Position Description
Yale-NUS College is a
liberal arts college of 1000 students, with approximately 100 full-time
faculty. The College is a collaboration between the National University of
Singapore and Yale University. Yale-NUS students are outstanding, with an
acceptance rate of less than 7%, and extremely international, representing over
seventy countries. They go through a unique and rigorous Common Curriculum that
combines Western and Eastern traditions with contemporary skills.
The
College invites applications for an endowed chair in Comparative Religious
Studies, at the rank of tenured Professor.
Applicants
should have a relevant PhD and be active researchers with a commitment to
creative and effective undergraduate teaching and mentoring. The incoming
faculty member would join a committed team dedicated to the development and
teaching of Humanities, and of Yale-NUS’s flagship Common Curriculum (see http://www.yale-nus.edu.sg/curriculum/common-curriculum).
Additional
details about the position:
The
Yap Kim Hao Chair of Comparative Religious Studies is an important post from
which to develop the comparative study of religion in Singapore and South-East
Asia. The vision of the chair, inspired by Rev. Yap Kim Hao, is one of
developing comparative religious studies within the academic purview of
Yale-NUS College while promoting intellectual values of pluralism, diversity,
tolerance, and the search for truth. The person appointed to this chair will
have expertise in one or more religious traditions, function within
contemporary discourses of Religious Studies and the Social Sciences about the
nature of comparative religion, articulate a vision for the field into the
future, and be committed to exploring the relevance of religion in contemporary
society. The post entails a teaching commitment to Yale-NUS College and the
ability to interact with the wider community beyond the College. The person
appointed will be expected to have an extremely strong record of research and
academic publications with a clear trajectory and research program into the
future.
The
person appointed to this position will be expected to:
·
contribute
to the educational vision of Yale-NUS College, by working equally between the
Common Curriculum (which includes a component of Historical Immersion) and any
one or more of the College majors;
·
conduct
research in comparative religious studies, with strong interest in the
co-existence of religions in the contemporary world, whether specific to
South-East Asia or globally;
·
deploy expertise in the primary languages and texts of
the religion that has been the main focus of his or her research along with the
ability to synthesize knowledge from a wide range of disciplines, and be able
to operate at both the level of textual research or fieldwork and the
trans-civilisational level of comparative studies;
· be prepared to work with
religious communities in Singapore to develop the cultural and social relevance
of comparative religious studies both in the local and the wider context;
· be responsible to the
Director of Humanities in respect of teaching allocation;
· be committed to teaching
4 courses annually (singly or as part of a team), spread over two semesters.
The appointee will be
expected to begin duties in time for the start of the 2020-2021 academic year
(i.e. from July 2020).
Faculty receive salaries
that are on par with the most prestigious liberal arts colleges in the world,
enjoy the benefits of a substantial start-up grant as well as a yearly travel and
research allowance, and are able to access additional funding from Yale-NUS,
the National University of Singapore, and the Singapore’s Ministry of
Education. Most faculty qualify for highly subsidized faculty housing, either
on campus or a short walk away. Yale-NUS College is located in Singapore, a
multicultural city of six million that is known for its high quality of life
and sits at the heart of a vibrant region.
Application
Procedure
Applications should
consist of the following: a cover letter explaining why the position at
Yale-NUS is of interest; a full curriculum vitae, including a complete list of
publications; statements on research interests, teaching experience, and
teaching philosophy, including how these might fit with the College’s
particular mission and curriculum; names and contact information of three
academic referees; and any other documents deemed relevant to the application.
Applications should be submitted via https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/14553
Review of applications
will begin from November 1, 2019 and continue until the position is filled.
Only shortlisted
candidates will be notified.
For
general enquiries, please email: humanities_division@yale-nus.edu.sg
Equal Opportunity Employer
Yale-NUS College
achieves excellence through the diversity of its students, faculty, and staff
and by embracing inclusivity, equity, and global engagement. We encourage
applications by diverse individuals with a demonstrated commitment to
continually support these values. For more information about the College,
please visit https://www.yale-nus.edu.sg
Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA)
Candidates
should understand that by sharing information with Yale-NUS, they authorise the
College to use their personal data for the purposes of this application. The
College will not use their data for other purposes and ensure that their data
remains secure and confidential.
(posted 2019/09/11, listed until 2020/03/11)