The Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC) at Northeast Normal University in Changchun, Jilin Province, P. R. China, invites applications for a full-time Visiting Professorship in Egyptology. The initial appointment will be fixed term from 1 September 2024 to 15 July 2025, with the possibility of extension for the following academic year.
Every year, IHAC invites up five visiting professors in the fields of Assyriology, Egyptology, Classics, Byzantine Studies, and Late Antique / Early Medieval Latin & History. IHAC has been established in 1984 and is the largest (and only) institute of this kind in China for the study of the Ancient Near East and Western Classics including Byzantine Studies and Late Antique & Early Medieval Studies. IHAC runs its own journal, the double-blind peer-reviewed Journal of Ancient Civilizations and has an up-to-date research library and access to important online databases.
The visiting professor will be expected to teach 4 courses [i.e., 8 hours] per week during the semester, all in English, and contribute to the research output and development of the institute. Semester dates are roughly 1 September to 10 January (winter) of the following year and 1 March to 1 July (summer), but these are subject to change depending on the lunar calendar; the Chinese holidays as well as the major national holidays of the appointee’s country will be observed. Salary will be approx. 7,000 RMB per month, and the university will also pay for and provide accommodation for the appointee and cover municipal expenses, such as electricity. Funding is also available for travel around China for academic purposes, and the university will pay for one round-trip flight from home country to Changchun. Health care will be provided by the university, but this does not cover the cost of prescriptions.
Northeast Normal University is located in the city of Changchun in Jilin Province. The city consists of about 9 million people and is home to a large number of universities. A ‘Normal’ University in China refers to a university for educating future teachers, and there are over one hundred normal universities in China, of which NENU is ranked no. 4. The world history department at NENU is among the top 3 in China, with IHAC as an integral part with independent structure. Living expenses are very reasonable in Changchun, and a single person will generally not spend more than 1,500 RMB per month on food. The climate is normally dry and sunny but has extreme winters (-20 °C) and summers (+25 °C).
Duties, responsibilities, and perspectives
The appointee will be responsible for designing and teaching courses to MA and PhD level students on the following subjects: Middle Egyptian, Late Egyptian, Hieratic, and Egyptian Civilization.. As we are developing Digital Humanities approaches at IHAC, expertise in this field is highly welcome, too. There is also the possibility for designing other courses upon agreement. It is also possible that the appointee may be asked to supervise students. All teaching is done in English. The appointee will also become one of the executive editors of the double-blind peer-reviewed Journal of Ancient Civilizations, which is accredited by the Chinese Social Science Citation Index, Scopus, and ERIH PLUS, among others. IHAC welcomes enthusiastic and passionate academics, strongly supports and appreciates initiatives within our team, and offers substantial support for own career plans and the institute’s development.
Duties and responsibilities:
Requirements
- a PhD in Egyptology, showing research and teaching in the field
- research experience and a publication record, both reflective of career stage
- experience and skills in digital humanities applications is desirable
- demonstrable commitment to high-quality teaching practice, and wide teaching scope in terms of content and didactics
- excellent command of English
- proficiency in the different source languages of the field (a variety modern research languages is desirable)
- editing experience is desirable
Chinese scholars are not permitted to apply for this position, and a preference will be given to experienced candidates.
Application
- deadline for applications: 21 April 2024
- (video-)interviews: first week of May 2024
All applications should be sent to Prof. Dr. Sven Günther (sveneca@aol.com / svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn).
Applications should be in English and contain the following: cover letter, CV, details of 2 academic referees (with email addresses), and a publication sample (a chapter from a PhD thesis is also acceptable).
Informal inquiries can also be made to Prof. Dr. Sven Günther (Classics / vice-director) (sveneca@aol.com / svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn).