Assistant Professor / Associate Professor / Professor in Computer Science (DMS)

Department: Computer Science - School of Arts and Sciences

Reports to: Chair of the Department of Computer Science

Duty Station: Naryn Campus, Kyrgyzstan

Deadline: June 20, 2024

Contract Period: Fixed term for 2 years. A permanent position (open-ended contract) is possible after 2 years

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 enabling the peoples of the region to preserve their rich cultural heritage as assets for the future. UCA brings with it the broader commitment and partnership of the Aga Khan Development Network. For more information: www.ucentralasia.org 

Programme Description

UCA’s Computer Science programme provides a well-rounded undergraduate programme. Mathematics is considered the backbone of our Computer Science programme and is taught in multiple courses. Next, theoretical knowledge is provided and associated with applied programming skills in most courses of our undergraduate programme. In addition, hardware concepts and computer architecture understanding are provided to students to develop better command over all aspects of technology. This way, students are prepared to gain firm foundation to understand advanced software topics. Our curriculum enables our students to enter the world of technology with good understanding of all aspects, start their own business, or pursue study at a higher level. Alongside the Computer Science course work and laboratory work, practical projects are assigned in various courses to provide the capability of dealing with unanticipated problems and to share their findings in refereed journals. Annual internships are another salient feature of the Computer Science curriculum.

Summary of Position and Key Responsibilities:

The University of Central Asia seeks to fill a Fulltime Faculty position on a fixed-term basis for 2 (two) years in the Computer Science programme at UCA’s campus in Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic. In this role as faculty member, you will be teaching the assigned courses and as needed you will be contributing to the development and implementation of Computer Science curriculum at the Bachelor Level that has been designed in partnership with the University of Toronto and individual course developers.

Academic programmes combine the student-centered environment of a liberal arts college with the intellectual excitement of being at the frontiers of knowledge offered by a research university. The language of instruction for undergraduate studies is English, with a requirement that all Faculty be fluent in English language and use it as medium of teaching. The Faculty will be dedicated to teaching classes and providing each student with personal academic attention to ensure that they master and apply the material. UCA also offers majors in Economics, Media and Communications and Earth and Environmental Sciences, offering the opportunity to get involved in cross-disciplinary research and teaching on many topics of high societal significance.

Lastly, the successful candidate will be expected to continue in research and develop new research for UCA, actively creating pathways to engage students in the research programme. Applicants should thus be research active and have a commitment to establishing foundational knowledge for students new to the field of Computer Science. Priority will be given to applicants with extensive experience in research and academic management in Computer Science.

School of Arts & Sciences

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. from a reputable university with specialization in Computer Science or Computer Engineering and a proven track record of research supervision experience. Preference will be given to candidates with a proven and outstanding track record of teaching and research in Computer Science and having practical and research experience in different fields of computer science.
• Fluency in English is required.
• Outstanding record of research publications, especially in Computer Science related journals indexed by Web of Science and Scopus.

Teaching experience:

• Demonstrated subject knowledge and ability to teach the courses assigned;
• Ability to work independently, as well as flexibly within a teaching team; flexibility and the ability to work in a constantly-evolving academic endeavor is essential;
• A demonstrated commitment to teaching and student learning experience. At least 2 years of teaching experience at the undergraduate level would be expected;
• Experience using innovative teaching methods and evaluation methodologies;
• Preference will be given to candidates who have experience in teaching the following courses:
  • Web and Internet Technologies
  • Object-Oriented Programming
  • Software Engineering
  • Database Management Systems

Teaching requirements:

• Prepare, deliver and administer lectures in the assigned courses and provide constructive and timely feedback on assessments;
• Be available on-site and online for student contact hours;
• Be available on-site and online for Department meetings;
• Maintain communication with Department Chair for any questions arising from students’ performance and overall course delivery;
• Provide reports related to teaching and learning within institutional deadlines;
• Coordinate with other faculty members on the delivery of courses which may include a wider range of Computer Science lab and technical knowledge according to the needs of the Department.

Research experience:

• A proven ability to publish research in web of sciences impact factor journals, Scopus indexed journals, ACM and AAAI conferences, NeurIPS, ICML or other top computer science venues;
• Regular attendance and experience with presenting at international conferences desirable;
• Aware of current and future industry trends; strong network of industry contacts to support internship programs, project collaborations and industrial mentoring;
• Interest in publishing research papers with undergraduate students.

How to Apply:

Ready to join our team? We kindly invite you to submit your application for this position by clicking the Apply button on this page. To facilitate a smooth application process, please create an account on our website. Be assured that the account setup and application steps are straightforward.

Applications will be reviewed when received. Early applications are strongly encouraged. Candidates from the founding countries of UCA: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan are encouraged to apply for the position. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Review other job vacancies at: https://ucentralasia.org/career-opportunities