School of Design
Associate Professor / Assistant Professor in Design (several posts)
(Ref. 240808006)
The School of Design, as a leading and transdisciplinary design school, is at the forefront of nurturing capable, open-minded, creative talents and active learners; contributing to innovation in Hong Kong and Mainland China while maintaining a global perspective. As one of the top design schools in the world, its highly diverse design expertise widely includes Product Design, Interactive Design, Information Design, Advertising Design, Media Design, Interior and Environmental Design, Social Innovation Design, Service Innovation Design, Urban Design, Business Innovation Design, Intelligent Systems Design, Intelligent Services Design and Multimedia Entertainment Technology. The School’s research and consultancy work are of an applied nature relevant to industrial, commercial and community needs. It is ranked 19th by the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024 for Art and Design, ranking among the top institutions in Asia. The School is based in a Zaha Hadid designed building well-equipped for innovative research and creative learning on the university campus. Please visit the website at https://www.sd.polyu.edu.hk/en/ for more information about the School.
The Design discipline at the School takes a sustainable and humanistic approach which aims to expand the scope of traditional design into the sociotechnical realms. The three conceptual pillars constitute: (a) Social Design - collaborative design with communities and the public sector to improve living conditions through critical, systemic and co-designed approaches; (b) Design Economies - entrepreneurial design that enhances service innovation and value creation in the private sector; and (c) Design Making - human-centered and hands-on design investigations in labs, in the practices of making and prototyping via socio-technical means. They are identified as the three flagship themes to consolidate the research focus and emerging pedagogies in the School.
The School is looking for candidates who will work in a transdisciplinary design environment that builds on the School’s global position within the regional and Chinese context (e.g. the Greater Bay Area).
More specifically, candidates are sought, preferably with industrial experiences together with a strong track record of teaching and research in any one of the following areas:
⦁ Communication Design (e.g. strategy, branding, creative advertising, market research, content creation, information design, infographics, wayfinding, animation content creation, filmmaking, storytelling)
⦁ Content Design (e.g. digital content creation, digital communication design, brand development, publication design)
⦁ Design for Entrepreneurship (e.g. design strategy, user-centered design, design management, circular design, product service systems)
⦁ Digital Entertainment and Game Development (e.g. applied anthropology, psychology, neuroscience, socio-technical systems)
⦁ Interactive System Design (e.g. UX design, smart product, design for AI, internet of things, digital fabrication, data driven design)
⦁ Service Design and Social Innovation (e.g. strategic innovation, user experience design, organisational/community design)
⦁ Interaction Design (e.g. design-oriented HCI, user experience and interface design, research through design, design methodologies, interactive computing)
Candidates are expected to demonstrate a strong research potential and/or good publication track record in transdisciplinary design projects (e.g. healthcare systems, smart tourism, e-enterprises, city-regeneration, age-friendly city, etc.).
Duties
The appointees will be required to:
(a) synthesise knowledge and design applications with theories, design research methods and form-giving techniques;
(b) provide leadership in all aspects of academic activities, including research, teaching and service among the design disciplines;
(c) teach at undergraduate and/or postgraduate levels in a mix of design disciplines;
(d) act as student advisor and supervisor to groups as well as individual students including research students;
(e) secure competitive research grants and conduct research that leads to publications in refereed journals, or a body of design work which leads to outputs contributing to the knowledge and teaching of the design disciplines;
(f) engage actively in research and scholarly activities serving the regional and international industry with significance and relevance to the discipline and profession;
(g) work with industry, nonprofits and the public sector to initiate funded research projects;
(h) activate inter-departmental and inter-institutional collaboration and networking; and
(i) perform any other duties as assigned by the Dean of School or his delegates.
Qualifications
Applicants should have:
(a) a relevant PhD degree with professional and/or teaching experiences in a specialised area of Design and/or a related discipline;
(b) extensive knowledge of and expertise in an area of design with hands-on techniques;
(c) extensive knowledge of and track record in design research and research methodologies;
(d) a high level of contextual and cultural awareness, and a vision for the future development of the profession; and
(e) a strong commitment to excellence in teaching, research and professional service.
Applicants for appointment at Associate Professor level should have stronger relevant academic and/or professional achievements. Candidates with less experience will be considered for appointment at a lower level.
Applicant should submit (a) a letter of application declaring a focus area of expertise; (b) updated curriculum vitae; (c) a brief statement of research and teaching philosophy; (d) three key publications; and (e) a design and/or teaching portfolio including samples of personal and professional work.
Conditions of Service
A highly competitive remuneration package will be offered. Initial appointment for Assistant Professor will be on a fixed-term gratuity-bearing contract. Re-engagement thereafter is subject to mutual agreement. An appropriate term will be provided for appointment at Associate Professor level. For general information on terms and conditions for appointment of academic staff in the University, please visit the website at https://www.polyu.edu.hk/hro/docdrive/careers/doc/Prof.pdf.
Consideration of applications will commence on 20 September 2024 until the positions are filled.
Posting date: 8 August 2024