Full Professor of Social Ecology

The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, the "Alma Mater Viridis", is the University of Sustainability and Life Sciences. It is BOKU's task to make a key contribution to the conservation and protection of resources for future generations through its wide variety of expertise. Combining natural sciences, engineering plus social and economic sciences, its aim is to increase knowledge of the ecologically and economically sustainable use of natural resources. With 11,000 students and over 2,900 staff members, BOKU is one of Europe’s leading life science universities.

The Department of Economics and Social Sciences (WiSo) accomodates economic, social, political and legal research and teaching at BOKU. Special attention is given to the synthesis of economic, ecological and social sciences, including ethical aspects. Innovation, inter- and transdisciplinarity and transformation research as well as internationality characterize the WiSo Department. The Institute of Social Ecology (SEC) focuses on society-nature interactions at different spatial and temporal scales, from local to global, and from past to the present and future. At the Institute, natural, cultural, and social science research traditions are integrated into inter- and transdisciplinary, solution-oriented research in the context of sustainability research.

The candidate must have a strong track record in research and teaching on sustainable development and socio-ecological transformation from a social science perspective and will represent the subject of Social Ecology in research and teaching contributing in particular to the BOKU competence field "Resources and Social Dynamics". Within the scope of the competence field, future-oriented solutions for a sustainable development of society, politics and economy are developed.

A qualification in social science theories and methods (e.g. from sociology, political science, human geography, social anthropology, economics, etc.) is essential, as well as a high level of motivation and the ability to contribute with these professional competencies to an interdisciplinary cooperation with natural and cultural scientists. The methodological competence in (empirical) social science research of the successful applicant should be broad and diverse, with connectivity to and complementarity with quantitative and qualitative approaches at the Institute.

The candidate must have relevant and comprehensive teaching experience and be able to offer independent courses at the BOKU on social science aspects of socio-ecological transformation, in particular within the framework of the Bachelor's and Master's programs in Environmental and Bioresource Management, as well as in other relevant BOKU programs (e.g. in the new Master's program "Climate Change and Societal Transformation") and participate in the "Doctoral School Social Ecology (DSSE)".