"Part-time lecturer in Urban Studies / Humanities"

Position Description:

NYU London is currently recruiting for a part-time lecturer to teach a core curriculum course called "Invisible & Visible Cities" sponsored by the College of Arts & Science at New York University. Teaching commences in the Autumn term (September-December 2026).

Course Description:

The experience of living in London is a vital thread that connects us with our ancient, medieval, and early modern ancestors, providing a unifying element in the disparate lives of millions who navigate this global metropolis today. The city will serve as a constant environment and stimulus: a sprawling, "site-specific" text where the "Visible" architecture of the Square Mile and Westminster collides with the "Invisible" layers of memory, commerce, and social power.

Visible and Invisible Cities: London aims to supply conceptual frameworks and historical contexts for this experience. The course centers on the ways in which human communities have been theorized and imagined within the Western tradition from classical antiquity through to the Renaissance. The particular intellectual focuses of the course are the city, conceived since Aristotle as the proper habitat of humankind, and the relationship between the family or household and the state.

The primary texts encompass utopian writings and works of political theory, but also texts describing and analyzing real-world communities. In addition to literary and philosophical works, we look at visual and cartographic representations of cities and urban space. To ground these theories, students might examine the remnants of the Roman Wall as a physical and conceptual boundary of ancient power, or explore the London Docklands as a case study in radical modern regeneration, where industrial history has been overwritten by global finance and new social architectures.

Course Objectives:

• Develop an understanding of how cultures are constructed, modified and represented.
• Engage with influential literary and philosophical works and observe their implications in contemporary societies.
• Develop a new critical and sensorial vision of urban spaces and spatiality.
• Produce a critical discourse and engage in discussions, by giving and receiving feedback constructively.
• Acquire theoretical tools for reading and writing.
• Engage creatively with intellectual discourses.

Expectation of Hours:

This is a 4-credit class, which calls for total contact hours equaling about 35 hours. The semester is 15 weeks (14 weeks of teaching plus an exam week) and there are 2.5 hours of classroom instruction each week. In addition to the time required for course preparation, classroom instruction, and marking, the instructor is required to hold a minimum of one set 60-minute "office hour" at NYU London per week, during which time they will be available to meet with students.

Teaching information:

Instructors are encouraged to use a variety of pedagogical techniques. This typically includes a combination of lecture- and discussion-based class sessions, as well as the use of student activities, such as debate exercises, flipped classroom environments, and experimental simulations.

In addition to exams, instructors may use a variety of assignments to assess student comprehension of the course material. These may include online weekly homework, writing assignments, short student presentations, and in-class multiple-choice quizzes. Instructors may select the mix that is more appropriate to their teaching methodology.

Instructors should be prepared to teach in-person and simultaneously to be prepared for remote instruction should circumstances require it. NYU uses Zoom as its primary platform for remote instruction.

About NYU and NYU London:

Founded in 1831, New York University is the largest private university in the United States. The University has degree-granting campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai and operates 14 global academic centers and research programs in more than 25 countries. NYU London is an undergraduate study abroad program of exceptional quality with teaching strengths across the curriculum. Our UK faculty, drawn mainly from local universities, has an excellent record in teaching and research. Classes are held at the NYU London centre at 265 Strand, London, WC2R 1BH. If you would like to learn more about our program please visit NYU London.

We are seeking candidates with a PhD in Urban Studies, Sociology, Geography, City Planning, Anthropology, History, or other closely aligned specialist areas. It is expected that the post-holder will ideally have 2 to 3 years of experience teaching at the university level; experience teaching undergraduates studying at a US university is helpful.

The successful candidate should have the right to live and work in the UK prior to appointment.

All candidates must submit the following: (1) a cover letter; and (2) a current C.V.

All applications must be made online through Interfolio ByCommittee. If you are new to using Interfolio Faculty Search you may find the following guide useful: Job Applicant's Guide to Interfolio Faculty Search.

Applications, in the form of a C.V. and covering letter, should arrive by 27 March 2026.

Competitive salary. Terms and conditions will be discussed with the successful applicant. The successful candidate should have the right to live and work in the UK prior to appointment.