CfA: Assistant Professor, Popular Visual Culture of Contemporary Japan

The Faculty of Liberal Arts (FLA), Sophia University, invites applications for a position in popular visual culture of contemporary Japan, in principle at the level of Assistant Professor. Assistant Professor is a maximum five-year tenure-track appointment. The successful applicant must have a Ph.D. in hand by May 31, 2024. The appointment begins in April or September 2025.

We seek applicants who specialize and have experience teaching in the fields of popular culture, visual culture, art history, or Japanese studies. The successful applicant will teach in the undergraduate Art History and Visual Culture field of the Comparative Culture area and in the Graduate Program in Global Studies. Teaching responsibilities will include: 1) an introductory course on popular visual culture of modern and contemporary Japan; 2) other courses that reflect the applicant’s research focus; 3) a required writing-intensive undergraduate course in critical thinking; and 4) one course in the Japanese Studies degree in the graduate program. The teaching load is four courses the first year, and five courses the next year, on a two-year rotation.

The language of instruction is English and competence in Japanese language is necessary. Professional and/or scholarly experience in Japan are assets, as is university administrative experience. Salary and benefits are based on Sophia School Corporation’s rules and regulations.

Sophia University, located in central Tokyo, was founded in 1913 by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and is one of Japan’s leading private universities. The FLA offers a comprehensive program in the humanities, international business and economics, and social studies. In addition to our degree students, we annually welcome exchange students from leading universities overseas. We also staff the Graduate Program in Global Studies, which offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Global Studies and Japanese Studies, and an M.A. degree in International Business and Development Studies.

Faculty must fulfill educational, research, and administrative duties in the operation of the department and faculty and participate in admissions duties in the FLA. Faculty must also carry out administrative duties required by Sophia University. Sophia University is committed to promoting gender balance through Positive Action, and we strongly encourage female candidates to apply.

Applications should include a cover letter (outlining academic background and research interests, teaching and administrative experience, and an explanation of interest in being at Sophia University and living in Japan); a detailed curriculum vitae; a minimum of 2 (maximum 4) publications; one syllabus for an introductory course on popular visual culture of modern and contemporary Japan and another syllabus for an upper-division course that reflects the applicant’s research interests; and the names, and email and postal addresses of three referees. Please ask the three referees to email their recommendations directly to the FLA office by May 24, 2024 (Japan Standard Time).

Applications should be submitted online by May 24, 2024 (JST), and on-campus interviews will be scheduled on a Wednesday or a Saturday between mid-June and July 3. To start the application process, please create an applicant account by accessing the following link:
https://forms.office.com/r/7uBEcRbwjK

For inquiries, email Professor Angela Yiu, Dean of the FLA.

For further information about our programs, please see:
Faculty of Liberal Arts: https://www.sophia.ac.jp/eng/program/undergraduate_c/UG_LA/index.html
Graduate Program in Global Studies: https://www.sophia.ac.jp/eng/gpgs/