Assistant Professor for the Psychology of Conflict, Risk, and Safety Section
We are looking for an Assistant Professor who wants to help tackle today’s most pressing challenges to safety and resilience, from crime and crisis management to sustainability-related transitions and social conflict. In an interdisciplinary and internationally connected environment, you will address safety and resilience challenges through innovative and evidence-based approaches that make a real-world impact. Join us in shaping safer and more sustainable societies through cutting-edge research and education.
We are seeking an Assistant Professor to strengthen the Psychology of Conflict, Risk and Safety section at the University of Twente. The position focuses on understanding how people perceive, experience, and respond to threats to psychological, physical, societal, and environmental safety. These include a wide range of contemporary challenges such as crisis situations, (cyber)crime, risk communication, restorative justice, and sustainability-related issues including climate change and societal transitions. The successful candidate will contribute to an interdisciplinary and impact-oriented research agenda aimed at addressing safety and resilience challenges, using evidence-based, and where relevant technology-supported, approaches that strengthen resilience and promote safer and more sustainable societies. The role combines research and teaching within our Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in Psychology, as well as the Master’s programme in Risk Management, with a strong emphasis on connecting scientific insight to societal relevance and real-world impact.
Information and application
The interviews will be held on 16 and 17 July, 2026
About the department
The Psychology of Conflict, Risk and Safety section offers a cooperative and stimulating environment. Our work addresses the many threats to psychological, physical, societal, and environmental safety present in contemporary society, and their implications for individual and collective resilience.
Our research is strongly connected to practice through long-standing collaborations with national and international partners working in areas such as conflict management, mediation in judicial contexts, law enforcement, crisis governance, and digital safety. Examples include national crisis centres, police organisations and academies, ministries, municipalities, and institutes focused on secure digital societies.
Our work is further supported by advanced research and teaching infrastructure, in particular the BMSLab, which provides state-of-the-art facilities including virtual reality, eye tracking, physiological measurement tools, sociometry, automated emotion detection, and mobile lab capabilities. These resources enable innovative, data-driven, and technology-enhanced research designs as well as cutting-edge teaching practices.
We place strong value on the integration of research and education and on collaboration with societal stakeholders. Together, these elements create an environment where academic work contributes directly to addressing pressing societal challenges.
About the organisation
At the Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS), we unite the worlds of people and technology to address today’s complex societal challenges. We are passionate about understanding human behaviour, fostering responsible innovation, and designing solutions that create societal value. Our educational programmes span disciplines such as Psychology, Business Administration, Public Administration, Communication Sciences, Philosophy, Educational Sciences, and Health Sciences. Through our bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Professional Learning & Development programmes, and interdisciplinary research themes – including Emerging Technologies & Societal Transformations, Resilience, Smart Industry, Learning, and Health – we empower students and researchers to make a positive societal impact.
At BMS, we combine critical thinking with practical action. From advancing sustainable mobility with innovations like the world’s most efficient hydrogen car to shaping policies that promote digital inclusion, our work contributes to a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable future. Whether it’s exploring how technology influences human behaviour or leveraging data and innovation to transform industries and communities, we ensure that technology serves people – and not the other way around.
As an employer, BMS offers a vibrant, inclusive, and entrepreneurial environment where you can thrive personally and professionally. Join us and become part of a forward-thinking community that equips you to shape the future – for yourself and society. With us, you will become part of a leading technical university with increasing, positive social impact.
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