Professorship in Sociology or Anthropology of Tourism
The Faculty of Geosciences and Environment of the University of Lausanne (FGSE) is seeking to
appoint to its Institute of Geography and Sustainability (IGD) a professor of either the Sociology of
Tourism or the Anthropology of Tourism. The successful candidate is expected to reinforce the existing
research and teaching team in tourism studies and to contribute, by representing the discipline of
sociology or anthropology, to the development of the Master’s program in tourism studies
(www.unil.ch/gse/masters). The main activities will be carried out at the branch of UNIL in Sion.
Context
The FGSE is a young and dynamic faculty founded in 2003 which combines bio-physical sciences,
social sciences and the humanities. The IGD consists mainly of geographers, but also of economists,
political scientists, anthropologists and philosophers. Approximately sixty employees and collaborators
of the Institute (Professors, scientists and researchers, PhDs) are active in one or more of the following
research groups: development studies, urban studies, water and geoheritage studies, environmental
humanities, and geographic information science.
From January 1, 2015, the IGD will integrate an additional research group, as the FGSE will incorporate
the IUKB’s research and teaching unit on tourism in Sion. This interdisciplinary team works on various
aspects of tourism, ranging from policy issues to the socio-cultural effects of tourism, from the
globalization of tourism to the development of tourist resorts (www.iukb.ch/uertourisme/
recherche/programme-de-recherche/index.html).
The bachelor and master’s programs of the FGSE are organized by the School of Geosciences and
Environment (www.unil.ch/gse/page2677.html), including the MA in tourism studies taught at its
branch in Sion. This master’s program aims to examine issues related to tourism through different
social-science disciplines.
Job description
– Research in the field of sociological or anthropological approaches to tourism studies (e.g., tourism
practices and mobilities, touristic representations, social status of tourists, learning processes, social
inequalities, host-guest relations, digital technologies)
– Supervision of PhD students within the doctoral program in tourism studies
– Teaching at the master’s level of a wide range of issues and topics related to the sociology or the
anthropology of tourism
– Development of collaborations with colleagues from the IGD and other institutes of the University
of Lausanne
– Coordination of the master’s program in tourism studies, including the development of relationships
with practitioners in the field of tourism
Profile of the successful candidate
– Excellent record of research and scientific publications at international standard in the field of
the sociology of tourism or the anthropology of tourism
– Ability to obtain competitive research grants
– Experience of supervising PhD students or comparable experiences
– Large teaching experience in the field of the sociology or the anthropology of tourism
– Ability to manage a teaching team and a university-level master’s program
– Good national and international networks in the field of tourism studies
– Large experience with interdisciplinary collaborations in teaching and research
– A good command of both English and French is desirable. If French is not the native language,
the ability to teach in French has to be acquired within two years of the appointment. German
language skills would be an advantage.
Application
The appointment is expected at the rank of full professor. In exceptional cases, and depending on the
qualifications of the candidate, an appointment at the rank of assistant professor with tenure track
(possibility of promotion to full professor status within 5-6 years) could be considered. The University
of Lausanne seeks to promote an equitable representation of men and women among its staff and
strongly encourages applications from women.
Application deadline: January 20, 2015
Starting date: August 1, 2015 (or to be agreed upon)
Applications are to be submitted by e-mail to tourisme.gse@unil.ch. The application material should
include:
• a cover letter,
• a Curriculum Vitae including the year of birth and the date of PhD thesis with its title,
• a list of publications,
• a statement of research and teaching goals and interests (not exceeding 3 pages),
• pdfs of the five most significant publications,
• the names and contact information of five referees.
Please note that the maximum file size that can be received by the University of Lausanne e-mail system
is 10 Mb. Larger files should be split and sent separately. An acknowledgement of receipt will be
created and sent automatically. If you encounter technical problems, please contact Ms. Lise Reymond
(lise.reymond@unil.ch).
Further relevant information are available on the web pages of the faculty (www.unil.ch/gse) and those
of the IGD (www.unil.ch/igd).
For specific enquiries, please contact Prof. René Véron (rene.veron@unil.ch), Vice-Dean of the FGSE
and professor at the IGD.