Joseph Needham Professorship in Science and Civilisation (Ref. 260513001)

Faculty of Humanities

The Faculty of Humanities at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is dedicated to creating synergies among language, communication, history, culture, and technology in education and research, highlighting both the discovery and the transfer of knowledge. It is a leading tertiary education provider in Asia in the fields of linguistics, language science, language technology, Chinese-English bilingual studies and translation, intercultural communication, professional communication, and cultural and historical studies of China. The Faculty also excels in areas such as AI and the humanities, computational linguistics, healthcare communication, language neuroscience, sociolinguistic studies, and speech therapy. It consists of four academic units: Department of Chinese History and Culture, Department of English and Communication, Department of Language Science and Technology, and Division of Artificial Intelligence and the Humanities. The appointee will be appointed as Chair Professor / Professor in one of the academic units under the Faculty of Humanities. Please visit the website at https://www.polyu.edu.hk/fh for more information about the Faculty.

Duties

The position calls for a visionary academic leader to advance the strategic and sustainable development of the Faculty in Science and Civilisation. The successful candidate will combine world-class scholarship with exceptional leadership to shape the future of these disciplines. The appointee will be required to:

1. provide leadership in long-term strategic planning that aligns with the University’s goals;
2. provide leadership in strengthening local and international partnerships to advance research and education goals;
3. develop scholarly initiatives by fostering collaboration, securing external funding, and enhancing innovative, high-impact interdisciplinary research;
4. mentor junior faculty in teaching, research and service excellence;
5. teach and develop curricula in science and civilisation, including Chinese science and technology history, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels;
6. supervise postgraduate students actively and provide guidance on their research and career development;
7. provide active service to committee work at all levels in the Faculty and the University as well as to the scholarly community;
8. provide administrative support and advice for academic and Faculty/department affairs; and
9. perform any other duties as assigned by the Head of Department or his/her delegates.

Qualifications

Applicants should have:

1. a PhD degree in a relevant discipline, evidence of eminent scholarship and substantial relevant experience in a senior academic position, and relevant professional qualifications where appropriate;
2. a global perspective, proven track record of academic leadership, and a distinguished international reputation in research and scholarship;
3. a strong record in attracting and managing competitive research funding;
4. a strong potential to develop local and international networks of partnerships and linkages with the community, for both professional and public sectors;
5. a strong commitment to excellence in teaching and learning with substantial relevant teaching experiences;
6. proven academic leadership and ability to foster collaboration with colleagues in teaching, intellectual contributions, and service activities to bring visibility, prestige and reputation to the University; and
7. an excellent command of both English and Chinese.

Applicants for appointment at the Chair Professor level should have attainment of an academic rank of full professor or above at an internationally reputable university.

Applicants for appointment at the Professor level should have an excellent international reputation as a leading scholar.

Applicants who have responded to the previous advertisement need not re-apply.

Conditions of Service

Terms of appointment and remuneration package are negotiable and highly competitive. For general information on terms and conditions for appointment of academic staff in the University, please visit the website https://www.polyu.edu.hk/hro/docdrive/careers/doc/Prof.pdf.

Application and Nomination

The University invites applications and nominations for this appointment. Please submit an application through PolyU’s career website (https://jobs.polyu.edu.hk/academic). Candidature may also be recommended by nominations via email to fh.search@polyu.edu.hk. Consideration of applications and nominations will commence on 1 July 2026 until the position is filled. General information about the University is available at https://www.polyu.edu.hk or from the Human Resources Office [Tel: (852) 2766 5291]. The University’s Personal Information Collection Statement for recruitment can be found at https://www.polyu.edu.hk/hro/careers/pics_for_recruitment/.