The Department of History of Art at Birkbeck is expanding, and is looking to appoint internationally established scholars to help lead growth in areas of excellence. As part of this expansion, the Department invites applications for a permanent senior academic post in the History and Theory of Photography/Digital Culture. This will underpin the expansion of our current portfolio of taught programmes, research initiatives (including funded research), collaborations with external organisations and public engagement initiatives. The postholder will have expertise in the history, theories and cultures of photography and digital visual culture.

The Department combines world-class research activities and outputs with a strong teaching mission, and is situated in the School of Arts, a leading centre for critical and interdisciplinary work in the Arts and Humanities. This appointment will contribute to two of the School’s internationally acclaimed Research Centres. The History and Theory of Photography Research Centre facilitates interdisciplinary work in this area, particularly exploring the materiality of photography, and the various social, cultural and historical contexts in which it circulates. The Vasari Centre recently celebrated 25 years of digital arts research, and aims to extend the use of digital technologies and techniques which benefit the study of the arts; to develop and host innovative digital research projects; and to archive and maintain digital visual collections.