Assistant Professor of Turkic Studies, School of Sciences and Humanities

Nazarbayev University was launched in 2010 as a premier national and regional university, partnering with some of the most internationally recognized names in Higher Education. The strategic partner of the SSH is the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Admission to NU is highly competitive, and the student body is selected from the top high schools throughout the country and region. Most students participate in a foundation year program, and thus enter the School of Sciences and Humanities with extensive English language training and academic preparation. SSH programs emphasize student-oriented learning, with small class sizes and a low student-to-faculty ratio of about 12:1. All classes are taught in English.

Nazarbayev University invites applications for a position as Assistant Professor of Turkic Studies in the Department of Kazakh Language and Turkic Studies. The successful candidate will have a Ph.D. from an international university in a discipline related to Turkic languages (disciplinary specialization open); a record appropriate for appointment at the level of assistant professor; a promising research agenda informed by disciplinary frameworks and interdisciplinary scholarship; superior-level competence in a Turkic language other than Turkish. We seek to recruit a scholar whose research and teaching interests will complement current departmental strengths in Ottoman and modern Turkish Studies as well as strengths in Central Eurasian history and other areas at Nazarbayev University.

Preference will be given to junior scholars who have:
• Graduate degrees from a leading international university, with strong disciplinary training in linguistics, literature, folklore, or other field related to Turkic Studies.
• Ability to teach textual studies in historical Turkic languages (Old Turkic, Middle Turkic, and Ottoman Turkish/Chagatay) and modern Turkic language(s) of specialization.
• Ability to teach broadly in Turkic Studies, including graduate-level courses in his/her subject area.
• Professional competence in classical and modern research languages essential for Turkic Studies (as appropriate to one’s research specialization)
• A working knowledge of Kazakh language.

This is a three-year appointment with the possibility of renewal.

Applicants should submit an application in English including a cover letter, curriculum vitae, teaching philosophy, and three letters of reference including at least one from someone who can address the candidate’s teaching abilities.

For more information on working at Nazarbayev University see:

https://nu.edu.kz/working-at-nu/jobs-at-nu 

General enquiries should be directed to: [email protected] 

Enquiries specific to this position should be directed to the Department chair, Professor Uli Schamiloglu: [email protected]

Applications will be through the SmartRecruiters employment platform used by Nazarbayev University, see the link at:

Careers at Nazarbayev University (smartrecruiters.com)
Confidential letters of recommendation should be submitted to the Department Chair, Professor Uli Schamiloglu: [email protected]

Please submit all application materials (except confidential letters of recommendation) to the SmartRecruiters employment platform. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
We anticipate hiring candidates to begin in August 2022. Applications will be reviewed until positions are filled. Complete applications received by 15 January 2022 will receive fullest consideration for August 2022 hires. Only short-listed candidates will be notified.