Full-Time Faculty Position in Earth and Environmental Sciences: Assistant Professor

Full-Time Faculty Position in Earth and Environmental Sciences: Assistant Professor

Programme: Earth and Environmental Sciences (two positions)

School: School of Arts and Sciences

Reports to: Associate Dean, Khorog Campus

Duty station: Khorog, Tajikistan

Deadline: 20 August 2026

Commencement Date: 1 January 2027

Contract Period: Fixed term for 2 years, renewable with potential transition to open-ended contract after 2 years

Position Summary

UCA is committed to developing a research-led academic environment, and candidates are expected to place research and scholarly activity at the core of their academic practice.

Position I) IT, Programming, Earth and Environment

The Earth and Environmental Sciences programme invites applications for a research-oriented faculty position at the intersection of Earth and environmental systems and information technologies. We seek a scientist with expertise in IT, Programming, GIS, and Remote Sensing, and a strong track record or clear potential to develop an internationally recognized research profile in these areas.

The successful candidate will be expected to establish and sustain an active research programme, including publication, grant development and collaboration with regional and international partners, particularly in areas relevant to mountain systems, climate change and resource management. The candidate will contribute to interdisciplinary research initiatives across the University and play a key role in advancing UCA’s research agenda.

In addition, the candidate will contribute to undergraduate teaching through the delivery of courses aligned with their expertise, will mentor students, will support the development of innovative, research-led teaching approaches, and will engage in the development of future master’s programmes in this area.

Position II) Water, Soil, Environment

We seek a research-active environmental scientist, pedologist, or physical geographer with a strong commitment to advancing knowledge in environmental systems relevant to mountain regions. The successful candidate will be expected to develop and sustain a coherent and externally visible research programme, including publication, grant development and engagement with regional and international research networks.

The position offers the opportunity to contribute to emerging areas of research in environmental science, sustainability and natural resource management, with particular emphasis on translating scientific knowledge into practical and policy-relevant applications.

Teaching responsibilities will include contributing to undergraduate courses in Soil Sciences, Environmental Science, Environmental Pollution, Water Policy and Environmental Governance. There will also be the opportunity to engage in the development and delivery of future master’s programmes in this field. It is expected that the candidate’s teaching will be informed by and integrated with the candidate’s research expertise. This position offers an opportunity to contribute to interdisciplinary research and education, to advance research in environmental systems, and to prepare students to address complex issues in sustainability and natural resource management.

Desirable Attributes

Research and Scholarly Activity

• Demonstrated ability, or strong potential, to develop an independent research agenda of international quality, including peer-reviewed publications and grant activity
• Capacity to contribute to collaborative and interdisciplinary research programmes, particularly those aligned with UCA’s focus on mountain systems, climate change, and sustainable development
• Interest in knowledge exchange, policy engagement, and applied research impact in regional contexts

Teaching and Supervision

• Ability to deliver research-informed undergraduate teaching across core and elective courses
• Commitment to student supervision and mentoring, including undergraduate research projects
• Willingness to adopt innovative and student-centred teaching methods, aligned with a research-led curriculum
• Experience in Central Asia

Curriculum and Academic Development

• Contribution to the ongoing development of a research-informed curriculum in Earth and Environmental Sciences
• Engagement with the development of future postgraduate programmes

Collaboration and Institutional Engagement

• Willingness to work across programmes and units, including collaboration with UCA’s Graduate School of Development
• Engagement with broader academic and research communities within and beyond Central Asia

Teaching experience requirements

• Demonstrated ability to contribute to undergraduate teaching informed by research expertise
• Commitment to high-quality teaching and student learning
• Experience (or readiness) to contribute to curriculum delivery in an interdisciplinary environment at both undergraduate and postgraduate level

Research experience requirements

• Evidence of research capability, including publications or high-qualty publication pipeline linked to doctoral or postdoctoral work
• Clear potential to develop externally funded research activity
• Experience, or strong interest, in collaborative and interdisciplinary research
• Willingness to contribute to research-led teaching and supervision of student research projects
• Awareness of current and future industry trends and a willingness to engage with the public and private sector.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. from a reputable university with specialization in Earth and Environmental Sciences and a clear potential for high-level research, particularly in collaborative settings.
• Fluency in English is required.
• Potential to develop a profile of national and international repute in research publication, knowledge exchange, impact and grant capture.

How to Apply

Please submit the following documents :

• Up-to-date resume
• Cover Letter
• List of published work and link to the google scholar profile
• List of at least three references who may comment on your teaching/research experience
• Teaching evaluations (if applicable)

on https://tinyurl.com/bdcvxhvz by 20 August 2026.

Applications will be reviewed when received. Early applications are strongly encouraged.

Review other job vacancies at: https://tinyurl.com/3yhe9wkt