Doctoral Researcher under the topic Textiles for planetary emergency

Background

Doctoral Researcher in Fashion/Textile FUTURES research group in Aalto university, in collaboration with Swedish School of Textiles and Aalto Bioinnovation Center

Aalto university and Fashion/Textile FUTURES research group

The School of Arts, Design and Architecture in Aalto university is an institution of higher education for design, media, architecture, motion picture, art education and art. The school produces specialists and innovators with strong artistic and technical skills. The QS Rankings put Aalto ARTS to 6th place in the world in year 2023. The Department of Design is part of School of Arts, Design and Architecture, located on the Otaniemi campus, Espoo. Our research is at the international forefront in sustainable design, practice-based design research, human-centered design and co-design. Our research environment enables and our culture encourages goal-oriented research, imaginative experiments, critical discussion, and transdisciplinary collaboration.

The Fashion/Textile FUTURES research group explores new perspectives on sustainability and approaches the field of fashion, clothing and textiles in multi-faceted ways. A strong research focus is on systemic sustainable transformation in fashion and textiles industry, business, design and consumer behaviour especially in the circular economy context, but group members’ research activities and strengths also encompass material-based research, aesthetics and creativity studies, practice-based research, and strategic fashion and textile management.

The Swedish School of Textiles

The Swedish School of Textiles is a hub for development within the textile and fashion sector through its educational programmes at the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and doctoral levels in artistic fashion and textile design and technology, business, and management, as well as through its research activities and close collaboration with business and industry. The Swedish School of Textiles conducts extensive research regarding textile materials engineering, polymeric textile fibres, textile reinforcement for composites, smart textiles, textile management, and textile design. 

BIC Aalto Bioinnovation Center  

Aalto University established a Bioinnovation Center BIC in 2022 with the aim to accelerate the transition to a circular economy and bioeconomy, and to create opportunities for sustainable economic growth. Solving today’s and tomorrow’s challenges of sustainable product development based on renewable materials requires a multidisciplinary expertise and holistic understanding of the bioinnovation concept in the context of circular economy. Aalto University has started an interdisciplinary doctoral school using the viewpoints of technology, design and business to address these challenges. The Bioinnovation Center is a multi- and interdisciplinary research and learning center to provide Finland and the world with the most recent research knowledge in its field. In addition, top-class experts as well as product and service concepts that combine innovative design and technology with business modelling in a sustainable manner is provided.  

We are now announcing a shared doctoral researcher position in design with a specialisation in textile design.  We are looking for talented and exceptionally motivated student that is eager to pursue their doctoral studies in a multidisciplinary environment aiming to combine biobased material innovation and speculative/critical textile design.

The doctoral position aims to strengthen the collaborations between Aalto University and The Swedish School of Textiles, University of Borås. The research will be conducted under the topic of Textiles for planetary emergency as part of the Bioinnovation center theme(s). Selected doctoral researcher will share their time between Aalto University Finland and University of Borås Sweden.

Note:

Before hired, the candidate must pass the general selection of doctoral students in the department of design. Thus, applicants to this position must also apply to the ARTS Doctoral Programme via our general call. The call for Aalto Doctoral Programme opens on February 13th.

Please state your interest in this position (Doctoral Researcher under the topic Textiles for planetary emergency) on the header of your letter of motivation. You can find more information about the ARTS Doctoral Programme following the link below: 

Aalto Doctoral Programme in Arts, Design and Architecture | Aalto University

Job description

Research in design in the field of textiles and fashion means artistic design research with a strong focus on, both theoretically and practically, deepening understanding of the interplay between analysis and synthesis in the design process as a basis for developing design methodology, techniques, and programmes. The research approach is mainly experimental and focused on design in which the development of methodology, programs, and techniques presupposes critical experimental artistic work.

In this time of planetary emergency, we have to imagine and create new ways of designing, producing and consuming fibres, textiles, colours and products. It is not enough to do ”what we already do better. It is a question of doing different things in completely different ways”. This research will contribute to understanding textile design processes when designing applications for bioeconomic systems in the context of sustainability. Envisioning, exploring and prototyping material futures through cross- and interdisciplinary approaches expands knowledge on how design research can inspire and enhance the development of circular bioeconomic systems. Through speculative prototypes, it is possible to test the industry’s interest towards new materials and alternative ways of designing and manufacturing textiles in the future.

Partner institutions:

Aalto University, Finland

University of Borås, Sweden

A doctoral researcher position means pursuing doctoral education at 100% of full-time in 4 years.

Qualifications

Applicants must have a Master’s degree in textile design, fashion design, interaction design or equivalent. In addition, good oral and written proficiency in English, good collaborative and initiative-taking skills, and the ability to work independently and in a structured way are required. 

Applicants should also have the potential and interest to participate in the development of the artistic research environment at the University of Borås and activities in Fashion/Textile Futures research group and Bioinnovation center in Aalto university. Position will be located in Fashion/textile FUTURES research group and interdisciplinary doctoral school by BIC in Aalto university.

It is a merit if you have previous experience of and/or participation in research projects/experimentation.

NOTE: Employment takes place under the condition that the applicant fulfils the requirements and is accepted as a doctoral student.

Ready to apply?

We kindly ask you to submit the following application materials through our recruitment system by 7th of March 2024  (Eastern European time, UTC +2).

Note: If you are already an employee in Aalto University, please search internal jobs and apply using your employee profile.

The following application materials should be submitted in English (in the pdf format):

– A personal letter with a short explanation for your application, specifying the position for which you are applying

–CV (overview list of education and work experience in chronological order) with reference contact information

– Scanned colour copy of the original Master’s degree certificate* and the diploma supplement (when applicable). Name the file according to this format: Degree-certificate-lastname-firstname.

– Scanned colour copy of the original official transcript of study records. Name the fileaccording to format: Transcript-lastname-firstname.

– If your degree certificate and the official transcript of records are not in Finnish, Swedish or English, scanned colour copies of authorised translations. Name the file according to format: Translation-transcript-lastname.

– Research plan, including a schedule for the studies to be completed (study plan), schedule for doctoral thesis, and possible work plan & schedule for artistic components. Name the file according to format: Research-plan-lastname-firstname.

– Copy of a valid passport or an official government-issued identification card with photo and information on citizenship. Upload a copy only of the personal information page of the passport (not all pages). Name the file according to format: Passport-lastname-firstname.

– Design portfolio (electronic). Name the file according to format: Portfolio-lastname-firstname.  If relevant in your case: the required documents pertaining to your language proficiency

ONLY five attachments are accepted, please combine documents, but please name the pdf-files accordingly

More information about application materials can be found here

Application documents are assessed on the basis of the ability to satisfactorily conduct doctoral education in the field of textile and fashion design and the interest of the proposed research approach. Please notice that applicants without suitable background in design will not be considered in this position. Please also notice that research plan which has topic suitable for this call needs to be constructed and added in the application materials.

More information about the position:

Associate Professor Kirsi Niinimäki, kirsi.niinimaki(at)aalto.fi or Associate Professor Pirjo Kääriäinen pirjo.kaariainen[at]aalto.fi

In recruitment related questions, please contact HR Partner Katju Helminen, katju.helminen(at)aalto.fi

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