Professor and Head of Department of Architectur
Applications are invited for the position at the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), Suzhou.
The Department of Architecture at XJTLU is an extremely successful and well respected department within a thriving University that is grown to be the Largest Joint Venture University in China. This is an exciting opportunity for the right individual to lead Architecture at XJTLU forward at an important time, given the growth of the University, the resources available, the location in the city of Suzhou, and the high quality of students and staff here.
The British professional body, the RIBA, has validated the undergraduate Bachelor (Part 1) degree, which has a total of around 325 students on campus for the final three years of the degree. The Master of Architectural Design degree now holds candidate status with the RIBA, and we would expect for it to be fully validated next year. At research level the Department has PhD students, the number of which is set to increase in the next year. Alongside this the research outputs, research income and research impact of the Department continues to grow, driven by a team of highly committed and energetic staff.
The staff of the Department bring with them experience both in in practice and research in more than twenty countries; the diversity of international make-up of the Department of Architecture at XJTLU is unique in China. It brings together traditions and opportunities from the East and the West, and seeks to provide the best of both perspectives in architectural and urban design, offering new views on the local context as well as on global issues.
Architecture at XJTLU also has a well-developed international network of contacts. This applies to student exchanges, staff collaboration on projects and research, and international workshops. Details of our recent international workshop, with photographs of the Department of Architecture, can be found here:
We are now seeking to appoint a Professor and Head of Department to lead a department that has recently occupied a new purpose-built building on our South Campus, shared with the Department of Industrial design and with a strong architectural identity, that is furnished with excellent studios, equipped with contemporary workshops. The work of the school is supported by new teaching spaces, laboratory spaces, Design Research Centre and a materials library.
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) is a unique collaborative institution, the first and currently the only university in China to offer both UK (University of Liverpool) and Chinese (Ministry of Education) accredited undergraduate degrees. Formed in 2006, the first cohort of students graduated in August 2010. The University now has 8,000 students studying on campus. The language of instruction is English. XJTLU aims to become truly research-led, and has recently committed significant investment into research development and the expansion of PhD student numbers on campus.
XJTLU is located in the Higher Education Town of Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), well-connected via nearby airports to cities such as Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, and Taipei, and via high-speed rail to other major cities in China. SIP is a major growth zone, including operations run by nearly one-fifth of the Fortune 500 top global companies. Greater Suzhou is now the fourth largest concentration of economic activity in China in terms of GDP, and the SIP has a higher GDP per capita than the UK. The broader Suzhou area encompasses the spirit of both old and new in China, with the historic old town’s canals, UNESCO World Heritage Site gardens, and the I.M Pei-designed Suzhou Museum attracting millions of tourists annually. SIP offers an excellent quality of life with high environmental standards. The nearby Jinji Lake provides attractive views, by day and by night, and there is a variety of shopping facilities, international and local restaurants, entertainment hubs and nightlife. Suzhou is also home to four international schools.
The salary for this post is negotiable. In addition to the core salary package, we provide accommodation and travel allowances, medical insurance, and relocation expenses.
Applications should be made online (http://hr.xjtlu.edu.cn/) and received by 4th May 2016.
Informal enquiries may be addressed to either:
For specific information about Architecture - Professor Pierre Alain Croset, current Head of the Department of Architecture (Email: Pierre.Croset[at]xjtlu.edu.cn )
For more general information about the University and context - Professor Andre Brown, VP for Academic Affairs (Email: andre.brown[at]xjtlu.edu.cn).