Visiting Assistant Professor in Japanese

Location Type: Not Specified

 

Description

The University of Rochester Department of Modern Languages and Cultures invites applications for a 2-year visiting assistant professorship in Japanese literature and culture beginning in Fall 2026.

We particularly welcome applications from scholars in the following fields: classical to modern Japanese literary and cultural studies, Japanese cinema, media and pop culture, digital and AI humanities, environmental humanities, and transnational and diasporic approaches to modern and contemporary Japanese literature and culture.

Candidates with the potential to offer an elective course that connects Japanese studies to Korean, Chinese, or Asian-American studies are particularly encouraged to apply. Applicants should demonstrate a strong commitment to program-building and administration, curriculum design, strong and diverse research interests.

The course load is 2/2 and includes courses for the Japanese major and minor as well as elective courses. Candidates must have a PhD (in Japanese or related field) in hand or expected by the time of appointment (July 1, 2026) and must possess native or near-native proficiency in Japanese and English. If ABD, a dissertation defense date must be provided. Any candidate with a defense date after July 1, 2025 would be hired as an Instructor rather than as a Visiting Assistant Professor.

Application review will begin immediately following the FEBRUARY 1, 2026 deadline. Applications received after this deadline will be considered until the position is filled. Additional materials may be requested of the candidate, and finalists will be interviewed by Zoom.

Please address questions pertaining to this search to Japanese Search Committee, mlc@ur.rochester.edu.

Salary range: $55,000 – $66,000. The referenced pay range represents the full base range of pay for this job. Individual salaries will be determined within the job’s salary range and established based on market data, experience and expertise of the individual, and internal equity considerations.

Application Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials: CV, cover letter as well as descriptions and tentative syllabi for two classes candidates propose to teach. Candidates who are shortlisted may be asked to submit 2-3 letters of recommendation.

The cover letter should include the candidate’s vision of their potential contributions to the Japanese curriculum, a statement of research interests. In a separate document, please describe how you will add to the University’s core values of Meliora (“Ever better”), discussing the ways in which your experiences will shape your pursuits as a member of our faculty (see Vision and Values statement here: https://www.rochester.edu/college/odos/meliora-vision-values/index.html).