POSITION AS PHD RESEARCH FELLOW, Akershus University College postgraduate phd

Akershus University College is a leading university college within its academic specialities both nationally and internationally. The University College offers 13 Bachelor degree programmes and 5 Master degree programmes, as well as a wide range of adult education and further education courses. The University College has approximately 3900 students and almost 300 employees. It is located in modern buildings at Lillestrøm, closely linked to the research environment at Kjeller.

At the Faculty of Product Design two positions as PhD Research Fellow are available. At present the staff consists of 21 employees, 10 of whom are Professors and Associate Professors. The Faculty’s skills area is marked by concerns relating to materials, processes and aesthetics seen in a global, cultural and consumer and markets-related perspective.
Description

The Faculty of Product Design has recently revised its research programme, and intends to strengthen its research and development activity. The programme, Product Design: Materiality, Processes and the Future Environment aims at developing knowledge, insight and skills in product design within its specialist areas. Research programme: http://www.hiak.no/index.php?ID=2795

The focus areas are:
• materials, concepts and environment
• methodology
• user, designer and client perspectives
• aesthetic practice and cultural diversity

Within these topics, social, commercial and emotional factors could be subject to investigation. Topics could touch on or interact with each other. Projects will produce results on the practical and methodological but also on the theoretical and pedagogical level, and artefacts, products and methods as well as pure analyses.

Specific projects should relate to:
• systems and product development promoting sustainable products
• the relation between sensory experience and concept development in the design process
• aesthetic practice as a factor in creating communication and meaning
• design as a focus area in a health professions context

The PhD Fellowship
The fellowship is financed on a 50/50% basis by Campus Kjeller (www.campuskjeller.no) and Akershus University College for a period of four years. Campus Kjeller AS is the Technology Transfer Office of Akerhus University College.

Area of responsibility and work tasks
The position comprises 25% teaching at the faculty.

The purpose of the fellowship is to complete a PhD degree. The task consists of working out a final project description in cooperation with the academic staff, attending a doctoral course and finally executing the PhD project. The contents of the project should comply with the Research Programme of the faculty, and should aim at creating a design method to facilitate the utilization of technology as a component in improving quality of life through commercial products. The research project should be coordinated with projects carried out at Campus Kjeller. These are research projects carried out in close collaboration with the research institutes at Kjeller, as well as entrepreneurial and innovation projects.
Conditions
Admission to a relevant PhD programme within 6 months is a condition for the engagement
Benefits

We offer
• a creative R&D environment
• good workshops and other working facilities

For additional information about conditions and how to apply, please visit this page:

http://www.hiak.no/index.php?ID=1723?=nor

For futher information about the Faculty:
• General information (in Norwegian): http://www.hiak.no/index.php?ID=1132
• Bachelor: http://www.hiak.no/productdesignbachelor
• Master: http://www.hiak.no/productdesign
Akershus University College

The Faculty of Product Design
Kunnskapsveien 55
2001 – Oslo / Lillestrøm
Akershus – NORWAY
phone +47 928 83563
mobile +47 995 07023
email nina.leira@hiak.no
http://www.hiak.no/index.php?ID=1723?=nor