Professor in Agronomics: specialisation crop husbandry (27392)

    →   Apply until 17/09/2024 (DD/MM/YYYY) 23:59 (Brussels time)
    →   Discipline: Agronomics: specialisation crop husbandry
    →   100% Assistant professor / Associate professor
    →   Reference number: 202406/BW21/ZAP/001

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is one of the most important education and research institutions in the Low Countries. On a daily basis, over 15,000 staff members and 50,000 students implement its motto "Dare to Think". Ghent University's mission statement is characterised by qualitative education, internationally renowned research and a pluralistic social responsibility.

ASSIGNMENT

The position is opened in the context of the scheduled retirement of a leading ZAP member of the department of Plants and Crops. The assignment includes teaching, the development of one or more lines of research and contributing to the services provided by the department. These activities are thematically centred around sustainable plant production systems for agricultural and horticultural crops.

Academic education

You lecture various courses in the field of agronomy with a focus on sustainable, soil-bound cropping systems. This teaching assignment is mainly oriented towards bachelor and master students of the program Bioscience Engineering Technology: agriculture and horticulture but also includes contributions to courses in the Master of Science in Bioscience Engineering: Agricultural Sciences. Dutch is the main language of instruction for bioscience engineering technology students but, depending on the course, guest lectures for bioscience engineering students may also be taught in English.

Academic research

You develop a line of research that is focused on the sustainable cultivation of soil-bound agricultural and horticultural crops with an emphasis on the development and optimisation of innovative production systems that harmonise objectives relating to circularity, profitability and climate adaptation.

Academic services

You contribute to the internal and external services provided by the department.

PROFILE 

Experience

• scientific research in the field of agronomy with authorship of publications in academic journals and peer-reviewed books;
• active contributions to international conferences in the domain;
• acquisition of funds to support scientific research;
• coordination of research projects in collaboration with other partners;
• teaching university students to develop their academic competences;
• Recommended are:
  • an international network of colleagues with whom you collaborate;
  • excellent evaluation with respect to the organization of education and the supervision of students, PhDs and postdocs;
  • professionalisation of education;
  • collaboration with research institutions and companies;
  • knowledge of field experimentation.

• You must master the language of instruction in which you will teach a course at CEFR-  level C1. You can demonstrate this by means of a language certificate or a diploma obtained from an institution in which that language is the language of instruction. In addition, Article II.270, §1 of the Codex of Higher Education requires that: (i) you must master the Dutch language at least at CEFR-level A2 within two years after the start of the appointment. (ii) you must be able to master the Dutch language at least at CEFR-level of B2 within five years after the start of the appointment. More info: Language requirements at Ghent University for professorial staff — Ghent University (ugent.be)

Skills / Attitude

• quality-oriented;
• sense of initiative;
• commitment to academic achievements that contribute to sustainable development;
• future-oriented scientific integrity and a pursuit of excellence;
• didactic skills
• an active, constructive and collegial mindset as a foundation for a sustainable society.

Admission requirements

• You hold a thesis-based doctorate or a diploma or certificate that is recognised as equivalent (article V.20 Codex Higher Education).

Upon evaluation of a foreign (non-EU) diploma, a certificate of equivalence may still have to be requested at NARIC. If this is the case, we advise you to initiate this recognition procedure as soon as possible. You are required to have the recognition no later than on the date of your appointment.

• You have at least two years of postdoctoral experience on 1 february 2025. This term of two years is determined by the date written on the above-mentioned required diploma.

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

Depending on the specific profile of the selected candidate, the degree of assistant professor (tenure track) or associate professor is awarded. This will be decided by the University Board as proposed by the Faculty Board.

assistant professor:

• We offer you a temporary appointment in a tenure track system for a term of five years. If positively evaluated by the University Board, the term of office will be transferred into a permanent appointment as an associate professor.

• Should you already be a member of the professorial staff or hold an equal post at a university or research institution, you can immediately be appointed as an assistant professor, without prejudice to the possibility of a temporary appointment offered in article V.28 of the Codex of Higher Education.

associate professor:

We offer you a permanent appointment in the starting grade of associate professor, full professor or senior full professor, without prejudice to the possibility of a temporary appointment offered in article V.28 of the Codex of Higher Education.

The recruitment is from 1 february 2025.

OUR OFFER

The career and evaluation policy for Professorial Staff is based on talent development and growth, prioritizing vision development and strategy - at the personal as well as the group level. At UGent we focus on career support and coaching of the Professorial Staff in the different phases of the career. More information can be found on www.ugent.be/en/work/mobility-career/career-aspects/professorial-staff.

Ghent University is committed to properly welcoming new professorial staff members and offering them appropriate guidance. The basic teacher training and courses of 'Dutch' and 'English' for foreign-speaking lecturers are only a few examples of our wide range of training and education opportunities. Furthermore, each Ghent University staff member can count on a number of benefits such as a bike allowance, reimbursement of public transport commuting costs, daycare, a wide range of sports facilities and EcoCheques. A complete overview of all our employee benefits (in Dutch).

Ghent University also invests in welcoming international professorial staff. It offers various housing options, a relocation bonus, the International School for school-aged children (with a discount on the tuition fee), support when registering at the City of Ghent, support with the procedure of family reunification and other administrative matters in connection with moving to Ghent. Read more.

Candidates who are newly appointed at Ghent University with an appointment as autonomous academic staff of at least 50% or candidates whose appointment as autonomous academic staff at Ghent University is increased to a minimum of 50% receive a Starting Grant of € 230.000 to contribute towards the personnel, operating and/or equipment costs of establishing a research team.

GENDER AND DIVERSITY

Ghent University conducts an equal opportunities policy and encourages everyone to apply. Ghent University also strives for a gender balance. Female applications are thus especially welcomed.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

After the final application date, all received applications will be sent to the faculty selection committee assembled for this vacancy. After a pre-selection on the basis of the submitted and assessed as admissible application files, the selection committee may hear the candidates about their vision and planning regarding education, research and services. It is also possible to organize a trial lesson or a presentation on a subject in the relevant field. Afterwards, the committee will rank the suitable candidates and present this ranking to the Faculty Board. The advice of the Faculty Board will then be presented to the University Board for approval.

Candidates are asked to further discuss their top 5 most important publications or other academic achievements with the highest impact. Next to academic publications, the candidate is thus also able to show merit of knowledge transfer by academic dissemination, social valorisation, public awareness, seminars or conference presentations. These competences are also taken into account when evaluating the candidates.

The evaluation of the required international mobility is broad and partly takes the gender perspective into account, thus not only considering longer stays abroad by also other forms of internationalisation.

Pregnancy leave, prolonged sick leave, parental leave, filial leave or other forms of absence are taken into account when evaluating the available time for the realisation of academic output.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late or incomplete applications, or applications that are not sent through the online system.

Your application must include the following documents:

• In the field ‘Application form’: the professorial staff application form (+ all annexes mentioned in the form), merged into one pdf file.
• In the field ‘Cover letter’: your application letter in pdf format
• In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of your doctoral degree. If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
• In the field ‘Certificate of equivalence’: only for diplomas awarded outside the European Union: certificate of equivalence (NARIC) (if already in you possession). For diplomas awarded in the UK before January 31st of 2020, a certificate of equivalence is not required.

Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.

MORE INFORMATION

For further information regarding this vacancy, please contact Professor Monica Höfte (monica.hofte@UGent.be, +32 (0)9 2646017) at the faculty of Bioscience Engineering, department of Plants and Crops.