Peter D Sharrock Chair in Tantric Buddhist Art

SOAS University of London is the leading Higher Education institution in Europe specialising in the study of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East. Our vision is to build a research-intensive university which is world-class but also responsive to the marginalised communities of our world. In order to achieve our mission, we need people who are keen to join a community that is diverse and highly skilled, and who are united by an ambition to make the world a better place. In a fast-changing world, there has never been a more relevant time to join SOAS.

SOAS wishes to appoint a Peter D Sharrock Chair in Tantric Buddhist Art for October 2026 who will carry out and publish research of the highest quality and lecture and tutor students to an exemplary academic standard. This permanent endowed appointment will play a central role in further growing this community through excellence in research, knowledge exchange, alumni engagement and teaching and learning.

You will be a leading international scholar with professorial stature to join our globally renowned community of Southeast Asian and Buddhist Studies scholars. You will be an acknowledged research leader in the area of pre-modern Tantric Buddhism in Southeast Asia, with interdisciplinary expertise expected to include some or all of art, archaeology, architecture, heritage, museum studies, relevant languages such as Pali and Sanskrit, and Buddhist textual studies.

You will be expected to develop innovative research-led education in these areas. In particular you will be expected to play a key role in the further development, delivery and expansion of the SOAS-Alphawood Programme, including in developing and reinforcing engagement, partnerships, alumni networks and innovative research in Southeast Asia.

You can find further information on the key criteria for the role in the Job Description and Person Specification, along with a full list of duties and responsibilities, which can be found on the SOAS website.

The successful candidate must be at Professorial level.

If you would like an informal conversation about the role, please contact the Dean of Humanities Professor Graeme Earl, via email: ge7@soas.ac.uk

How to Apply

Closing date: 1 May 2026

Interviews to be held: w/c 11 May 2026