Assistant Professor/Associate Professor in Communications and Media

Job Vacancy: Full-Time Faculty Position: Assistant Professor/Associate Professor in Communications and Media

Full-Time Faculty Position: Assistant Professor/Associate Professor in Communications and Media

School: School of Arts and Sciences
Reports to: Associate Dean, Naryn Campus
Duty Station: Naryn Campus, Naryn, Kyrgyzstan
Application Deadline: 23 July 2025

Position Summary

Full-time Faculty position at the rank of Assistant/Associate Professor in Communications and Media at UCA’s campus in Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic. The incumbent will contribute to building a strong research culture in the School and across UCA through independent, student-engaged, and collaborative research. As an individual having relevant experience in the practice of their profession, the incumbent will contribute to generating impact from their experience and/or research, hence contributing to the delivery of the university’s mission. The roleholder will be involved in further developing and delivering the Communications and Media programme, contributing to the future development of postgraduate studies at UCA, and adopting and implementing UCA’s pedagogical and quality assurance standards.

The Communications and Media Programme: The academic programmes at UCA foster a research and learning-focused environment straddling across liberal arts education and the frontiers of knowledge in global and local context. The language of instruction for undergraduate programmes is English with a requirement that all undergraduate students, additionally, acquire or advance competencies in local languages.

UCA's Communications and Media programme was originally developed in partnership with the University of Technology, in Sydney, Australia, and continues to evolve collaborating with local and international partner institutions. The programme offers a unique integrated approach combining media theory and practice for creative research and storytelling through media arts. The programme reflects local and global trends in the study and practice of media and communications. Students will be equipped with a strong foundation in critical thinking, research, and production skills required by media and creative industries, including journalism, public relations, multi-media design and digital storytelling. They will also acquire knowledge in media law and ethics with a focus on sociopolitical, economic, and cultural dimensions of Central Asian societies

Postholder profile: The successful candidate is expected to contribute to the development of a leading-edge research programme at the School of Arts and Sciences and in collaboration with the University’s Graduate School of Development. The incumbent must be able to demonstrate a level of traditional and creative research activity and output commensurate with the position of Assistant/Associate Professor at an international research-intensive university. This activity includes but is not limited to academic publications in high impact peer-review journals (or their equivalent) and/or global press, creative exhibitions, and a capacity for attracting external research and/or development funding. The postholder will also contribute to community engagement and social impact projects at the School and University level.

Priority will be given to applicants with expertise in the following areas:

- Data Analytics in Digital Communication

- Social and Mobile Media

- Digital/Computational Journalism

- Digital Research and Culture

- Multimedia and Transmedia Narratives

- Digital Storytelling and Marketing

- AI, VR, MR, AI Storytelling and Immersive Technologies

UCA Background:

The University of Central Asia (UCA) was founded in 2000 as a private, not for profit, secular university through an International Treaty signed by the Presidents of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, and His Highness the Aga Khan; ratified by their respective parliaments, and registered with the United Nations. The Presidents are the Patrons of the University and His Highness is the Chancellor. UCA’s mission is to promote the social and economic development of Central Asia, particularly its mountain communities, by offering an internationally recognised standard of higher education and becoming a leading research university in the region and internationally. UCA brings with it the broader commitment and partnership of the Aga Khan Development Network.

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD in Communications and/or Media or relevant subject with experience in student supervision and a track record of traditional and/or creative research outputs.
• Fluency in English is required, knowledge of Russian and/or of Kyrgyz/Tajik is an asset but not essential.
• Those who are applying for an Associate Professor role are required to demonstrate a proven track record of leadership in education and research.

Research expectations and experience

• A track record of outstanding traditional and/or creative research output (publications and/or creative outputs) is required.
• A record of or commitment to research, development and enterprise fundraising.
• A track record of attendance and experience of presenting research papers and/or scholarly work at international conferences/events and/or pursuing other scholarship opportunities.
• A track record of collaboration with academics/practitioners within and across disciplines and students will be highly desirable.
• Interest in research/scholarly work/practice on topics relevant to Central Asia will be preferable.
• Demonstrated interest in developing critical ways to conceptualize and empirically research the relationships between communications and media technologies and the social world with reference to development and social change and communication challenges faced by individuals and organizations.
• Evidence of capacity to succeed in competitive research and/or development-oriented grant applications.

Teaching expectations and experience:

• Demonstrated subject expertise to deliver an engaging teaching programme and the ability to contribute to further developing the programme.
• Ability to work independently, as well as provide mentorship to students;
• Flexibility and the ability to work in a constantly evolving academic endeavour is essential.
• Commitment to upholding and raising the standards of pedagogy in a higher education institution. At least 2 years of experience teaching at the university level is expected.
• Ability to use innovative teaching methods and to adapt student evaluation methodologies
• Knowledge of quality assurance processes for learning and teaching.
• Experience in teaching in Central Asia would be preferable.
• Ability to meet the teaching workload of two courses of 6 credits each per semester, comprising lectures, tutorials, assessments, and feedback.
• Supervision and mentorship of students undertaking final diploma theses and related activities.

Why Join UCA?

Impactful Teaching and Research: Contribute to an academic institution that is dedicated to fostering innovation and development in Central Asia and beyond.

Collaboration and Growth: Be part of a diverse, interdisciplinary academic environment, with opportunities for collaboration and research across multiple fields of societal relevance.

Regional Leadership: Lead the development of innovative solutions to regional challenges in technology, data science, and digital policy.

Support for Female Scholars: UCA is deeply committed to supporting female scholars in STEM fields, providing opportunities to further advance gender equity in academia.

How to Apply:

Please submit your application (cover letter, CV and contact information of three references)

Applications will be reviewed when received. Early applications are strongly encouraged.