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Conference turris::scandia

Title:All about Scandinavia
Moderator:TLE::SAVAGE
Created:Wed Dec 11 1985
Last Modified:Tue Jun 03 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:603
Total number of notes:4325

284.0. "Educators in Norden" by TWOBAD::CARLSON () Mon Aug 08 1988 18:04

    
    As a brief word of "re-"introduction, my name is Scott Carlson,
    and I'm presently a "summer hire" with GSG over at MRO3 (enough
    jargon?).  At any rate, I'll get down to my primary reason for writing
    this note.  My job for most of the year is as the physics teacher
    at Gloucester High School, and I have recently begun exploring the
    possibilities of teaching somewhere in Scandinavia in the future.
    
    Does anyone know of any American/international schools in Scandinavia
    who might have need of a secondary physics/math/computer teacher?
    I know there are schools like this in France (i.e. Paris), and that
    there are American schools at NATO bases in countries like Germany
    which are affiliated with the D.O.D.  My particular interest is
    in Sweden, because I have relatives there, and I am in the process
    of learning Swedish.  (Note: Sweden presents a particular problem
    because of its neutral status. :-))   Any sorts of leads, or better
    yet, addresses, would be helpful.
    
    Another possibility would include openings for instructors for
    DEC/Sweden.  Is there a need (or in fact, any use!) for English
    speaking instructors or course developers in Sweden?  I saw note
    82, but I was wondering if the addresses of the contact people there
    are current.  (The VTX jobs book has since moved to STKAI1, obj.43).
    
    This is getting long winded!! Once again, ANY hints would be
    appreciated.
    
    M�nga Tack!
    
    Scott
    
    P.S. The reason I said re-introduce above is that I was a frequent
    reader/writer with this conference when I last worked at DEC (under
    the pseudonym CSTVAX::CARLSON). 
                                                                        
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
284.1Check it out!!STKAI1::WIDENFELTAnne Widenfelt @SOO DTN:876-8335Mon Aug 15 1988 11:2312
    
    There is something called the International School of Stockholm,
    which I suggest you contact.
    
    International School of Stockholm
    Johannesgatan 18
    S-111 40  Stockholm
    Sweden
    
    Phone:  +46-8-24 97 15
    
    Good luck!
284.2US & Nordic educator's titles comparedCHARLT::SAVAGEWed Jun 06 1990 16:2535
    From: [email protected] (Hans Henrik Eriksen)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Nordic Scholarly Titles
    Date: 5 Jun 90 16:59:25 GMT
 
	In article <[email protected]>
	[email protected] (Magnus M Halldorsson) writes:
	> Nordic(*)	USA
	> 
	> professor	(full) professor
	> docent	assoc. prof.
	> lektor	asst. prof.
	> adjunkt	adjunct (i.e. instructor)
	> 
	> Can somebody elaborate?
 
    	The "Docent" title is no longer used in Norway, now they are called	
    "Prof. II". The only difference between a prof. II and a "full"
    professor is #working hours/week (they have the same salary).
 
    	We have two types of amanuenses, the ones with a Ph.D. (1.
    amanuenses)	and those without, and they differ (a little) in salary.
 
    	At least at my department (Informatics) all the professors and	
    amanuenses are loaded with teaching duties (even the Ph.D. students	
    are!), to me their work and resposibilities are not that different.
 
    	I'm not sure what the differences between an amanuensis and an	
    university lector are, but a lector is a person with a master's	
    degree + 1/2 year pedagogic seminar (PS). An adunct is a bachelor	
    with PS. Most lectors and adjuncts work in college or high school,	
    none at our department.				
    
    	Hans Henrik Eriksen ([email protected])
    	University of Oslo
284.3Swedish university titles, update63932::SAVAGEThu Jun 07 1990 14:0946
    From: [email protected] (Torkel Franzen)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Nordic Scholarly Titles
    Date: 5 Jun 90 14:21:41 GMT
    Organization: Swedish Institute of Computer Science, Kista

         
    My understanding, which is not entirely up to date since I am no longer
    employed by the University of Stockholm, is as follows. (My remarks
    apply only to Sweden.)
 
    First, as pointed out previously, being a professor is a very big deal
    here.  At a typical university department there are perhaps two
    professors, or just the one at small departments. Professors are
    formally appointed by the government, after a not infrequently virulent
    course of applications, appeals, etc.  (Recall that all Swedish
    universities are state universities.) Once installed, a professor can
    only be removed by some all but unthinkable government action. A
    professor, I believe, is the equivalent of an army Colonel at official
    government functions...
 
    A docent is, or used to be, one of two things. Either an "unpaid
    docent", meaning that it is just a title conferred by a university on a
    PhD who is deemed to have produced good work. (It used to be that PhD
    theses were graded, so that you could become a docent on the strength
    of your thesis and oral examination alone, but this is no longer the
    case.) Or else a docent is a paid docent, which is not a tenured post,
    but a research post that can be extended to a total of 6 years, or
    something like that. Docents rank high on the academic scale.
 
    Lektors have tenure, and it used to be that lektors were the workhorses
    of Swedish universities, carrying most of the workload in
    non-elementary teaching. (Professors only have a very small workload as
    far as teaching is concerned.) These days I think a lektor may divide
    his time between teaching and research according to various formulas.
    In Sweden it makes little sense to speak of the lektors having few
    possibilities of promotion, because the only tenured post above that of
    lektor is professor or (the recently instituted) assistant professor,
    and there are very few of these.
 
    Near the bottom of the ladder we find lowly creatures like "amanuenser"
    - I was one of these for eight years...They do a lot of elementary
    teaching and various menial chores. Actually, in Sweden, they did: they
    no longer exist. They were wiped out by a meteor or something like
    that, and these days doctoral students get paid for doing the same
    work.
284.4Swedish way of filling professorshipsNEILS::SAVAGEMon Jun 11 1990 16:1845
    From: [email protected] (Peter Herman x5495)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Nordic Scholarly Titles
    Date: 5 Jun 90 20:07:28 GMT
    Organization: NMSU Computer Science
 
    Torkel Franzen writes
 
   >  A docent is, or used to be, one of two things. Either an "unpaid docent",
   >meaning that it is just a title conferred by a university on a PhD who is
   >deemed to have produced good work. (It used to be that PhD theses were
   >graded, so that you could become a docent on the strength of your thesis
   >and oral examination alone, but this is no longer the case.) Or else a
   >docent is a paid docent, which is not a tenured post, but a research post
   >that can be extended to a total of 6 years, or something like that.
   >Docents rank high on the academic scale.
 
    At least at Karolinska Institutetet there are "permanent docents". Our
    host there was "tenured" and had the title of docent.  He may actually
    have been tenured as a lekturer and listed by the more honorific
    "docent".  However, "det spelar ingen roll" as they say since no one
    ever refered to him as anything except Mats.
 
    Most of us american academics are astounded at the swedish method of
    filling professorships.  Basically, you send in all your paperwork, and
    wait (or get your political machine running, and then wait).  A year or
    two later, you know something.  No formal seminar or anything!  When I
    asked about this I was told "it is such a small academic community that
    everyone knows each other so why bother". Lots of politics and
    infighting follows, but none of the application, letters, short-list,
    phone interview, seminar-interview process that we suffer through here. 
    Having been on 3 search committees in 3 years, and having eaten 1x10E6
    calories at dinners with job candidates, I'm begining to think that
    they have something there!

    *********************************************************************
    *  |\  |.\ /| |\                        Peter Herman                *
    *  |/  | /  | |/   [email protected]      Department of Biology       *
    *  |\  |.\  | |\   01-505-646-4532      New Mexico State University *
    *  | \ | /  | | \                                                   *
    *                                                                   *
    *     All opinons and spelling mistakes are completely my own       *
    *              (och jag stavar lika d}lig p} svensk).               *
    *                     Who else would want them                      *
    *********************************************************************
284.5More on nordic scholarly titlesCHARLT::SAVAGETue Jun 12 1990 13:3047
    From: [email protected] (Bj|rn Lisper)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Nordic Scholarly Titles
    Date: 12 Jun 90 10:22:38 GMT
    Organization: The Royal Inst. of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden.
 
   > In article <[email protected]> [email protected] writes:
   > Also, if I have understood correctly, the "professor" is the head of
   > his/her department.  However, in the (increasing) cases where there is
   > more than one professor per department, is there a title to distinguish
   > the two (or three)? What is the usual starting position for a new PhD
   > in Sweden, a lektor?
 
    (Full) professors are not [necessarily] heads of the departments here.
    They are rather heads of the research being conducted at the
    department. If there is research going on in slightly different areas
    at the department, then there may well be more than one professor.
 
    I, for instance, graduated from the Dept. of Numerical Analysis and
    Computer Science at the Royal Inst. of Technology in Stockholm. This
    department has two full professors, one in numerical analysis and one
    in computer science. Currently I'm with the Dept. of Telecommunications
    and Computer Systems, also with two full professors.
 
    A starting position could be lektor, but that would probably mean that
    you're giving up research for full time teaching. (This may change
    somewhat since there is a possibility now to trade some teaching for
    research in a lektor position.) If you want to continue a research
    career, the best position is probably "forskarassistent". This is
    mainly a research position with a little teaching (typically one course
    per year). It can be held for a maximum of four years. I actually hold
    such a position myself right now. The closest I can think of in the US
    system is assistant professor, so that's what I usually call my
    position when talking with US based people. Forskarassistent is not a
    tenure track position, however. As a matter of fact, there is no such
    thing as "tenure track" in Sweden.
 
   > In the US, I believe that the adjunct position is different than that
   > of an instructor.  Usually, an adjunct professor is a PhD who holds a
   > position outside of the university and only spends part-time at the
   > university doing teaching or research.
 
    This is exactly the situation here. "Adjungerad professor" is the
    title. This should not be mixed up with "adjunkt", however, which is a
    teaching position for sub-Ph.D.'s.
 
    Bj�rn Lisper	(Bjoern Lisper)
284.6Professors' salariesTLE::SAVAGETue Sep 29 1992 09:5232
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    From: [email protected] (Tomas Eriksson)
    Sender: [email protected] (Usenet)
    Organization: Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm
    Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 18:30:48 GMT
 
    In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Sandt
    Jyrki) writes:

    >
    >Associate professor A26 = 14102 FIM = about 2900 USD/month
    >Full professor A28 = 17001 FIM = about 3500 USD/month
 
    Do Finnish professors really earn this little? (I presume this is
    salary before tax.) I hardly think a Swedish full professor (the only
    kind that is called professor here) would get less than 25,000 SEK per
    month initially, i.e. 21,000 FIM or 4,500 USD. A typical professor's
    salary is probably 30,000 SEK per month (25,000 FIM or 5,400 SEK). They
    can earn a little more if they spend their time shuffling papers
    instead of doing research (can't really understand why...). Also, an
    occasional professor in "interesting" engineering subjects with few
    qualified researchers, or medical subjects, could earn more by doing
    research alone. As I understand it, these salaries are almost
    ridicuously low by international comparison, and more so when tax and
    the Swedish price level has been accounted for. On the positive side,
    the income tax has become lower in recent years.
 
    Tomas
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tomas Eriksson                                          [email protected]
            Surface Force Group, Department of Physical Chemistry,
               Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
284.7Univ. of Tromsoe, Physics Dept.TLE::SAVAGEThu Aug 19 1993 13:45189
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic         
    From: [email protected] (Kjell Helge Strom)
    Subject: Vacant professorships in applied physics
    Sender: kjellh@mack (Kjell Helge Strom)
    Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1993 06:37:15 GMT
    Organization: University of Tromsoe
 
		Information Leaflet
 
 
	     PROFESSORSHIPS IN PHYSICS 
	   (APPLIED PHYSICS), UNIVERSITY OF
		TROMSO, NORWAY
 
    At University of Tromso, Norway, there are two vacant professorships in
    physics (Applied physics { analysis, measurement and control}). The
    positions are attached to the Department of Physics at the Institute of
    Mathematical and Physical Sciences (IMR). The Institute consists of
    department of Chemistry, Computing Science, Physics and
    Mathematics/Statistics. The Institute is fairly small (approximately 60
    faculty members), and the opportunity for cross disciplinary research
    is very good.
 
    The Department of Physics has for the time being 21 faculty members: 5
    adjunct Professors, 2 university scholarship recipients and a varying
    number of research fellow and personal scholarships. The Department has
    also many dedicated students within the Cand.mag.(bachelor),
    Cand.scient.(master) and Siv.Ing. (graduate engineering) programs in
    Physics.
 
    The activity at the Institute is geographically divided between the
    Auroral Observatory (Physics, Electronics and Mechanical workshops),
    and the Breivika Campus (Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Sciences,
    Chemistry and main administration). The distance between the
    Observatory and the Campus is 5 km. Undergraduate teaching in physics
    is given at the Breivika Campus, while the research activities in
    physics are localized at the Auroral Observatory and field stations at
    Ramfjordmoen, Skibotn, and  the arctic. The Department is also
    responsible for the tutoring of siv.ing.  students in Applied physics
    (analysis, measurement and control).
 
    The research activity at the Department is carried out within the
    fields of radiogeophysics, cosmic geophysics, plasma physics,
    atmospheric physics, astrophysics, molecular physics and applied
    physics (analysis, measurement and control). The Department has also
    the responsibility to continue the observation  program of the Auroral
    Observatory at the stations in Northern Norway and in the Arctic. This
    encompasses among other things continual registration of the
    earth-magnetic field, surveillance of the upper atmosphere and
    measurements of the ozone of the atmosphere.
 
    The research activity in physics has its origin in the activity at the
    Auroral Observatory. The study of ionized gases - in space and in the
    laboratory - is of central interest for the Department.
 
    The plasma-physics group has specialized in wave phenomena and
    turbulence in ionized gases (plasma). A new toroidal machine with a
    radius of 60 cm, and a magnetic field of 0.4T is in operation. The aim
    of this device is fundamental studies of strongly magnetized plasma
    without magnetic rotational transform, and of stationary, magnetically
    confined plasma, produced by non-inductive toroidal current drive
    (steady-state tokamak).
 
    The activity in cosmic geophysics and atmospheric physics  is
    consentrated with its investigations of the  Earth's upper atmosphere
    and the ionosphere using incoherent scatter radar (EISCAT), together
    with studies of dustplasma. Atmospherical phenomena are also  studied
    using optical instrumentation  from field stations at Ramfjordmoen (30
    km outside Tromso centre), Svalbard and Skibotn (approximately 130 km
    outside Tromso).  The Department is also active in the work of
    establishing a scatter radar at Svalbard.
 
    The Department manages  a 50 cm astronomical telescope in Skibotn. A
    250 cm Nordic optical/infrared telescope (NOT) at the Canary Islands is
    also available. The activity in astrophysics is concentrated in the
    study of closeby twin stars, white dwarfs, and of stars where the
    magnetic field is important. 
 
    There are also conducted theoretical studies in atomic and molecular
    physics. This is done with close relation to the Chemistry group at the
    Institute.
 
    Within the field of applied physics, research is being done using
    methods in  digital signal analysis/image processing applied to data
    from planes - or satellites remote sensing equipment, biomedical data
    in connection with medical research and diagnostics, and 
    sensor/registration systems.
 
    The Department has a relatively good equipped laboratory in
    electronics, with competence in both analysis and using digital
    techniques related to research done at the Department.
 
    The vacancies is in applied physics (analysis, measurement, and
    control). It is expected that those who holds the position will take
    leadership in the research and teaching activity connected to the
    Departments Siv.Ing program. For the function one requires a broad
    background in one or more of the fields signal analysis, image
    processing, electronics, measurements and control technique. It is
    desirable that the applicants have research and teaching experience
    from work related to technical projects. Experience from industry tied
    to such projects will be an advantage. The Department will aim at a
    close relationship between applied physics and the other groups.
 
    It will be emphasized that the applicants can document relevant
    background, and account for interests for and plans that supports the
    research activity related to the  Siv.Ing program.
 
    In addition to these two professorships there are two  vacant positions
    as senior lectures/assistant professors in applied physics. The
    instutute(IMR) has put to first priority two more senior
    lectures/assistant professorships for the 1994 budget. Those who get
    the vacant positions,  will therefor have good opportunities to
    establish an efficient research group.
 
    50% of the ordinary working hours of the professor are assumed used to
    research and professional renewal. The rest is to be used for tution
    and administration etc.
 
    The position is submitted to the standard rules of obligatory duties of
    the University of Tromso. The applicant who receives the professorship
    is expected to be the superviser of Dr. Scient., Cand. Scient., and
    Siv. Ing. students in physics, and (s)he is also expected to
    participate in the Departments undergraduate and graduate courses.
    Applicants must participate in the further development of the Physics
    Department, and of the University as a whole.
 
    The applicant must speak and write one or more of the languages
    Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English fluently. If (s)he does not speak
    and write Norwegian, (s)he must be willing to learn the language.
 
    The salary as a Professor is at present NOK 307.524 - 345.548, and 
    6.029 - 6.283 is paid as obligatory pension contribution.
 
    The evaluation will take place in two phases. In both phases the
    evaluation committee will, in addition to the evaluation of the
    scientific work, place emphasis on documented experience from teaching,
    administration, organizational work, and knowledge of, and interest in
    the social aspects of physics. The applicants should submit information
    and material to be considered in this evaluation, and give information
    about possible references.
 
    If the qualifications of a group of applicants are found equal after
    evaluation of the scientific and teaching qualifications, female
    applicants will be placed before male applicants.
 
    If no one of the applicants are found qualified for a professorship, it
    can be of current interest to get a professorship temorary for 3 year.
    It will be evaluated to reduse the amount of compulsatory work related
    to teaching and administration. Within these 3 year a new evaluation
    will take place, and if the appliciants are found qualified the
    professorships gets permanent. 
 
    Applicants must submit 3 copies of scientific papers - published and
    unpublished - that are to be included in the evaluation. The scientific
    papers should be sent within a month from the deadline to:
 
		THE UNIVERSITY OF TROMSO
		INSTITUTE OF MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES
		BREIVIKA
		N-9037 TROMSO
		NORWAY
 
    Papers under work can be sent 3 months after the deadline provided they
    are announced in application.
 
    The application, including the curriculum vitae, certificates and the
    list of publications are to be sent in 5 copies within the deadline to:
 
          THE UNIVERSITY OF TROMSO
          BREIVIKA
          N-9037 TROMSO
          NORWAY
 
    Other information is given in the general rules for appointment to
    faculty positions at the University of Tromso.
 
    APPLICATIONS MUST BE SENDT IN NOT LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 9TH, 1993
 
    For further information please contact:
 
			Torbjorn Eltoft
			Phone: +47 77 64 51 84
			Fax: +47 77 68 98 52
 
-- 
////      Kjell Helge Stroem            |e-mail   : [email protected]    ////
///Dept. of Physical Science, University|Phone/Fax: +47-776-45159/89852   ///
//of Tromsoe, N-9037 TROMSOE, NORWAY    |                                 //

284.8Comparison: USA and Swedish professorshipsTLE::SAVAGEMon Sep 20 1993 14:5268
    From: [email protected] ( Hugo Calendar)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.german,soc.culture.nordic,soc.culture.usa
    Subject: Professorship theory.
    Date: 20 Sep 1993 06:29:18 GMT
    Organization: University of California, Berkeley
 
    There's a great difference between what a professor is in Sweden and in
    the USA.  A US [faculty member] can get his (assistant) professorship
    just after finishing a Ph.D., which in some cases is at the age of 26
    or so.  After some years the professor comes up for tenure, meaning
    that (s)he has his/her research/work examined to see if it's good
    enough, and if so (s)he keeps his/her post, but is now called a full
    professor, with roughly the same responsibilities as before.
 
    In Sweden, it takes much longer to get your Ph.D., and there's even a
    degree between M.S. and Ph.D., called Licentiat.  After your Ph.D., you
    can't "get" a professorship, but can go on working at the/a university
    as lecturer or docent.  You only get to be a professor if the Swedish
    government decides that you have made a significant contribution to
    your field, by which time you are usually fairly grey.
 
    Comments on my limited knowledge of Swedish professorship are also
    welcome.
 
    Hugo
 
    email: [email protected]    Tel: +46 18 304458
    snail: Linrepevaegen 48, 756 49 Uppsala, Sweden
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    From: [email protected] (Peter Herman x5495)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.german,soc.culture.nordic,soc.culture.usa
    Subject: Re: Professorship theory.
    Date: 20 Sep 1993 11:59:01 GMT
    Organization: New Mexico State University
 
 
    If you add up all the time between PHD and Full Professorship it is
    about 15 -18 years.  Even then, an american Full Professor can avoid
    most administrative duties if he or she is not interested in
    administration.

    My experience with Bengt Samulsson and the other Professors who I came
    in contact with at Karolinska Institiutet is that they had a very heavy
    administrative load in addition to directing a research program. In
    many ways a swedish Professor is much more like an american department
    head or chairman.  These folks spend a lot (perhaps all) of their time
    handeling the administration of an academic group.

    American departments are usually bigger than their swedish counterparts
    so even this is not exactly a good comparison.  We are a relatively
    small biology department by US standards (22 faculty) while Kemi II at
    the KI was about 6 faculty. I also get the impression that a swedish
    professor has much more control of his or her group than an american
    department chair has of his or her department (at least based on n=1,
    NMSU Biology compared to Kemi II at the KI).
 
    I don't think that it necessarily takes longer in Sweden, to get a PhD. 
    There, as here, there are a lot of students who are in no hurry  to
    face the job market
 
    [email protected]
    R. Peter Herman
    Department of Biology
    New Mexico State University
    Box 30001, Dept. 3AF
    Las Cruces, NM 88003 USA
    505-646-4532
284.9Teaching English in SwedenTLE::SAVAGEMon Aug 01 1994 11:0529
    From: Michael Palmer <[email protected]>
    To: International Swedish Interest discussion list
    	<SWEDE-L%[email protected]>
    Subject: Teaching in Sweden
    
    > Does anyone know how I can get information about teaching English in
    > Sweden? I am an elementary teacher with a PA Certificate.
    
    It is my understanding from Swedes that I talked while living in Sweden
    last year is that there are so many unemployed teachers in Sweden just
    now that there is no market at all for Americans or other native
    English-speaking foreigners who do not already have residence and work
    permits for other reasons.
    
    Mike
    
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    From: Martin Jaegersand <[email protected]>
    To: International Swedish Interest discussion list
            <SWEDE-L%[email protected]>
    
    I think chances would be better for native English speakers to come
    teach in Sweden on the university level than on lower levels. When I
    took undergraduate English at Univ of Gothenburg, all teachers were
    native speakers of English. On the Lektor/Adjunkt level its of course
    hard to get a position, but the TA's were graduate students from
    Britain and the USA coming over to teach for just a few years.
    
    /Martin