[spectre] Professor in media theory

[Oliver Grau]

Faculty of Arts
POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT: FULL PROFESSORSHIP IN MEDIA THEORY
INSTITUTE FOR MEDIA AND RE/PRESENTATION, UTRECHT UNIVERSITY, THE NETHERLANDS

Located within one of the Netherlands' oldest and largest universities,
Utrecht University's Faculty of Arts and Letters has nineteen degree
programs in the languages and letters of Europe and the Middle-East, the
various arts and media, and in history.  Research programs are organized
into two institutes with extensive national and international
links.  Special attention is paid to interdisciplinary collaboration, the
use of new media, and the quality of teaching.  The Faculty is housed in
the historic center of the city and enjoys excellent facilities.  The
Institute of Media and Re/presentation offers studies on the BA, MA and PhD
level.

The Institute of Media and Re/presentation seeks a:

PROFESSOR IN MEDIA THEORY

General Context
The media are very much in a state of transition. The printed word,
photography, film, television and audio and communication technologies each
have their own developmental histories and changing patterns of production,
distribution and consumption. Each has, over the years, developed a range
of distinctive expressive capacities evident in industrial, artistic, and
individual usages. And each has spawned generations of theoretical
approaches and modes of analysis. The introduction of digital technologies
has offered yet another twist, providing both new media forms (e.g.
computer games, the internet, and information technologies) and intervening
fundamentally in the form and function of older media forms (e.g.
telephony, digital audio and video production and
distribution).  Digitalization has enabled and encouraged media
convergence, evident as much in media ownership patterns, as in systems of
textual production, as in the everyday experiences of audiences.  And it
has facilitated the transformation of communication media as well as
information storage, processing, and retrieval systems. The result is a
complex fabric of practices and cultural forms, where local media
traditions meet global influences; where established media technologies
encounter new digital possibilities; and where ways of theorizing and
analyzing the media confront new paradigms and disciplinary influences.

The Professor of Media Theory
The Institute for Media and Re/Presentation (Faculty of Arts, Utrecht
University) offers an interdisciplinary approach to this dynamic
understanding of the media, one rooted in the traditions of the
humanities.  It seeks an exceptional researcher, an inspired teacher, and a
collegial and visionary leader with shared responsibilities for the
programs in Communication and Information Studies as well as Film and
Television Studies. The new professorship assumes a high level of expertise
in the domain of media theory and analysis, ranging from cinema to digital
media, complementing an existing professorship in media history. The
professor of media theory will demonstrate a broad understanding of the
theoretical and methodological contours of humanistic media studies, as
well as a specialized knowledge of selected theories within the
field.  Utrecht's tradition of media study is based upon a contextualized
or situated notion of the media text and its experience, whether in terms
of historical or cultural setting, reception context, or the understanding
of the text as a part of a larger signifying system. In this sense, the
theoretical and analytic domains of greatest relevance include such
approaches as narrativity, political economy, cultural and gender studies,
apparatus theory, identity, subjectivity, inclusion and exclusion, and
norms and values. Given the fast-changing state of contemporary media, the
professor of media theory must be able to comprehend a variety of media
experiences through a particular theoretical lens, while at the same time
responding to the dynamic needs of quickly evolving patterns of media
deployment and use. Most importantly, she or he must demonstrate an ability
to operationalize theory, moving from abstraction to application in the
analysis of media forms, experiences, and developmental trends.

The Institute of Media and Re/Presentation seeks a builder of bridges
between theory and analysis, between media texts and social/cultural
contexts, and between 'old' and 'new' media forms. It is particularly
concerned with developing the connection between the theories and methods
traditionally associated with humanistic media studies and those now being
developed in the area communication and information studies. These latter
domains, both because of their recent digital transformation and
integration with older media forms, and because of their recent inclusion
within the analytic framework of the humanities, remain highly dynamic. The
professor of media theory will be charged with continuing to develop a
program of study and a program of research for these most recent
manifestations of media culture. Such developments as peer-to-peer networks
(Napster), on-line and computer-based gaming, and SMS telephone messaging
communities stand at the juncture of traditional media and the new
possibilities of the ICT sector, and require continued theorization and
analysis. They embody the media practices that the Institute for Media and
Re/presentation embraces, and that the professor of media theory will help
to 'bridge' through the strategic deployment and development of humanistic
media theory.

The creative opportunities to develop a program of teaching and research
within media studies generally, and specifically within the new field of
communication and information studies, are central to the new
professorship. These themes are related to gender and cultural studies, and
culture management and culture education. Teaching and research take place
at the BA, MA (1 and 2 years), and PhD levels, and are supported by a team
of colleagues with expertise in diverse media and with a broad
interdisciplinary orientation. The distinction in three levels is new in
the Dutch university system and there is a need to build effective links
and systematic interconnections between the levels.
The Institute maintains a network of relations with colleagues in other
Dutch, European, and North American universities (exchange programs with
University of California, Santa Barbara and Berkeley; University of
Wisconsin, Madison; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and so on) as
well as with various media industries, all of which contribute to the
resources available for the study of the ongoing development of media
technologies, practices, and culture (Rotterdam Film
Festival;  V2_Organisation; The National Institute for Image and Sound,
etc.).

The professor of media theory will draw on the intellectual legacy of
humanistic media studies in order to define a research agenda appropriate
to the media challenges facing us.  He or she will be responsible for
making the most of existing institutional relationships, while developing
both new connections as well as new research initiatives. Close
collaboration with the existing professors in the Institute as well as with
the colleagues in the Research Institute for History and Culture and the
Huizinga Institute (Dutch Cultural History Research School) will help to
create a sense of synergy; but at the same time, ample space is available
for leadership and the development of new projects and perspectives. The
new professorship for media theory offers an opportunity for an exceptional
researcher and teacher to play a leading role in the conceptualization and
analysis of a crucial cultural sector, and the shaping of a generation's
understanding of the dynamic media environment that surrounds it.

For this position we ask for:
  research experience in the profiled area as evidenced by a dissertation,
scholarly publications, and participation in academic congresses;
  experience with developing research proposals and with PhD advising;
  teaching experience ranging from large introductory courses to advanced
seminars;
  experience with administration of research as well as teaching programs;
  experience with multi- and interdisciplinary collaboration;
  knowledge of the Dutch language and university system is an advantage.

For this position we offer:
  a permanent, full-time position (an 80% position is discussable);
  a salary consistent with experience (maximum: EUR 6360 bruto per month)
[professor level A, consistent with the CAO  (collective labor agreement)
for Dutch universities]

The Faculty seeks to expand the number of women in professorships.  For
these vacancies, all qualified female candidates will be invited for an
interview, and in the event of equal competencies, the position will be
awarded to the woman.

Interested?
For more information please contact the chair of the search committee:
Professor dr. mr. P.J. van den Hoven, 030-2538093,
Paul.vandenHoven@let.uu.nl .You can also visit the Institute's website at
www.let.uu.nl/tftv
The delivery of sample lecture, the submission of a research plan, and a
psychological assessment may constitute part of the application process.

NB: Given the late date, a letter of intention submitted before 31 January
2003 is sufficient to hold a place in the selection process.  By that point
or shortly thereafter, we would appreciate a written application (including
a curriculum vitae).  Address your correspondence to:
Personnel and Organisation department, drs. M.E.S. Arends
Kromme Nieuwegracht 46
3512 HJ Utrecht The Netherlands, or e-mail PenO@let.uu.nl
Please refer to vacancy number 68249.

This announcement has already been published in a Dutch newspaper in
December 2002. The new deadline only applies to candidates from outside the
Netherlands.

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Opinions expressed in this email are my own unless otherwise stated.
If you have received this in error, please ignore and delete it.
Phil Graham
Senior Lecturer
UQ Business School
www.philgraham.net
www.cds-web.net
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