Multiple Faculty Positions

Start date: 15 August 2022

The School of Advanced Studies (SAS) invites applications for full-time faculty positions for the 2022-2023 academic year. Anticipating up to 10 new faculty appointments, SAS is looking for academics to join our dynamic, international faculty in Art History, Biopsychology, Bioinformatics (Dynamic Modelling, Applied Statistics), Comparative Literature, Computer Science (Systems Analysis, AI, ML), Cultural Studies, Economics, Film and Media Studies, Higher Education, History of Science and Technology, Sociology. We are also interested in hiring a student theatre director who could teach performance arts.

WHAT AND WHERE IS SAS?

A recent addition to the University of Tyumen (Siberia), SAS is a groundbreaking, interdisciplinary research center and educational institution (Bachelor and Master level) that operates entirely in the English language and occupies its own building at the heart of the city with a unique atmosphere. Opened in 2017, as a recipient of the prestigious funding from the Russian Government (5-100 Project), SAS serves as an international benchmark for universities across Russia and presently employs 18 full-time faculty from 13 countries. Following the successful graduations of our first Bachelor and Master student cohorts, we are now looking to grow both student and staff numbers.

We are interested in recruiting academics who are committed to both research and teaching, who believe in the power of complex conversations across disciplinary boundaries, and who are willing to enthusiastically engage with the dynamic approach to teaching and learning that is central to work and study at SAS.

This is a rare chance to develop your research and teaching within an interdisciplinary environment at an innovative Russian educational institution. Tyumen is a prosperous provincial city with a progressive outlook and numerous daily flights to Moscow and St Petersburg. Cultural amenities, medical infrastructure, numerous restaurants, cafes, and bars, as well as retail outlets, combine with natural surroundings that include famous hot springs and make Tyumen the “most comfortable city in Russia.” For the list of amenities, check out the official city website; for the intimate feel of the city as experienced by SAS students, see the video they produced.

Due to a lack of familiarity with our location and ethos for many prospective candidates, we are offering weekly 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: AN INNOVATIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY MODEL

Transcending traditional single-discipline research approaches and academic departments, SAS’ faculty is organized around interdisciplinary research projects. SAS research program seeks to contribute to the discussion about the fundamental problems that emerge at the intersections of humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Incoming faculty either join existing research projects or organize their own. The interdisciplinary conversation begins at the Project Design Sessions, in which short-listed faculty candidates are invited to participate.

This broader vision for research at SAS aligns with our Bachelor’s and Master’s education, which is modeled on a liberal arts and sciences paradigm. We are committed to the values of transformative, interdisciplinary education that still retains a necessary depth of knowledge in individual subjects. Our course structure gives students diverse opportunities for learning, blending core lectures with small seminars, independent academic work, and group projects. We currently have seven majors and eight minors in the Bachelor’s program as well as one Master’s program in Experimental Higher Education, and we plan to open more in the future.

TEACHING EXPECTATIONS

The SAS Academic year is taught over four eight-week quarters. The teaching terms for the 2021-22 academic year are as follows.

Quarter 1:     September 1 to October 23

Quarter 2:     November 1 to December 25

Quarter 3:     January 31 to March 26

Quarter 4:     April 18 to June 11

SAS faculty teach a mixture of courses in their area of specialization, in the Core Curriculum, and offerings related to their current research. Courses are taught both individually and in shared formats. The vast majority of classes are taught as seminars with a class size of 20 students or less.

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 providing individual feedback to students.

During the teaching terms, faculty commit to being available to all students, on campus, for 60 to 90 minutes a week, in our “Professor in the Box” tutor system.

SAS faculty are also expected to supervise students’ undergraduate theses, where appropriate to their specialization.

RESEARCH EXPECTATIONS

All our professors are also active researchers. In addition to teaching commitments, you will be expected to join a research team at SAS and to complete research that will lead to at least one publication, per year, in an international peer-reviewed journal (indexed in Web of Science Core Collection or Scopus Q1/Q2) or another significant research output at a comparable disciplinary standard for your field.

REQUIREMENTS OF APPLICANTS

Candidates must have a PhD (or be due to receive their degree by 31 July 2022) from an internationally recognized university.

A track record of publications or a promising research agenda is required.

Candidates should ideally have some teaching experience, preferably at the undergraduate level.

Candidates must have fluent English; knowledge of Russian is not required.

Candidates must be able to work in teams and with students.

Candidates must be ready to relocate to Tyumen to take up the position.

CONTRACTS BEING OFFERED BY SAS

SAS offers three-year contracts for full-time faculty appointments that include the possibility of unlimited renewals (n.b. there is nothing comparable to tenure in Russia).

We also anticipate offering several shorter-term “visiting faculty” contracts for January to June 2022 to help suitable international academics more fully understand the job and the geographical location, in advance of a long-term commitment.

One-year positions will also be considered for 2022-23.

SALARY

Our salaries are determined individually and are among the highest in Russia for university professors. Our faculty also supplement their salaries via Russian and European research grants.

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 rental (well-appointed apartments walking distance from SAS are available for 25-40k rubles per month).
• Basic and supplemental medical insurance coverage.
• Russian language instruction.

APPLICATION PROCESS

As stated, all candidates are invited to join us for an informal Q&A session in advance of their application to talk through any questions about living and working in Russia. Prospective applicants should also explore the SAS website to gain a clearer understanding of our approach to education and research.

To apply, provide the following:

• Your CV.
• A detailed cover letter that outlines your experience in teaching and research and clarifies your suitability for a position at SAS.
• 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 closing date for this application round is October 10, 2021. Complete applications will be reviewed upon submission, so applicants are encouraged to apply early.

Preliminary interviews for suitable candidates will be conducted online during September and October 2021. Short-listed candidates will be invited to attend a one-week Project Design Session (PDS) at the SAS campus in Tyumen on December 10-14, 2021.