Recruitment for the Head of the Computational Media and Arts Thrust Area

The University

Formally established in June 2022, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) (HKUST(GZ)) is a cooperatively-run university between the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. HKUST(GZ) has obtained approval from the Ministry of Education (MoE) and become the first legally-independent educational institution co-established by the Mainland and Hong Kong since the announcement and implementation of the “Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area” and the “Overall Plan for Deepening Globally Oriented Comprehensive Co-operation amongst Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in Nansha of Guangzhou”. With a spirit of pioneering innovation, HKUST(GZ) charts new territories in cross-disciplinary education and explores new frontiers in pedagogies, aiming to serve as a role model of the mainland-Hong Kong integrated educational development and become a world-famous high-level university, endeavoring to nurture future-oriented, high-level and innovative talents. 

In response to the increasingly complex challenges faced by the rapidly changing world, HKUST(GZ) adopts a brand-new and cross-disciplinary academic structure featuring “Hub” and “Thrust” to substitute the conventional one characterized by “school” and “department”, facilitating cross-disciplinary integration while vigorously developing emerging and frontier disciplines. This is a groundbreaking move in the higher education community across the globe.

The CMA Thrust Area

HKUST(GZ) comprises four Hubs, namely Function Hub, Information Hub, Systems Hub, Society Hub and 16 thrusts. The admission of undergraduate students will begin in 2023, with the first batch of programs covering artificial intelligence, data science and big data technology and smart manufacturing engineering. Among these is the Computational Media and Arts (CMA) Thrust Area. The CMA promotes the interplay of media arts, technology, and research and exploits the most advanced technologies for creativity with a social impact. Composed of faculty members and students from diverse backgrounds, such as media arts and computing, CMA is currently actively recruiting staff and students.

CMA is expected to grow to 30 faculty members and 200 research postgraduate students within a few years with plans to add taught postgraduate and undergraduate students in the future too.

Expected Qualifications

The new head will be given much needed university resources to turn CMA into one of the leading computational media and arts departments in the world. Reporting to the Dean of the Information Hub, the Head of CMA will be a visionary, energetic and open-minded academic expected to provide leadership and manage the department in its diverse academic and administrative functions in the HKUST(GZ).

The successful candidate will have

•    A PhD degree preferably in a computational arts / digital arts / sonic arts / game arts / new media / computational design field / computer graphics / visualization / human-computer interaction  or related fields;  
•    Substantial experience in leadership positions in higher education / managing teams;  
•    Over 10 years of teaching experience in higher education (including supervision of postgraduate students);  
•    Proven scholarly work or art practice in relevant fields, such as computational arts and new media, with:  
o    exhibitions in top venues / solo or group exhibitions  
o    publications in journals / books / book chapters  
o    peer-reviewed publications in conferences  
•    Professional/industrial experience preferred;  
•    Experience of institutional collaboration with museums and galleries will be an asset;  
•    High proficiency in English.

Why Join Us?

•    Salary comparable to US and Hong Kong institutions  
•    Tax rebate in the Greater Bay Area once eligible  
•    Generous fringe benefits  
•    On campus housing available  
•    All substantiation track staff receive sizeable start-up fund (up to several million RMB)  
•    HKUST is ranked 34th out of the World’s Top 1300 Universities (QS 2022)  
•    Exclusive access to 2,000 sq. m brand new lab facilities with all the latest tools  
•    Ample time provided for research/art practice  
•    Many other funding opportunities in the Greater Bay area  
•    Great community of interdisciplinary, international staff & students  
•    Private health insurance for staff and eligible family members resides in Chinese mainland  
•    Family-friendly campus  
•    New campus only 1 hour by train from Hong Kong and 30 min from Shenzhen

Terms & Applications / Nominations

Concurrent with a professorial appointment, the appointment as Head will normally be for an initial term of 3 years, and may be renewable for a second term. Outstanding faculty joining the university will receive ample funds to setup their research in Guangzhou.

Applications/nominations for the position are invited from well-qualified and accomplished scholars. In addition to reputable academic qualification, extensive teaching and research experience, the successful candidate must have demonstrated capability to provide strong leadership at the tertiary level. Proven capacity to interact effectively with government, industry and commercial sectors is an advantage.

Application Procedure

Interested parties should send:

•    Full curriculum vitae
•    Names and email addresses of 3 referees
•    A vision statement of no more than 600 words (their vision for the department, plans for the future, strategy for success)

All materials should be sent to the Search Committee Chair for Headship of CMA via our recruitment email(gzrecruitinf@hkust-gz.edu.cn). Review of applications will start as soon as they are received and the search will continue until the position is filled.

Information provided by applicants will only be used for recruitment and other employment- related purposes.

Further Information

About HKUST (Guangzhou campus) https://hkust-gz.edu.cn/

Please visit https://cma.hkust-gz.edu.cn/ for more information about the Computational Media and Arts team and program and the list of faculty https://cma.hkust-gz.edu.cn/tag/faculty/

English is the medium of instruction and administration at HKUST (GZ). HKUST(GZ) is committed to diversity in recruitment and equal opportunity employment and we strongly encourage suitable candidates of diverse backgrounds to submit their applications.