VACANCY Director, Mountain Societies Research Institute and co-appointment as Associate or Full Professor in the School of Arts and Sciences (Earth and Environmental Science programme) Location: UCA Central Administration Office in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic at first, relocating to the Khorog, Tajikistan UCA campus in 2017 or 2018. Department: Mountain Societies Research Institute (Graduate School of Development) and co-appointment as faculty in the School of Arts and Sciences (Earth and Environmental Science programme) Duration: Five years (renewable) contingent on successful first year performance review Deadline: 2 March 2015 University of Central Asia (UCA) is a secular, private, autonomous, and not for profit institution established by an International Treaty signed and ratified by the governments of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan, and His Highness the Aga Khan and registered with the United Nations. Its mission is to promote the social, economic and cultural development of Central Asia and especially its vast mountain regions by offering international standard education and research (ucentralasia.org). UCA is building three fully-residential campuses in towns that are hubs of mountain communities: Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic; Khorog, Tajikistan and Tekeli in Kazakhstan. The first campus will open in Naryn in September 2016, Khorog in 2018 and Tekeli in 2020. UCA will be developed in phases until it reaches a per campus student population of 1,200 (total 3,600). Designed by the internationally renowned Japanese architect Arata Isosaki, the facilities being developed are of a high international standard. The new Mountain Societies Research Institute (MSRI) director will work with the Dean of Arts and Sciences and be involved in shaping and delivering the Earth and Environmental sciences programme in addition to leading MSRI’s research initiatives. Both undergraduate and graduate education (to be launched in the near future through the Graduate School of Development) will stress research that grapples with analytically complex issues facing the region by capturing existing knowledge, creating new knowledge informing regional and international discourse and development practice. At UCA, there is a need for the academic programme and research institutes to be highly cooperative and complimentary. UCA is developing in a phased manner. As campuses are completed the range of undergraduate majors and minors will expand, graduate (beginning with master’s programmes) will be launched by current and future Institutes. UCA today consists of the following institutions: · The School of Arts and Sciences (undergraduate education and graduate education not directly related to development) whose first programmes will be launched in September 2016 in Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic and Khorog, Tajikistan in September 2018. The Culture, Heritages and Humanities Research Unit is located in the School of Arts and Sciences. · The Graduate School of Development currently with two functioning institutes: the Mountain Societies Research Institute (MSRI), and the Institute of Public Policy and Administration (IPPA) that will support graduate education in specific specialisations related to development studies (when campus facilities are ready) · The School of Professional and Continuing Education (launched in 2006 with a robust presence in the three Founding States and Afghanistan, offering non-degree professional and vocational education, English language training and elements of a university preparatory programmes); · The Aga Khan Humanities Project that offers interdisciplinary humanities at some 57 partner universities in the region aimed at promoting critical thinking, academic writing and new pedagogy; · And the Cultural Heritage and Humanities Unit that to date has published significant studies on ethnomusicology and is being expanded. UCA’s institutional diversity is a reflection of its responsiveness to the multiple challenges of development in the region. At the same time its diversity offers a unique opportunity for the research and policy agenda of MSRI to have multiple impacts. The research institutes, for the time being, are based in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, the location of UCA’s Central Administration. The Institutes engage in research and are beginning to offer executive education and capacity building interventions to development policy and practice. They are focusing on growing their publications programmes, and benefit from extensive donor support and partnerships with multiple institutions. Mountain Societies Research Institute Established in 2011 the Mountain Societies Research Institute (MSRI) is a University-wide research institution dedicated to addressing the challenges and opportunities with Central Asian mountain communities and environments. MSRI, together with its partners, actively works to transfer knowledge to policy and practice aimed at improving the quality of life for people of the mountain areas in Central Asia. MSRI’s goal is to support and enhance the resilience and quality of life of mountain societies through the generation and application of sound research. MSRI has six complimentary and inter-related objectives: 1. To develop a research strategy that allows the Institute to be a leader in mountain societies’ research in the region and internationally that publishes work of the highest academic rigour that makes practical contributions to development policy and practice 2. To publish applied interdisciplinary research on mountain societies in world class international and regional peer reviewed journals that have high impact values and recognized as high quality outlets for publication by faculty around the world; 3. To implement approaches and actions that promote the dissemination of knowledge in the region and promote development interventions based on sound science through engagement with development organizations, government agencies and communities; 4. To support the establishment of UCA’s library by joining/including MSRI’s existing Knowledge Hub, building a sounds repository of knowledge for scholars, development practitioners and decision-makers from a wide variety of disciplines interested in mountain societies; 5. To play a leading role in contributing to the development of UCA’s academic programmes at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive education levels. 6. To be a point of intersection where organizations such as the AKDN, governments, and civil society institutions and individuals such as academics, policy makers, and development professionals can formally come together to share ideas related to the development of mountain societies. MSRI currently works in four thematic areas. They are listed below. However, a major role for the MSRI Director will be to shape the Institute’s research and academic agendas. 1. Sustainable land management, including pasture and forest management, and responsible governance 2. Food security and nutrition, farming systems 3. Agroforestry and biodiversity 4. Sustainable tourism MSRI is also part of developing a Spatial Information (Decision Support) System with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). MSRI hosts the Central Asian Hub of Mountain Partnership. Currently MSRI is selected to be the location of the World Agroforestry Centre (part of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, CGIAR) local research hub for Central Asia. Based on an assessment by the new Director of MSRI and in consultation with research partners, new thematic areas could include: 1. Water and regional water governance, irrigation 2. Water and energy 3. Climate change and adaptation 4. Environmental monitoring MSRI is also developing a Learning Landscape Initiative that is based on the socio-ecological systems within which the campuses are located for research, and as demonstration and experimentation sites. MSRI receives extensive external funding from a variety of donors, and collaborates on research with institutions in Europe, North America, China and other countries. MSRI is expected to relocate to the University’s campus in Khorog, Tajikistan that is scheduled to open in September 2018. MSRI’s move to Khorog is part of UCA’s strategy to improve the quality of life of mountain communities in one of the most vulnerable environments. Centered in Khorog, MSRI will continue and strengthen its broad regional mission. The new Director of MSRI will advance the research institute to become a leading research centre on mountain societies. Research at UCA fits the definition of applied and action research that is in line with the more contemporary world of academic and/or practice based publishing. Today, a pragmatic orientation to research is not only relevant for policy formulation but necessary for effective undergraduate and graduate education. Knowledge creation at MSRI must be leveraged to improve the circumstances of the various stakeholders of the mountain societies in which UCA operates. Research must be practical and meet the internationally rigorous standards of design, implementation, and subsequent knowledge dissemination. Failure to meet such standards would diminish the possibility of publishing the findings, produce a flawed curriculum, and ultimately of little import for policy and practice. The Director of MSRI must espouse this definition of research as he or she leads the development and implementation of MSRI’s strategic plan including: · Assess present and emerging research themes of MSRI and develop a strategy for the Institute in the short term and long term future to enable it to increase its publishing footprint while deepening its commitment to practice based research that informs policy and practice; · Strengthen and develop new key research streams that will enable MSRI to have the greatest impact on “mountain societies” research and development; · Enable MSRI to be pursue its integrative and interdisciplinary research enabling it to serve as a bridge with a larger number of international organizations, local communities, local governments and even emerging scientists. · Further develop research links between MSRI and UCA’s other research institutes such as the Institute for Public Policy and Administration and the Central Asian Culture and Humanities Unit · Establish and sustain a research culture in MSRI, i.e. one that encourages knowledge sharing via (1) regular meetings where key researchers/academics from UCA engage in discussion of design and implementation of research projects; (2) establishing formal mechanisms for internal peer reviews of research and funding proposals; (3) by developing and monitoring quality standards of research processes and outcomes; (4) by inviting well known, successful scholars and development professionals in mountain research to share their work and ideas with faculty and staff at MSRI; and (5) by encouraging faculty in MSRI to participate and organize conferences and symposia on mountain societies. · Develop a publication strategy to allow MSRI to pursue projects that not only have regional relevance and interest, but are conducted with the rigour necessary to allow them to make contribution to the global knowledge repository via peer reviewed journal articles in recognized publications · Strategically engage in research partnerships with national, regional, and international institutions (i.e. universities, research institutes, development agencies). · Ensure the institute is engaging in research that is balanced across UCA’s catchment areas including Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and areas in Northern Pakistan and Western China · Substantiate MSRI’s relevance to communities, government and other actors through engagements and interventions that translate sound, evidence based research into development practice and provide results of applied research to local communities for direct action. · Work with the Dean of Academic Affairs (responsible for the School of Arts and Sciences that will be established shortly) and Dean of the Graduate School of Development to hire faculty that will be strong Earth and Environmental Science Teachers and Researchers · Ensure that MSRI and the School of Arts and Sciences work in tandem, mutually supporting applied research and curriculum development seamlessly merging teaching and research at UCA; to meet the meet the needs of mountain societies of the twenty-first century, senior institute staff need to be strong teachers committed to effective applied research. · Develop a strong strategic vision that can potentially influence donor priorities in Central Asia allowing MSRI to develop a multi-term fundraising strategy in collaboration with UCA senior management and the fundraising unit for regional research and development; including the transition of MSRI to Khorog, Tajikistan. · Facilitate MSRI’s collaboration with relevant agencies within the Aga Khan Development Network in the region and internationally. · Oversee internal and external communication of MSRI’s activities; Required Qualifications and Experience Education · PhD in a relevant field in earth and/or environmental sciences, natural resource management, geography Research · Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience leading research projects through the publication lifecycle; · Experience working on cross country research projects with scientists located in different countries; · Demonstrated track record of research publications in strong international, national and regional journals; · An active research agenda in the broad area of earth and environmental sciences; · Experience publishing both qualitative and quantitative research studies; · Experience implementing different research methods, and statistical analyses; · Experience working on cross-disciplinary research projects that produce publications and reports for different agencies; · Knowledge of the greater Central Asia region (including China, Afghanistan and Pakistan). Leadership · At least 5 years of experience leading a research institute; · Experience mentoring at least 5 doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows; · Demonstrated management, communication and leadership skills in a senior university administrative/research position; · Flexibility and ability to work and manage in a start-up environment of a new institution in a challenging environment. Teaching · At least 5 years of experience teaching undergraduate and graduate students; · Demonstrated track record of successful classroom teaching; · Experience developing new courses and upgrading existing courses. Mentorship · Experience formally and informally training young faculty; · Experience providing feedback to colleagues in the review process as they go through the experience of publishing. Fundraising and Networking · Successful track record of raising external funding ; · A strong network among academic, development, and donor organizations; · A dense personal network of academics who balance teaching and research in the broader areas of Earth and Environmental Science; · A strong network of colleagues that work on mountain society research; · An international network of academic contacts. Language · Fluency in English · Working knowledge of Russian and/or a Central Asian language; and knowledge of a second European language are desirable. Please send a cover letter, CV, and contact information for three references to [email protected] by 2 March 2015. Please also indicate earliest available date. Early applications are encouraged. Ideally, the University is seeking the incumbent to begin in the summer of 2015, but is negotiable. For more information and other job opportunities, please visit our website: ucentralasia.org/current_vacancies.asp Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 06:23:17 +0000
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