Research Assistant Professor

Lingnan University is one of the eight publicly funded institutions in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and has the longest established tradition among the local institutions of higher education. It is widely recognised for providing quality education with a focus on whole-person development and conducting high-impact research for a better world. Moving forward, Lingnan University is well positioned to take lead as a comprehensive university in arts and sciences in the digital era, with impactful research and innovations. 

Lingnan University offers undergraduate, taught postgraduate, and research postgraduate programmes in the Faculties of Arts, Business, Social Sciences, and the Schools of Data Science, Graduate Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies. To foster interdisciplinary collaboration and scientific progress, Lingnan University established the Lingnan University Institute for Advanced Study (LUIAS), attracting distinguished scholars from around the world to collaborate with its faculty and students. With traditional strengths in arts, business, social sciences, and interdisciplinary studies, the University aims to equip students with practical knowledge and critical thinking skills to thrive in the future. Subsequent to the establishment of the School of Data Science and LUIAS, Lingnan University is transforming into a hub for global leaders to develop and promote human-centric technology and social policies. Further information about Lingnan University is available at https://www.ln.edu.hk/. 

Applications are now invited for the following post: 

Research Assistant Professor
Department of English
(Post Ref.: 26/24/C) 

The Department of English (https://www.ln.edu.hk/eng) is at the forefront of addressing the complexities of English studies in a global, mediated, and multilingual environment. We are excited to announce that we are growing and actively seeking new staff members who are passionate about shaping the future of English studies. 

Our department boasts of strong research capabilities in areas such as modern literature, discourse analysis, multimodality research, and sociolinguistics. We produce critical, timely, and impactful research on digital discourse and linguistics, digital humanities, as well as theories of aesthetics and politics, significantly contributing to our understanding of language, culture, and communication in both local and global contexts. Our dedicated faculty members bring diverse interests, ranging from global modernist literatures to the nuances of language in media, creating a stimulating academic atmosphere. 

We are particularly proud of our pioneering Master’s programme in Digital English Studies (https://www.ln.edu.hk/eng/mades), which directly addresses the profound shifts brought about by digital technologies and AI tools. Our innovative curriculum uniquely integrates rigorous training in traditional English studies with practical, hands-on expertise in digital tools for solving real-world challenges. By fostering digital competence and intercultural understanding, we empower our students to enhance creativity and productivity while navigating the ethical challenges of a digitally mediated world. 

As we expand our team, we invite talented individuals who share our commitment to excellence in teaching and research to apply. With our internationally recognized achievements in research, the Department of English offers a vibrant and supportive environment for faculty to thrive and explore the intersections of language and culture.                                         

Requirements

The Department seeks to appoint a Research Assistant Professor. Candidates should have:

• A PhD in English linguistics or literature by the start of the appointment, a record of publications, preferably in leading journals, and demonstrated capacity to obtain governmental grants
• Ideally, obtained/been conferred a PhD degree or an equivalent qualification for no more than five years prior to the commencement of the appointment. The appointee is expected to publish scholarly outputs in respectable refereed international journals, and apply for competitive peer-reviewed grants offered by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council, other local/overseas competitive grants and/or fellowship schemes
• Teaching experience at both undergraduate and taught master’s programme levels, as well as recipient of external grants (e.g. from a government body) is a definite advantage 

Research: The Research Assistant Professor will (i) carry out research and submit papers to top journals (e.g., including 3*/4*-ranked journals as per the current departmental journal list), (ii) submit grant proposals to various funding bodies, (iii) organize seminars, reading groups, workshops or other related research activities (especially in relation to new departmental initiatives).

Teaching: The teaching load will be three courses per year, distributed according to the needs of the Department and upon mutual agreement. The appointee may be required to teach and develop courses on both undergraduate and taught postgraduate level, and to supervise students' capstone projects. Potential courses to be taught may include: sociolinguistics in the digital era, AI and intercultural communication, creativity and Human-machine interaction, digital stylistics, AI in literature and film, and multimedia storytelling.

Service: The appointee will perform administrative duties as assigned by the Head of Department in accordance with the current guidelines. 

Salary and Benefits

The conditions of appointment will be competitive. Remuneration will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Fringe benefits include annual leave, medical and dental benefits, mandatory provident fund, gratuity and incoming passage and baggage allowance for the eligible appointee.

Appointment will normally be made on an initial contract of up to three years, which, subject to review and mutual agreement, may lead to longer-term appointment with possibility of consideration for substantiation. 

Application Procedure (online application only)

Please click "Apply" to submit your application. Applicants shall provide names and contact information of at least three referees to whom applicants’ consent has been given for their providing references. Personal data collected will be used for recruitment purposes only. 

We are an equal opportunities employer.  Review of applications will continue until the post is filled. Qualified candidates are advised to submit their applications early for consideration.  

The University reserves the right not to make an appointment for the post advertised, or to fill the post by invitation or by search. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.