Position Description

Tenure-track Faculty Positions for All Ranks in Artificial Intelligence and AI-X

Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs | Koç University – Istanbul, Türkiye

Koç University invites applications from ambitious, outstanding scientists with a proven track record of pioneering innovative inquiry in Artificial Intelligence for open-rank, tenure-track faculty positions (Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor). Driven by a strategic, university-wide initiative to build a transformative interdisciplinary AI community equipped to address the grand scientific, technological, and societal challenges of the future, this call intentionally transcends traditional departmental boundaries. An endowed professorship for a given duration is possible for this position.

We encourage applications from candidates across core AI domains as well as cross-disciplinary frontiers:

• AI Foundations, Methods, and Systems: Machine learning and deep learning; learning theory and optimization; natural language processing; computer vision; multimodal and foundation models; generative AI; reinforcement learning; robotics, embodied and physical AI, and autonomous systems; trustworthy, safe, and explainable AI; human–AI interaction; and AI systems and high-performance computing.
• Cross-Disciplinary Frontiers (AI-X): Artificial Intelligence at the intersection of Medicine, Healthcare, and Nursing; Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences; Natural Sciences, Materials, and Engineering; or Social Sciences, Business, Economics, Philosophy & Ethics, and Law.

Successful candidates will hold primary academic appointments in an appropriate home department within our schools and colleges (e.g., Engineering, Sciences, Medicine, Social Sciences and Humanities, Law, or Nursing), with the possibility of joint affiliations structured to support their broader research portfolio.

About the University & Research Environment

Founded in 1993, Koç University is a premier non-profit foundation institution in Istanbul defined by an elite faculty recruited from leading global institutions and a vibrant student body of ~9,000 high-achieving scholars (80% undergraduate, 20% graduate). Operating fully in English, the university is the premier destination for the nation's top-ranked undergraduate talent, pairing a distinctive liberal arts curriculum, blended with deep disciplinary expertise and experiential learning, with dynamic graduate programs structured to train the leaders of the future.

Consistently ranked as the #1 research university nationally by YÖK and #28 globally for interdisciplinary science (Times Higher Education Interdisciplinary Science Rankings), Koç University hosts Türkiye’s dominant share of European Research Council (ERC) grants alongside extensive national and international funding. Faculty members in Turkish universities are eligible to apply for all EU framework programs (e.g., Horizon Europe) as well as national initiatives such as the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) 2232 International Fellowship for Outstanding Researchers Program.

Koç University offers a highly supportive research environment with advanced computational and experimental infrastructure. The University is home to one of Türkiye’s largest academic GPU clusters, providing substantial computing capacity for leading-edge AI research. Appointees gain access to central high-performance computing infrastructure and a broad ecosystem of specialized research centers, including KUIS AI (Koç University İş Bank Artificial Intelligence Research Center), KUTTAM (Translational Medicine), n2STAR (Nanofabrication), KUISCID (Infectious Diseases), and KUYTAM (Surface Science). Researchers are supported by dedicated pre- and post-award services covering proposal writing, international grant management, intellectual property, and technology transfer.

Faculty receive competitive salaries, a startup package, housing support, private health insurance, and K-12 education support for dependents.

Qualifications & Responsibilities

Candidates must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a relevant discipline, complemented by preferred postdoctoral or industrial R&D experience, and demonstrate strong research potential in Artificial Intelligence or its cross-disciplinary applications, with a record of scholarly achievement appropriate to their career stage. Candidates should exhibit intellectual independence, a clear capacity to develop an innovative research agenda, and a commitment to excellence in teaching.

Successful candidates are expected to build and sustain an independent, externally funded research program; demonstrate a deep commitment to excellence in teaching and student mentoring at all levels; foster interdisciplinary collaborations across the university; and engage in institutional stewardship.

Application Process

Candidates should submit the following materials electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (vpaa@ku.edu.tr) with the subject line “AI-X – Full Name”:

1. Cover Letter (highlighting interdisciplinary and collaborative vision)
2. Curriculum Vitae (including a full publication list and external funding history)
3. Research Statement (3–4 pages detailing past achievements and a 5-year strategic plan)
4. Teaching Statement (1–2 pages)
5. Contact details for 3 to 5 professional references

Applications are now open and will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with initial review beginning on December 1, 2026. Positions remain open until they are filled.