Full Professor and Singhmar Chair in Classical Indian Polity and Society

Competition 1466

Position Summary

The Department of History, Classics, and Religion at the University of Alberta invites applications for the Saroj and Prem Singhmar Chair in Classical Indian Polity and Society, 500 BCE-500 CE. This is a full-time tenured faculty position, at the rank of Full professor, with an anticipated starting date of July 1, 2025.

Qualifications

The Chair will be a senior scholar with a PhD in a related discipline and a strong international scholarly reputation and network. While the research specialization is open, a well-established research program in Indian Studies focusing on the ancient and classical periods is a requirement for the position.

The Chair will contribute to the University’s commitment to supporting a premier Indian Studies program at all levels. The Chair is also expected to play a prominent role as a public intellectual, and to participate in the University’s work of engaging with stakeholder communities in Edmonton, across Canada, and worldwide.

Responsibilities for the position include maintaining a world-class research program, teaching at all levels in the undergraduate and graduate programs, and supervising graduate students (MA and PhD). Annual donor reporting is also a responsibility in this position. Proficiency in languages, ancient and modern, as relevant to the applicant’s research area is required; these must include Sanskrit and at least one modern Indian language that is the majority language of an Indian State. The regular teaching load is four courses per year, taught between September and April. The capacity to teach broadly in Indian Studies is a requirement for the position, as is the capability to teach other courses in either History or Religious Studies as appropriate to the candidate’s specialization.

Hiring decisions for this position will be made on the basis of demonstrated research excellence, strong teaching ability, leadership, experience of or potential in program-building, and fit with Department and Faculty needs.

Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications in accordance with the Faculty Agreement as per the negotiated salary scales. This position offers a comprehensive benefits package. It is partially endowment-funded and comes with an annual research allowance.

Working at the University of Alberta

Founded in 1908, the University of Alberta is one of Canada's largest and most-respected research universities. It serves over 41,000 students in more than 200 undergraduate and 500 graduate and professional programs. In 2022, the University’s Indigenous Strategic Plan was implemented, reflecting an important step in our institution’s commitment to reconciliation in post-secondary education and research, addressing the historical legacy of the residential school system and Canada’s colonial history. The University’s principles and actions and its Strategic Plan for EDI are underpinned by respect for the dignity, rights, and full participation of all those who live, work, and learn within the university.

The Faculty of Arts is the oldest and most diverse faculty on campus and is one of the largest research and teaching centres in Western Canada. Religious Studies, which has offered degree programs at the university for over fifty years, joined the previous Department of History and Classics in 2020 to form the Department of History, Classics, and Religion. The Department has around 350 undergraduate majors and 75 graduate students across its multiple degree programs, and teaches around 9000 students per year.

With a metropolitan area population of approximately 1.5 million people, Edmonton has a thriving cultural scene including music, visual arts, theatre, festivals, and dining, and boasts the largest system of urban parkland in North America. It has the second largest Indigenous population and the fourth largest Black population of any Canadian city. It has a large population of people of South Asian background. The Edmonton public school system offers bilingual education for children in Hebrew, French, German, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Ukrainian, and American Sign Language.

How to apply

To apply, please select the Apply Online icon below and submit the following:

• cover letter
• curriculum vitae, including the names/titles of three referees (note that we are not requesting letters of reference in the initial application)
• 2-page research statement that outlines the applicant’s main areas of current and future research (submit under “Research Plan”)
• writing sample (submit under “List of Publications”)
• teaching dossier with a brief teaching philosophy, a statement about the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion to your teaching and research, evidence of teaching effectiveness, and sample course outline(s) for courses you have taught or would like to teach in the position (submit as an attachment under “Statement of Teaching/Research Interests”).

Referees should be prepared to send their letters by November 15, 2024 (if requested).

Questions about the position can be addressed to the attention of Dr. Robert Wood, Dean of Arts and Chair of the Advisory Selection Committee, via Leanne Anderson (lkander2@ualberta.ca), using “Singhmar Chair position” as the email’s subject.

Review of applications will start on October 28, 2024 and will continue until the position is filled.