[FOM] JOB: professorship on the Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science

[Joao Marcos]

A colleague wrote a wonderful advertise (see below) for some of the
(permanent) positions presently open at my university.  One of these
is on the *Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science*.  UFRN is one
of the very few universities in Brazil where logicians may be found at
the departments of Informatics, Philosophy and Mathematics (and even
the present rector of the university used to work as a logician).  We
would very much welcome another logician to strengthen our ranks.

The topics for the written exam and for the didactics exam may be found at:
  http://tinyurl.com/DIMAp-FMC
As you can see, we are looking for someone with a solid background on
Universal Algebra and Set Theory, and willing to teach Discrete Math
to undergrad computer science students.

The initial salaries are pretty competitive, and range around 4,000
USD / 3,000 EUR a month.

Candidates should feel free to write directly to me in case of any
doubts.  Best,
Joao Marcos


---------- Forwarded message ----------

We would like to announce the opening of two faculty positions at
UFRN, the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, in Brazil. The
positions are at DIMAp, the Department of Informatics and Applied
Mathematics. One position is for Mathematical Foundations of Computer
Science; the other for Numerical Methods, with a bias towards
Scientific Computing. The selection process is through a formal
concours. The caveat is that some knowledge of Portuguese is required
in the concours. However, as you will see in the detailed information
below, you may find it worthwhile to go through the burden.


Teaser about Natal: Natal, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do
Norte, is located at a northeast corner of Brazil, 5º South of the
Equator line. As such, the city is sunny all year around though with
an amenable weather due to winds blowing from the ocean. With amazing
beaches of warm water both in the city itself and nearby, it has been
a paradise for foreign tourists. In the last decades it has received a
considerable amount of Europeans, that decided to leave here, such as
Germans, Italians, Spaniards among others. With a population of around
1 million inhabitants, it is provided with the infrastructure of a
large but not too large city on the one hand, and with the fun of a
resort on the other. There are plenty of interesting restaurants
offering typical Brazilian, international and regional northeast food,
from seafood to a rich variety of tropical fruits and their juices.
More information can be found in
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natal,_Rio_Grande_do_Norte.


About UFRN and DIMAp: UFRN, the Federal University of Rio Grande do
Norte, is located in a central point at the east side of Natal,
backing the Parque das Dunas, a large area of natural preservation
between the city and the coastal line. It is a well regarded
university in Brazil with active departments in most areas of
knowledge. DIMAp, the Department of Informatics and Applied
Mathematics, hosts undergraduate programs in Computer Science and in
Software Engineering. It maintains close ties with the departments of
Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Engineering and Automation, the
School of Sciences and Technology, the Institute of Neurosciences, and
the so called Institute Metrópole Digital, the entrance point to
undergraduate students in Informatics. Its Graduate Program in Systems
and Computation is active in areas such as Mathematical Foundations of
Computer Science, Logic, Theory of Computation, Languages, Artificial
Intelligence, Machine Learning, Algorithms, Computer Graphics, Image
Processing and Scientific Computing, to cite only those areas more
closely related to the positions we are announcing. You can find about
DIMAp at http://dimap.ufrn.br/en (most of the information is in
Portuguese) and about UFRN at http://www.ufrn.br.


About the position of Mathematical Foundations of Computing: The exams
will check proficiency on topics related to: Modular Arithmetic;
Recurrence Relations; Counting; Set Theory; Order and Equivalence
Relations; Well-founded Relations; Lattices; Universal Algebra; First
Order Logic; Computability. For more details see
http://www.sistemas.ufrn.br/shared/verArquivo?idArquivo=2173029&key=8b8b90932e743d4f139a677534e9165c


About the position of Numerical Methods (with a bias towards
Scientific Computing): The exams will check proficiency on topics
related to: Errors; Real Zeros of Functions; Solution of Linear and
Non-linear Equation Systems; Interpolation and Polynomial
Approximation; Least Squares Curve Fitting; Numerical Differentiation
and Integration; Solution of Ordinary Differential Equations;
Stochastic Simulation; Monte Carlo and Markov Methods; Discrete
Fourier Transform, FFT, Wavelets; Optimization, Optimality Conditions.
For the didactic exam the candidate will be required to prepare and
give a lecture on applications or related topics to the
aforementioned. For more details see
http://www.sistemas.ufrn.br/shared/verArquivo?idArquivo=2173027&key=f30a0f7d4e386a2e66034ddda2f0aee9


Earnings: The initial monthly salary (as of October, 2014) is R$
8,717.64 (Brazilian Reals), with an extra 13th salary granted by law,
45 days vacation a year, stability after a probationary period of 36
months (not really like an US tenure track scare) and a career plan
which I, of course, would not try to explain here even if I fully
understood it.


Duties and research: If you are selected and take either position, you
will be required to teach 8 to 12 hours a week during regular
semesters (8 hours if you join the graduate program) in the area of
the concours, plus some expected service to the department. You will
be free to decide about your research activities, though, of course,
we would much appreciate collaboration with other faculty members and
established groups.

The selection process: The selection process (concours) requires the
physical presence of the candidates for a period of usually less than
a week, and is composed of a) Written exam; b) Didactic exam
(preparing and teaching a lecture with the topic chosen 24 hours
before the lecture); c Defense of a Descriptive Memorial of past
academic and professional achievements and future plans as a faculty
member; d) Analysis of Academic Production. The prospective candidate
is urged to read carefully the detailed regulations ("Edital") of the
selection process available at
http://progesp.ufrn.br/concurso.php?id=138017776.


Dates: Once the application process is finished, the organizing
committees will decide the more convenient dates to run the exams and
the calendar will be publicized (starting November 28, 2014) at
www.progesp.ufrn.br (Menu Concursos) e www.sigrh.ufrn.br (Menu
Concursos). This period, which as we mentioned above is typically of
about one week, will be between December 08 and December 23, 2014. The
candidate is required to be physically present during this period to
participate in the process.


A note on the language requirement: Unfortunately, it is a requirement
due to internal regulations of the University that the written test be
in Portuguese. So you will need some proficiency to be able to
understand the questions.


The application process: The application should be made from October
06 to October 30, 2014 (Brazilian time) at www.sigrh.ufrn.br (Menu
Concursos). In order to apply for the Numerical Methods (Scientific
Computing) choose "Cálculo Numérico"; for Mathematical Foundations of
Computing choose "Ciência da Computação". Payment of a fee of R$
220.00 will be required.


Once you are selected: You will be required to validate your diplomas
for graduate and undergraduate studies before taking the position, but
we can help you on that when the times come.


Give it a try! Our best advice in case you are at least considering
applying is that you plan for a three weeks vacation in Natal,
starting at the beginning of December. In any case you won't regret.


Contacts:

For general inquires about this announcement you can contact Carlos A.
Prolo at prolo at dimap.ufrn.br

For the position in Mathematical Foundations of Computing, contact
João Marcos at jmarcos at dimap.ufrn.br

For the position in Numerical Methods, contact Bruno Motta de Carvalho
at bruno at dimap.ufrn.br

Department Chair: Nélio Cacho at chefia_dimap at dimap.ufrn.br


Best Regards and I hope to see you around in December


Carlos A. Prolo

DIMAp/UFRN