Duke Kunshan University (DKU) invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor position in philosophy beginning in fall 2026. We are looking for a philosopher or scholar in a philosophy-adjacent field, such as political theory, with a background in the philosophy of economics, politics, economics-engaged social philosophy, and/or history of economic thought. Scholars with a global, comparative, or inter-cultural focus are especially encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will be expected to teach several interdisciplinary courses in our new Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) major, which includes courses such as Introduction to Philosophy, Politics, and Economics; Ethics, Markets, and Politics; Conceptions of Meritocracy and Democracy; The Global Economy in History; and Philosophy of the Social Sciences, as well as courses in our common core: Ethics, Citizenship, and the Examined Life and/or Global Challenges in Science, Technology, and Health.

In order to meet Chinese visa requirements, prior to the position start date international (non-Chinese) candidates must have worked full-time (work experience obtained while studying is not considered as full-time work experience) for at least two years in a relevant area (including post-doctoral work) after receiving their Bachelor’s degree, or begin their appointment at DKU within 12 months of obtaining their master’s degree/Ph.D. and without having work experience between graduation date on master’s degree diploma/Ph.D. diploma and position start date.  

DKU is a collaborative partnership of Duke University, Wuhan University and the Municipality of Kunshan, China (https://dukekunshan.edu.cn/).  Our campus provides an innovative and robustly interdisciplinary undergraduate liberal arts experience to a student body that will number 2200 students and 200+ faculty, with an acceptance rate of <8% and a student body represented by over 60 countries. We also offer a discrete number of Masters level graduate programs. The DKU pedagogical model draws on the best of Duke’s educational experience and resources to reimagine undergraduate instruction on an intimate campus setting.   

Similar to the best liberal arts colleges in the United States, DKU values dedication to innovative teaching excellence in a liberal arts environment, as well as a strong commitment to successful scholarly engagement and research. This includes research with undergraduate students. As a whole, the Duke Kunshan faculty will have strong commitments to teaching and research, and outstanding quality in both areas will be highly valued.  

Candidates must hold a Ph.D. degree or equivalent in a relevant field. Research experience at a postdoctoral level (or greater) and teaching experience are required, and experience working in an international and interdisciplinary setting is strongly preferred. Applicants should provide a cover letter including a clear statement of the candidate’s specific interest in DKU and their fit for the advertised position, a curriculum vitae, a research statement, a teaching statement, and three reference letters. All materials should be submitted through Academic Jobs Online: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30651. The search committee also invites and encourages letters of nomination for potential candidates. Nominations and questions about the positions may be sent to wbp6@duke.edu using the subject “PPE Search” as the subject line. Priority will be given to applications received by October 30, 2025; we will accept applications until the positions are filled.   

The DKU campus is 37 miles west of Shanghai in Kunshan and is connected to Shanghai via an 18-minute high-speed train and a subway-light rail train system. DKU provides internationally competitive compensation, housing allowance, child education benefits (for applicable faculty positions), and a discretionary fund or start-up package.