Associate Professor (Political Science), Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Introduction:

Aga Khan University, chartered in 1983 as Pakistan's first private international university, is committed to the provision of education, research, and health care of international standard relevant to Pakistan and the region. The affiliated Aga Khan University Hospital has well-equipped investigative services and provides state-of-the-art clinical facilities.

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) aims to develop leaders through a transformative education that is endlessly challenging, stimulating and mind-opening – one that prepares graduates for innovative thought and consequential action.

As an equal opportunity employer, AKU believes in promoting a diverse and inclusive culture and is committed to adopt appropriate standards for safeguarding and promoting a respectful relationship with and between diverse workforce of its faculty, staff, trainees, volunteers, beneficiaries, wider communities, and other stakeholders with whom it works, including children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees/trainees and partners to share this commitment.

Aga Khan University invites applications for the position of Associate Professor (Political Science, with specialization in International Relations and Political Economy) for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Responsibilities:

You will be responsible for:

Teaching and Curriculum Development:

• Deliver high-quality teaching in Political Science, International Relations, and Political Economy.
• Develop new undergraduate and postgraduate courses and contribute to interdisciplinary curriculum design.
• Supervise student research projects, theses, and dissertations at undergraduate and graduate levels.

Research and Scholarship:

• Conduct innovative and high-impact research with regular publications in peer-reviewed journals and reputable academic presses.
• Secure external research funding through competitive grants.
• Contribute to the Faculty’s research strengths in governance, development, environment, and global policy.

Academic Leadership and Service:

• Mentor junior faculty, early-career researchers, and students.
• Undertake administrative responsibilities, including participation in departmental, faculty, and university committees.
• Build and sustain collaborations with academic institutions, think-tanks, NGOs, and policy organisations at regional and international levels.

Requirements:

You should have:

Essential Criteria:

• PhD in Political Science or a closely related field.
• Evidence of expertise in both International Relations and Political Economy.
• Strong and sustained record of research publications in high-quality journals and presses.
• Proven experience in teaching at university level with positive student outcomes.
• Experience supervising undergraduate and postgraduate research.
• Demonstrated success in attracting external research funding (individually or collaboratively).
• Commitment to interdisciplinary teaching and research.
• Ability to contribute to academic leadership, mentoring, and governance.

Desirable Criteria:

• Research focus on the Global South, governance, development, or environmental politics.
• Experience with curriculum innovation and academic programme development.
• Experience in building international partnerships with universities, research institutes, or development organisations.
• Engagement with policy-relevant research or advisory work.
• Familiarity with liberal arts or interdisciplinary undergraduate education models.
• Familiarity with digital tools and methods in political science research.

Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted.