University of Bristol seeks 'eureka moments' associate dean

The University of Bristol is inviting applicants for the brand new post of "associate dean of eureka moments".

The successful applicant will lead the university's new School of Social and Clinical Medicine.

The university said it came up with the alternative job title in a bid to capture people's imaginations and attract "extraordinary" candidates.

Prof Jonathan Sandy, university dean, said: "It's there to attract attention and it's certainly worked."

In its ad, posted last Friday, the university is seeking an "inspirational educational leader" to build on its "established reputation as a pioneering powerhouse".

The word "eureka" comes from an ancient Greek word meaning "I have found (it)" and is attributed to scholar Archimedes who reportedly exclaimed it while stepping into a bath and noticing that the water level rose.

This led to his discovery of the law of hydrostatics, stating that a body immersed in fluid loses weight equal to the amount of fluid it displaces.

Prof Sandy, dean of medicine and dentistry, said the successful candidate would not actually hold the title, but "may if they want to".

The rather more conventional title of associate dean of social and clinical medicine will be on offer for those who decline it.

Prof Sandy said the job title was the idea of recruitment agents to make people "stop and think".

He said: "It's to get people to look beyond the associate dean title because it's a really exciting opportunity."

"I've no idea yet what the response has been.

"But we're expecting to get some very strange applicants, but then we get completely inappropriate applicants anyway."