Professor in sustainable design

LUCA School of Arts is a creative hub for almost 5,000 people: more than 4,000 students and 800 colleagues. LUCA offers them an educational and research environment to further develop their creative talent. We do this through higher education courses in the broad domain of the arts, and through artistic research. LUCA has campuses in four cities: Ghent, Brussels, Leuven and Genk. For LUCA, KU Leuven is the research environment in which artistic research is embedded. An associated Faculty of Arts was established within the Human Sciences group, of which researchers in the arts are members. Nearly 150 lecturers, postdocs, PhD students and project staff have been appointed with an artistic research assignment in audiovisual arts, visual arts, design, music, drama...

Developing, implementing and coordinating practice-oriented artistic research and educational tasks are among the responsibilities of this position. You work in a changing design context where art education must be nourished with innovative views. Sustainability, technology and diversity are the basis for education that trains groundbreaking individuals. This requires a new position for the education program and research within design.

Within the Product Design course of LUCA School of Arts, Campus C-Mine and the research Unit Inter-Actions, we recognize the crucial role of design in tackling global challenges such as climate change, ecological issues, social inequality, and economic sustainability. We oppose linear production methods, methods of extraction and exploitation and actively look for alternatives that take into account the different actors within existing ecosystems and contexts. Participatory design and research methods play an important role within the Inter-Actons research group and the Product Design course, as does the exploratory research of innovative materials and production methods.

We are therefore looking for a socially committed assistant professor to strengthen our team and contribute to our pursuit of resilient, sustainable 'futures'. The assistant professor has expertise and demonstrable relevance in circular or regenerative methods and practices to shape sustainable products and redesign existing production flows to the needs of existing ecosystems and contexts. We are looking for a strong profile that meets the needs of these ecosystems and contexts can analyze, connect actors and build a strong network with relevant partners in the field.

Various terms are used in both literature and practice to reinforce the emphasis on an ecological approach in design. Each term has its own focus and characteristics. However, within the field of design there are several movements that often show significant overlap. The person who takes on the role of assistant professor will therefore have to find his/her/their place within one or more (or other, not mentioned here) domains of this ecological approach. For example, in the research at LUCA we currently see a strong focus on sustainable design, design that is sustainable and argues against design that is exchangeable and replaceable too quickly due to a limited lifespan. In addition, the campus also uses the term 'circular design', which focuses on re-examining existing systems (of design and production).

Website unit

Duties

Research

Teaching

Teaching tasks comprise 50% of the assignment:

• Designing educational activities, study guidance and educational concepts to offer education tailored to the student audience within the field of design.

• Developing educational activities in accordance with LUCA's vision on activating and research-based education and making use of the opportunities for educational professionalization that LUCA offers.

• Guiding students in conceiving both the artistic and reflective parts of final tests and interim research assignments.

• Being the holder of a course unit and coordinator of a group of course units.

• Managing assistants within a course unit or a cluster of course units.

• Providing high-quality education within the field of design, with a clear commitment to the quality of the training as a whole.

• Scientific, social and internal services are also part of your assignment.

Service

You are prepared to provide scientific, social and internal services.

Profile

Offer

Interested?

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.