Applying for a teaching and research position at the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry

Qualification requirements

General qualification requirements (University of Helsinki Statutes, Section 52)
A person selected for a post at the University shall have the kind of education, ex-perience, and language skills required to successfully perform at the post in question. These requirements shall be determined for each post before it is filled.

The language requirements decreed in the university ordinance (770/2009) and fur-ther language skills required by the post must be ensured on the basis of application documents and possibly a demonstration lecture before the decision is made to employ an applicant.

If a foreigner or a Finnish citizen who was not born in Finland or who has not re-ceived their education in Finnish or Swedish applies for a position in teaching or re-search, they may be exempted from the Finnish and Swedish language requirements decreed in the university ordinance without separate application. The dispensation is granted by the unit or person who employs the applicant. When a professorship is appointed, the dean will grant the dispensation, or in an independent institute, the chairperson of its board.

Provisions on qualifications required of teaching and research staff and other merits have been separately laid down in these University Statutes.

Specific qualification requirements (University Statutes, Section 53)
If the post requires management of a unit or a sector, a person selected for it must possess a Master’s degree, expertise in the field in question, and leadership experi-ence required by the task. However, a doctoral degree is required from the director of an independent research institute and a director of a research unit of a faculty.

Professor (University Statutes, Section 54)
A person selected for the post of professor must possess a doctoral degree, high-quality scientific competence, experience in management of scientific research, ability to provide high-quality teaching based on research and to supervise dissertations, and evidence of international cooperation in his/her field of study. When assessing the merits of the applicant scientific publications and other research outcomes with scientific value, teaching experience and pedagogical education, ability to produce study materials, other teaching merits and, if necessary, a teaching sample as well as participation in doctoral education shall be taken into account. In addition, the applicant’s activity in the operations of the scientific community, success in obtaining external research funding, as well as scientific work abroad and interna-tional positions of trust, shall also be taken into account.

Research director and senior curator (University Statutes, Section 55)
A person selected for the post of research director or senior curator is required to have merits corresponding to those required for a professorship. However, when assessing the merits, the scientific work of the applicant, successful work in leading a research group, success in obtaining external funding, and evidence of international research cooperation shall be especially emphasised.

University lecturer and clinical instructor (University Statutes, Section 56)
An applicable doctoral degree and the ability to give high-quality research-based teaching and to supervise theses shall be required of persons selected for the post of university lecturer or clinical instructor. When assessing the merits of the applicants for the posts of university lecturer or clinical instructor, scientific publications and other research outcomes with scientific value, teaching experience and pedagogical education, ability to produce study mate-rials, other teaching merits, and, if necessary, a teaching sample shall be taken into account. If the duties of the university lecturer or clinical instructor are teaching-oriented, the selection shall emphasise in particular teaching experience and pedagogical educa-tion, ability to produce study materials, other teaching merits, and, if necessary, a teaching sample. If the duties of the university lecturer or clinical instructor are research-oriented, the selection shall emphasise in particular scientific publications and other research out-comes with scientific value and other forms of activity in research cooperation both in Finland and internationally.

University researcher, senior researcher, research coordinator, and curator (University Statutes, Section 57)
A person selected for the post of a university researcher, senior researcher, research coordinator, or curator is expected to have a doctoral degree and evidence of scien-tific research and necessary teaching skills. The posts of the university researcher and senior researcher require an ability to manage a research group and to obtain supplementary research funding. The post of research coordinator especially requires the ability to manage research projects and their funding. When filling these posts, special emphasis shall be put on international research activities and evidence of international cooperation.

Postdoctoral researcher (University Statutes, Section 58)
A person selected for the post of postdoctoral researcher is required to have a doc-toral degree and the ability to do independent scientific work as well as having the necessary teaching skills.

University instructor (University Statutes, Section 59)
A person selected for the post of university instructor is required to have an applica-ble Master’s degree and experience in teaching. Pedagogical education, ability to produce study materials, and ability to provide ver-satile teaching are particularly appreciated.

Doctoral students (University Statutes, Section 60)
A person selected for the post of doctoral student is required to have a Master's de-gree and an accepted research plan. In addition, he/she is required to have shown, when acquiring his/her degree and otherwise, the ability and motivation for post-graduate studies and completion of a doctoral degree in accordance with a study and research plan. A student engaged in postgraduate studies alongside first degree studies can also be accepted as a doctoral student if this is based on the postgraduate study system adopted in the faculty.

Application documents and their contents
Written applications, together with the required enclosures, must be addressed to the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, and sent to the Registrar of the University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 33 (Yliopistonkatu 4), 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland, to arrive no later than the closing date.


Professor
Required enclosures: four copies each of the following documents (sections 1-3):
1) An English-language CV and a certificate of language skills
as well as a brief English-language report of the following:
- Research, scientific activities and the supervision of theses and dissertations
- Merits which may be of relevance for the evaluation of teaching skills
- Involvement in administrative duties
- Other activities which the applicant wishes to bring to the Faculty’s attention
or, alternatively, an academic portfolio containing the above documents
2) A numbered list of publications. The listed publications should be classified as follows:
a) Articles in international scientific journals with referee practice
b) Articles in international scientific compilation works and international scientific conference proceedings with referee practice
c)  Articles in Finnish scientific journals with referee practice
d)  Articles in Finnish scientific compilation works and Finnish scientific conference proceedings with referee practice
e) Scientific monographs
f) Other scientific publications, such as articles in scientific non-refereed journals and publications in university and institute series.
In addition, other publications (textbooks, articles popularising science, etc.), patents, computer programs, presentations, visiting lectures, radio and TV programmes, etc., may be listed separately. In the case of unpublished manuscripts, the applicant shall specify the stage of the publishing process at the time of the closing of the applications.
If so requested by the Faculty, applicants should be prepared to submit any of the items mentioned in this list of publications.
3) A maximum of 20 publications or manuscripts accepted for publication. The publications shall be grouped and numbered as in the list of publications (see item 2 above). In the case of a so-called article dissertation, the conclusion is counted as one publication and each article as one publication.

When necessary, the Faculty may request the applicants to provide additional copies of their enclosures.

University lecturer, postdoctoral researcher, university instructor and doctoral students
Required enclosures: two copies each of the following documents
1) An English-language CV and a certificate of language skills
as well as a brief English-language report of the following:
- Research, scientific activities and the supervision of theses and dissertations
- Merits which may be of relevance for the evaluation of teaching skills
- Involvement in administrative duties
- Other activities which the applicant wishes to bring to the Faculty’s attention
or, alternatively, an academic portfolio containing the above documents
2) A numbered list of publications. The listed publications should be classified as follows:
a) Articles in international scientific journals with referee practice
b) Articles in international scientific compilation works and international scientific conference proceedings with referee practice
c) Articles in Finnish scientific journals with referee practice
d) Articles in Finnish scientific compilation works and Finnish scientific conference proceedings with referee practice
e) Scientific monographs
f) Other scientific publications, such as articles in scientific non-refereed journals and publications in university and institute series.
In addition, other publications (textbooks, articles popularising science, etc.), patents, computer programs, presentations, visiting lectures, radio and TV programmes, etc., may be listed separately. In the case of unpublished manuscripts, the applicant shall specify the stage of the publishing process at the time of the closing of the applications.

Applicants for post-doctoral researcher positions must enclose a research plan with their applications.

Applicants for doctoral student positions must enclose a research and postgraduate study plan with their applications.