Professor and Dean, the School of Cultural Technology

Suzhou, China
10 Jun 2021
30 Jun 2021
2078
Permanent
Full Time

Reports to: the Dean, the Academy of Film and Creative Technology

Unit: The School of Cultural Technology, within the Academy of Film and Creative Technology, XJTLU

Campus: Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University [XJTLU], Taicang Campus

Advertisement closing date: 30 June 2021

Position ID: 2078

Dean, School of Cultural Technology, XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang campus)

Applications are invited for the position of Dean to develop the newly established School of Cultural Technology at the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang campus), part of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). The position of Dean will be a key link between business partners and XJTLU, and the post holder will report to the Dean of the recently created Academy for Film and Creative Technology.

Background

About the University

XJTLU is China’s leading Joint Venture University, located in Suzhou, China. Founded in 2006, it now has around 18000 enrolled students in both Suzhou and Liverpool in the UK. It has ambitious plans to grow to about 25,000 students by 2025. The language of instruction, committees, and administrative work at XJTLU is English.

XJTLU’s initial and main campus 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 rails to other major cities in China, including nearby Shanghai. Greater Suzhou, including Taicang where its newest campus is located, is now the fourth largest concentration of economic activity in China in terms of GDP. XJTLU is finalising the building a new teaching site in Taicang, with the collaboration of the Taicang Municipal Government and industry partners, as part of its strategic priorities for the next ten years. Taicang is a county-level city in Greater Suzhou. Opening for September 2022, the Taicang site will be a pioneer of, and educational model for, the future campus in developing talents and leaders to meet local, national, and global challenges from the 4th Industrial Revolution.

About the Academy of Film and Creative Technology

The newly created Academy, launched on 22nd May 2021, is the result of the amalgamation of two existing schools within XJTLU; the School of Film and TV Arts, and the recently established School of Cultural Technology. Uniquely within XJTLU, the Academy will be multi-locational, providing cross-site opportunities for students, staff, industry and society.

Building on the core values of the university, the academy brings together the areas of media, creativity and technology within the context of society to establish an international cultural ecosystem, driven by knowledge generation to advance industry and shape future society. The Academy is located in both the SIP campus, through the School of Film and TV Arts; and on the new campus in Taicang as part of the new Entrepreneur College, through the School for Cultural Technology. There are also ambitious plans to develop further educational, research and creative technology facilities in both Yangzhou and the Great Bay Area.

AFCT offers both undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes through its schools, non-degree short term professional training programmes, research and knowledge transfer services, and establishes partnerships and interacts with industries and society. 

The aim of the AFCT is that it will be a community academy serving the alliance of industry and society through:

  • Establishing cultural creativity programmes designed to engage, motivate and inspire societies participation.
  • Equipping AFCT staff with the tools required to enable them to work with people of all backgrounds, talents and potential.
  • Empowering a social, cultural and creative impact model that provides a win win situation for industry, communities and society as a whole.

About the School

The School of Cultural Technology is one of the 6 – 10 industry-themed Schools in the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang campus). Each School consists of an Education, Research and Development Institute (“ERDI”) for teaching and university-business research collaboration, a professional services centre supporting daily activities of students, staff, and business partners, and a School Affiliated Company jointly established by XJTLU and the School’s industry partner for practical on-the-job learning and teaching. 

The governance and management of the School is through a School Council, in accordance with the Charter of Taicang Site Schools and the Articles of Association of XJTLU. The School Council reports to the Taicang Leadership Team. The Dean oversees the School Management Team. The Dean of school has a daily reporting line to the Dean of the Academy, and is a member of the Academy SMT.

Key Responsibilities of the Post

The role of Dean of the School of Cultural Technology is to provide effective direction in all aspects of School-wide activity, delegating responsibility within the School when appropriate. The Dean is expected to represent the School within the Academy, within the University, and externally. The Dean will also be part of the XJTLU Academic Management Group.

The Dean must provide the sort of professorial academic leadership needed to take the School through its current growth phase, especially once it moves to the Taicang site. Emphasis rests on the development of the School’s new degrees and its research endeavour and so candidates must not only be highly accomplished in their own right, they must also have clear collaborative commitment and the ability to develop and implement teaching and research strategies. Additionally, given the University’s pace of expansion, the Dean must provide wider academic leadership in matters such as staff development and recruitment, programme development and quality assurance within the School.

The Dean is responsible for:

  • Daily operation and administration in the School;
  • Reporting to and implementing decisions made by the School Council and/or Academy of Film and Creative Technology;
  • Preparing both the annual budget and report on financial accounts of the School for the School Council approval;
  • Developing School infrastructure, regulations and rules for the School Council approval;
  • Delivering excellent learning and teaching, research, and enterprise engagement activities in the School;
  • Personnel decisions including recruitment, discipline, retention, contract termination, etc. in the School;
  • Coordination and communication between the School and the University; and,
  • Any other work-related tasks assigned by the Charter of School, the School Council, or the (Associate) Principal.

Qualifications:

  1. Candidates must be a Ph.D. holder in a relevant subject from a world renowned university, or be able to demonstrate an equivalent professional practice and engagement.
  2. Candidates must be willing/able to actively engage with new educational models such as Syntegrative Education (SE).
  3. Candidates shall become familiar with and observe Chinese and UK rules and regulations of higher education.
  4. Candidates shall have management experience with good people skills and have the ability or experience to form and develop a new academic unit.
  5. Candidates must have an international reputation and demonstrate impacts in the creative industries ideally with a strong focus on creative thinking, idea development and industry practice, especially from a technology perspective.
  6. Candidates must have rich experience in research, academic leadership, financial management, strategic planning, people management, as well as senior academic management experience in a university, research institution or similar functions/areas.
  7. Candidates must demonstrate a good track record of engagement with students and industry.
  8. Candidates must have a high level of communicative competence in English; an equivalent knowledge of Chinese would be an advantage.
  9. Candidates with administration and management experience in international universities or Sino-foreign joint universities are preferred.
  10. Some experience of working in a relevant industry would be an advantage.

To Apply

Please submit your applications online

https://career15.sapsf.cn/career?career_company=xjtlu

You should send your CV and cover letter (in English) outlining your interest in the position and your accomplishments in the area that is relevant to the position. Applications for the post should be received by 30 June 2021
Informal enquiries may be directed to the Associate Principal of the Entrepreneur College (Taicang) at XJTLU and chair of the School Council, Professor Stuart Perrin (Email: Stuart.perrin@xjtlu.edu.cn).

If you are unable to apply on-line please contact the Human Resource Office. 
Email: Yiting.xu@xjtlu.edu.cn