Multiple Faculty Positions

Multiple Faculty Positions

Application deadline: open until filled

Start date: 15 August 2023

The School of Advanced Studies (SAS) at the University of Tyumen, Siberia, is a groundbreaking, interdisciplinary international research center and educational institution (BA) that operates in the English language.

We invite applications for full-time faculty positions starting 2023-2024 academic year. We have a capacity to hire up to 10 new faculty in a variety of disciplines including economics, statistics, sociology, anthropology, cinema and media studies, history, literature, art history and science and technology studies. We may also consider faculty working in psychology, theater and performance, and other disciplines, as we always strive to expand the breadth of our educational offerings.

This year, we specifically encourage the applications of candidates who may consider the concept of “crisis” as an axis or a major theme in their potential interdisciplinary research projects they may want to do with faculty from different disciplines. We use the term “crisis” in a wider-than-usual sense of the term and with reference to its etymological roots: a situation that simultaneously signifies a mode of indeterminacy as much as overdetermination, i.e., not as an expression of a mere negativity but also, and more importantly, of anticipating and determining possible futures from within the existing uncertainties.

WHAT AND WHERE IS SAS?

Opened in 2017, SAS serves as an international benchmark for universities across Russia. It presently employs international faculty from 11 countries, most of whom teach full time and reside in Tyumen. SAS does not have academic departments and promotes interdisciplinarity in both research and education. Our faculty particularly appreciate talented and motivated students who genuinely invest in academic pursuits and mostly continue to prestigious MA programs in Russian and Europe after they graduate.

Tyumen is a prosperous provincial city with a progressive outlook and numerous daily flights to Moscow and St Petersburg. Excellent cultural amenities, medical infrastructure and retail outlets, as well as a compact city center where all SAS faculty reside create a reputation of Tyumen as the “most comfortable city in Russia.” The more intimate view of Tyumen and SAS beautiful building is available on the SAS website.

Due to a lack of familiarity with our location and ethos for many prospective candidates, we are offering Q&A sessions (via Zoom) with our team. This informal discussion will provide clarity and reassurance on multiple issues concerning location, language, relocation, and SAS’s mission. Please contact Fedor Gook (job.sas@utmn.ru) if you are interested in joining us to chat about any questions you might have.

SAS EDUCATIONAL MODEL

SAS BA program has 7 majors (film and media studies, economics, IT, cultural studies, sociology and anthropology, philosophy, and international relations). Our educational model is characterized by late choice of major, extensive interdisciplinary core curriculum, small class sizes, abundance of elective courses and interactive learning. We are committed to the values of transformative, interdisciplinary education, as well as academic integrity, meritocracy, and intellectual challenge. Our course structure gives students diverse opportunities for learning, blending core lectures with small seminars, independent academic work, and group projects.

TEACHING EXPECTATIONS

The SAS Academic year is taught over four eight-week quarters. While the dates change slightly each year, the teaching terms for the 2022-23 academic year are as follows:

Quarter 1:        September 1 to October 21

Quarter 2:        October 31 to December 23

Quarter 3:        January 31 to March 25

Quarter 4:        April 18 to June 11

SAS faculty normally teach a mixture of courses in their area of specialization, in the Core Curriculum, and offerings related to their current research. Each faculty member is required to co-teach one interdisciplinary course a year together with one or several faculty from other disciplines. As SAS believes in intensive communication outside classrooms and aims to create a lively community of students and faculty, teaching is primarily done offline.

You can expect to teach 5 courses, or the equivalent, across four quarters. A typical course consists of three 90-minute classes a week across eight weeks. The teaching workload includes course content preparation, marking of assessments, and provision of individual feedback to students, as well as supervising students’ undergraduate theses, where appropriate to their specialization.

While the above teaching load is standard, individual arrangements, including appointments for a portion of an academic year, can be negotiated.

RESEARCH EXPECTATIONS

Most SAS professors are also active researchers. Faculty with research-intensive appointments will be expected to join an interdisciplinary research team at SAS and to complete research that will lead to at least one publication, per year, in a qualified international peer-reviewed journal or another significant research output at a comparable disciplinary standard for their field.

REQUIREMENTS OF APPLICANTS

• Candidates must have a PhD (or due to receive their degree by 31 July 2023) from an internationally recognized university. A track record of publications or a promising research agenda is required for research-intensive appointments. Candidates should have some teaching experience, preferably at the undergraduate level. Candidates must have fluent English; spoken Russian is not required. Candidates must be able to work in teams and with students. Candidates must be ready to commit to residency in Tyumen for a significant part of the academic year (depending on the teaching arrangement).

CONTRACTS BEING OFFERED BY SAS

SAS offers one-year and three-year contracts for full-time faculty appointments that include the possibility of unlimited renewals (n.b. Russia does not have a tenure system).

SALARY

SAS offers monthly salaries of up to 200,000 rubles (after taxes, ca. 3300 USD) for research-intensive positions with a standard teaching load. Our salaries are among the highest in Russia for university professors. While this may seem low when comparing across currencies, the cost of living and local conditions must be taken into consideration. For assistance in this regard, consult the cost of living calculator at Numbeo. Our faculty can also supplement their salaries via research grants and occasional teaching outside SAS.

BENEFITS

• Annual, individual research funds to support international travel, conferences, and other expenses. An official Invitation for a Highly Qualified Specialist work visa and guidance through visa processing (including family members). One month’s rent in an apartment hotel upon initial arrival and assistance in locating a suitable apartment for long-term rent. Incoming flight costs for initial relocation. Basic and supplemental medical insurance coverage. Russian language instruction (if desired).

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply, please, provide the following:

1. Your CV. A detailed cover letter that outlines your experience and explains your desired role at SAS in terms of both courses you could teach and research you would be interested in doing. For non-native speakers of English: proof of your fluency in the English language. Three letters of recommendation. Applicants should send their letters via Interfolio OR have their referees submit them directly to SAS.

Please email your application and arrange for your recommendations to be sent to job.sas@utmn.ru.

The review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. Early applications are encouraged as paperwork and visa application process take several months.

Preliminary interviews for suitable candidates will be conducted online.