The Faculty of Arts at the University of Leuven is seeking a full-time tenure-track professor in Art History specializing in the field of seventeenth-century painting in the Low Countries within the perspective of Global Art History.

The Art History Department at Leuven is highly ranked internationally and has a broad perspective on diverse art historical research domains. Situated in one of the oldest university cities in the world, the department provides a stimulating context for innovative research and offers professors great autonomy in developing their own areas of interest.

Duties

Research:
The successful candidate will be responsible for:
- Developing a research program in the mentioned field through publications, projects, conferences, and/or study days.
- Recruiting excellent researchers from both national and international settings.
- Maintaining and strengthening existing collaborations and developing new ones.
- Willingness to explore and develop research activities on the Antwerp campus of the Faculty of Arts.

Teaching:
- Supervising undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students.
- Providing excellent teaching in the assigned fields.
- Maintaining good relationships with students.

At the bachelor’s level:
- Art History: 1500-1860 (B-KUL-F0BB6A) - offered annually; 39 contact hours (6 ECTS); language of instruction: Dutch
- Materials, media, and techniques (B-KUL-F0BC3A) - offered biennially; 39 contact hours (6 ECTS); language of instruction: Dutch or English
- Fashion and design (B-KUL-F0BC4A) - offered biennially; 39 contact hours (6 ECTS); language of instruction: Dutch or English

At the master’s level:
- Specialization course in function of own expertise - offered annually; 39 contact hours (6 ECTS); language of instruction: English
- Supervision of bachelor's papers and master's theses (mostly in Dutch).

Service:
- Collaborating with other members of the research group and faculty.
- Assuming administrative duties and leadership roles.
- Maintaining good relationships with colleagues both within and beyond the university.
- Participating in outreach and valorization activities.

Profile

Candidates are expected to:
- have a doctorate in Art History at the time of application.
- demonstrate expertise in the field of Art History, specifically in seventeenth-century painting in the Low Countries within the perspective of Global Art History. Affinities with material-technical analysis, gender, and fashion/design are highly recommended. Expertise should be evidenced by publications, participation in conferences and/or seminars, and involvement in international networks.
- have relevant and positively evaluated teaching experience at the university level and/or have a demonstrable vision for teaching at the university.
- be capable of working well and collegially within a team.
- be able to share scholarly knowledge with broader audiences and have a vision for outreach.
- have knowledge of Dutch. Candidates without it commit to acquiring that knowledge within five years of hire.

The candidate will need to be able to teach courses in both Dutch and English, supervise Dutch-language papers and take on Dutch-language administrative duties.

Offer

We offer:
- A full-time tenure track appointment. The appointment is initially for five years (extendable by one year in case of parental leave or serious illness), followed by an evaluation. If the evaluation is positive, the candidate will receive a permanent contract at the senior lecturer level.
- KU Leuven start-up funding of €110,000 if you cannot apply for other substantial research funding upon appointment.
- Practical support in the areas of immigration and administration, housing, childcare, learning Dutch, partner career guidance, etc.
Interested?
Applicants are requested to submit the following documents through the university’s application platform:
- A motivation letter.
- A biosketch, within which you outline your surplus value as an academic for the assigned core tasks teaching, research and service, both in your previous and projected future career (maximum two pages).
- A substantiated file describing your five most important publications or realizations.
- A curriculum vitae, including a full publication list.
- A research plan for the next five years (maximum two pages).
- A teaching plan that includes your vision for academic teaching (maximum two pages).

All applications should be submitted in English through KU Leuven’s online application platform.
The administrative language of KU Leuven is Dutch. If you do not have adequate knowledge of Dutch at the time of your appointment, KU Leuven provides you with an opportunity to acquire the necessary language competencies to teach subjects in Dutch, supervise Dutch-language papers, and take on administrative duties.
For more information about this vacancy, please contact the dean of the Faculty, Prof. Dr. Liesbet Heyvaert (tel. +32 56 24 61 45; email: liesbet.heyvaertkuleuven.be) or the coordinator of the Art History research group, Prof. Dr. Brigitte Dekeyzer (tel. +32 16 32 47 55; email: brigitte.dekeyzerkuleuven.be).

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address: hr.diversiteit[at]kuleuven.be