OPEN CALL: Seeking Head of Computational Media and Arts at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Guangzhou

The CMA Thrust Area: HKUST (GZ) has established four transdisciplinary hubs and 16 thrust areas to achieve maximum synergy in education and research. Among these is the Computational Media and Arts (CMA) Thrust Area. The CMA promotes the interplay of media arts, technology, and research and exploits the most advanced technologies for creativity with a social impact. Composed of faculty members and students from diverse backgrounds such as media arts and computing, CMA is actively recruiting, and expected to grow to 30 faculty members and 200 research postgraduate students within a few years, with plans to add taught postgraduate and undergraduate students in the future.

Expected qualifications
The new head will be given much needed university resources to turn CMA into one of the leading computational media and arts departments in the world. Reporting to the Dean of the Information Hub, the Head of CMA will be a visionary, energetic and open-minded academic expected to provide leadership and manage the department in its diverse academic and administrative functions in the HKUST brand new campus in China.

The successful candidate will have:
–A PhD degree preferably in a computational arts / digital arts / sonic arts / game arts / new media field or equivalent;
–Substantial experience in leadership positions in higher education / managing teams;
–Over ten years of teaching experience in higher education (including supervision of postgraduate students);
–Proven scholarly work or art practice in relevant fields, such as computational arts and new media, with: exhibitions in top venues / solo or group exhibitions; publications in journals / books / book chapters; peer-reviewed publications in conferences
–Professional/industrial experience preferred;
–Experience of institutional collaboration with museums and galleries will be an asset;
–High proficiency in English.

Benefits
–Thrust head salary comparable to US and Hong Kong institutions
–Tax rebate in the Greater Bay Area once eligible
–Generous fringe benefits
–On campus housing available
–All substantiation staff receive sizeable start-up fund (up to several million RMB)
–HKUST is ranked 34th out of the World’s Top 1300 Universities (QS 2022)
–Exclusive access to 2,000 sq. m brand new lab facilities with all the latest tools
–Ample time provided for research/art practice
–Many other funding opportunities in the Greater Bay area
–Great community of interdisciplinary, international staff & students
–Private health insurance for staff and eligible family members residing in Chinese mainland
–Family-friendly campus
–New campus only 30-minutes by train from Hong Kong and 20-minutes from Shenzhen

Terms & applications / nominations
Concurrent with a professorial appointment, the appointment as Head will normally be for an initial term of three years, and may be renewable for a second term. Outstanding faculty joining the university will receive ample funds to setup their research in Guangzhou.

Applications/nominations for the position are invited from well-qualified and accomplished scholars. In addition to reputable academic qualification, extensive teaching and research experience, the successful candidate must have demonstrated capability to provide strong leadership at the tertiary level. Proven capacity to interact effectively with government, industry and commercial sectors is an advantage.

Application procedure
Interested parties should send:
–Full curriculum vitae
–Names and email address of three referees
–A vision statement of no more than 600 words (their vision for the department, plans for the future, strategy for success)

All materials should be sent to the Search Committee Chair for Headship of CMA (gzrecruitinf@ust.hk). Review of applications will start as soon as they are received and the search will continue until the position is filled.

Application deadline: August 31, 2022

Information provided by applicants will only be used for recruitment and other employment related purposes.

Further information
About HKUST (Guangzhou) / About the CMA program.

English is the medium of instruction and administration at HKUST (GZ). HKUST(GZ) is committed to diversity in recruitment and equal opportunity employment, and we strongly encourage suitable candidates of diverse backgrounds to submit their applications.