Visiting Professorship in Assyriology and Hittitology
IHAC, NENU, Changchun (China)
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 Assyriology and Hittitology. The appointment will be fixed term from 1 September 2019 to 15 July 2020, with the possibility of an extension for the following year, depending on positive assessment and mutual consent.
Every year, IHAC invites three to five visiting professors in the fields of Egyptology, Assyriology, and Classics. The institute has been established for the past 35 years and is the largest in China for the study of the Ancient Near East and Western Classics. IHAC has its own journal, the double blind peer-reviewed The Journal of Ancient Civilizations (http://www.hsozkult.de/journals/id/zeitschriften-684) as well as a profound and up-to-date research library.
The visiting professor will be expected to teach 4 courses [i.e. 8 hours] per semester week, all in English, and contribute to the research output and development of the institute. Term dates are roughly 1 September to 10July of the following year, 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 6,000 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 (http://en.nenu.edu.cn/) is located in the city of Changchun in Jilin Province. The city consists of about 7 million people and is home to a large number of universities. A ‘normal’ university in China refers to a university for future teachers, and there are over one hundred normal universities in China, of which NENU is ranked no. 4. The world history 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 1,000 RMB per month on food. The climate is normally dry, but has extreme winters (-20c) and summers (+25c).
Duties, responsibilities and perspectives
The appointee will be responsible for designing and teaching courses to MA- and PhD-level students on the following subjects: Akkadian, Sumerian, Hittite, ANE History and Culture, all in close cooperation with Chinese staff and the section of Egyptology. 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 executive editor of the double blind peer reviewed-department journal, The Journal of Ancient Civilizations, which is accredited by the Chinese Social Science Citation Index and Thomson Reuters-Web of Science. IHAC welcomes enthusiastic and passionate academics, strongly supports and appreciates initiatives within our team, and offers profound and substantial support for own career plans and institute’s development.
Requirements:
- A PhD in Assyriology and/or Hittitology or a related field
- Research experience and a publication record, both reflective of career stage
- Demonstrable commitment to high-quality teaching practice, and wide teaching scope in terms of content and didactics
- Excellent command of English
- Proficiency in Akkadian, Sumerian and Hittite (it is currently not possible to teach other Ancient Near Eastern languages)
- Editing experience desirable
Chinese scholars are not permitted to apply for this position, and a preference will be given to experienced candidates.
Application:
Deadline for applications: 20 February 2019
(Video-)Interviews: 1-5 March 2019
All applications have to be sent to Prof. Dr. Sven Günther, M.A. (sveneca@aol.com / svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn).
Applications should be in English and contain the following: cover letter, CV, details of 2 referees with email addresses, and a publication sample (a chapter from a PhD thesis is also acceptable).
Informal inquires can also be made to Prof. Dr. Sven Günther, M.A. (sveneca@aol.com / svenguenther@nenu.edu.cn).