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Chair in ‘Foundations of Sustainability’ (Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University) – deadline 6 May 2025
The Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development is looking for a full-time chair in Foundations of Sustainability.
The study of the Foundations of Sustainability has become increasingly crucial in an era marked by unprecedented sustainability challenges. As human activities continue to shape the planet in profound ways, there is a growing need to critically examine the foundations of our understanding of nature, society, and their complex interactions. The sustainability crisis does not only pose various societal challenges, but also puts into question the very ontology, epistemology and ethics that much of sustainability scholarship has been founded upon in the past. This professorship in Foundations of Sustainability explores the relations between knowledge and values as well as their expression in our understanding of the relationship between humans and nature and in the institutional interplay of science and politics.
The candidate should have a background in Philosophy, Ethics, History, Science and Technology Studies, Political Science or any other related discipline. The chairholder is expected to contribute to current academic and societal debates on sustainability transitions, just transitions, and environmental ethics, to the rethinking of the role of academia in finding pathways to sustainable futures, and to the development of innovative approaches to environmental education. This position will complement existing chairs in the department by providing historical and philosophical foundations that enhance interdisciplinary dialogue and research.
Applications should be submitted ultimately 6 May 2025.
