Aalto has six schools with nearly 11 000 students and a staff of more than 4000, of whom close to 400 are professors. Our main campus is located in Espoo, capital area of Finland.

Open position for a doctoral student in the School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Department of Media (3-year funded position)

As part of our Creative Europe project, Beyond Matter, Cultural Heritage on the Verge of Virtual Reality we have a three-year funded position for an interdisciplinary doctoral student in the area of New Media and Virtual Museology.

Your role and goals

The applicant will work as part of the team in the Systems of Representation research group, working full-time on the DA dissertation and other duties described below. Experience needed extends to knowledge domains encompassing: 1. participatory design and audience studies, 2. new media arts practices and 3. virtual museology.

As part of the work to be realized the candidate will organize and implement audience participation activities and data gathering exhibition evaluation sessions. The research supports Legacy of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018. The aim is to develop a new virtual museology toolkit and to carry out reconstructions in virtual reality of two landmark exhibitions, Jean-François Lyotard and Thierry Chapuy’s 1985 key initiative in the fields of new media arts, Les Immatérieaux and ZKM’s 2002 Iconoclash. The knowledge developed will be transferred to major European Museums as possible benchmarks that facilitate creative use of digital technologies and in particular virtual and augmented reality as part of contemporary museum exhibition practices.

Your network and team

The student/candidate will be based in the Media Lab at Aalto ARTS but will also work with curators and experts from major European museums such as Centre Georges Pompidou, Ludwig Museum, Tallin Art Hall, and ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe.

Your experience and ambitions

Requirements for the position:

- Good writing skills in English.

- Record of previous publications which indicate the candidate’s ability to conduct research and document and disseminate the results.

- Track record and technical proficiency to realize her/his own productions.

- Ability to communicate, collaborate and engage in design practices on a high and diverse level with different communities & museums.

- Knowledge of French, German and/or Spanish is considered as a plus.

- The person must be able to relocate to Finland.

Salary and contract terms

The salary is determined based on applicant's experience and qualifications according to the salary system of Aalto University, minimum of 2360 €/month. The position is scheduled to start between May and August 2020. It is located in the Otaniemi campus of Aalto University in Espoo, Helsinki metropolitan area.

How to apply?

The deadline for applications is January 24, 2020. The application consists of two phases:

1) First, applicants will apply for a research assistant position as described in Submission of Applications section below.

2) In the second stage, the two top shortlisted applicants will apply for a doctoral student position in the continuous application (in February) to full time doctoral studies in Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture Doctoral Programme. More information: https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoralarts/How+to+apply. The study right will be in force only after this process. Out of these two, the applicant selected to this position will be provided funding through the project until June 2023 to carry out her/his doctorate in the context of Beyond Matter, Cultural Heritage on the Verge of Virtual Reality project.

Submission of applications

The application materials consist of (in pdf format):

1. Scanned degree certificates from each university attended, including official register list of study courses taken for the latest degrees (transcripts of records).

2. Preliminary research plan for the doctoral thesis that includes a schedule for the studies to be completed (the study plan), schedule for dissertation and possible work plan & schedule for artistic components. The research plan should address the topics listed above.

3. Curriculum Vitae (CV) including list of publications, if applicable.

4. Copy of passport or other official document of identification.

5. Letters of recommendation and certificates of employment.

6. Three to four selections from art and design portfolio, if the research plan contains work plan for art productions or product development projects.

More information

The student/candidate will work with Professor Lily Díaz-Kommonen. For further inquiries regarding the research topics please contact her at lily.diaz(at)aalto.fi. Please do not email research plans separately but rather include them in the application procedures. For recruitment process related questions, please contact Ms. Ilona Kallio, Ilona.kallio(at)aalto.fi.

Aalto University reserves the right, for justified reasons, to leave the position open, to extend the application period, and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.

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