Position offered by Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations, The American University in Cairo

The Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations invites applications from a historian of art and architecture with a primary focus on the study of the Islamic world before 1800 for an open-rank appointment that will begin in the fall of 2024. This is a fixed-term position for four years, renewable upon successful review. Candidates with research agendas that include the Levant, Egypt, North Africa, and/or Iberia are especially encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels, in all areas of Islamic art and architecture. The teaching load is three courses (nine credit hours) per semester. Courses are to be taught in English. The successful candidate is expected to pursue a robust research agenda; to demonstrate a commitment to teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels; to supervise M.A. theses; and to engage meaningfully at the department, school, university, and community levels. The department particularly seeks applicants whose research interests demonstrate facility with primary textual sources and reflect the department's interdisciplinarity, who engage with local material culture and built heritage in their scholarship, and who are receptive to adapting instruction to emerging curricular needs.

Requirements: Applicants must have a PhD with a specialization in the history of Islamic Art and Architecture in hand at the time of application, relevant teaching experience at the university level, and an active research record and agenda.

Additional Information: Review of applications will start immediately. Priority will be given to applications that are submitted by January 30, 2024. Initial interviews will be held in late January and early February. The position will be open until filled.

Application Instructions: All applicants must submit the following documents via the online system:

  • a current C.V.
  • a letter of interest
  • a completed AUC Personnel Information Form (PIF)
  • a writing sample
  • a brief statement on teaching philosophy
  • copies of recent student evaluations of instruction, if available

Three letters of reference may be requested for candidates invited to interview for the opening. Inquiries can be submitted through the on-line application system or by email at [email protected]. Please identify the position in the subject title of the email and in the letters as follows: HIAA at ARIC.

Founded in 1919, AUC moved to a new 270-acre state-of-the-art campus in New Cairo in 2008. The University also operates in its historic downtown facilities, offering cultural events. Among the premier universities in the region, AUC is Middle States accredited; its Engineering programs are accredited by ABET, its Chemistry program is accredited by the Canadian Society for Chemistry, and the School of Business is accredited by AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS. The AUC Libraries contain the largest English-language research collection in the region and are an active and integral part of the University's pursuit of excellence in all academic and scholarly programs. AUC is an English-medium institution; eighty-five percent of the students are Egyptian, and the rest include students from nearly ninety countries, principally the Middle East, Africa, and North America. Faculty salary and rank are based on qualifications and professional experience. According to AUC policies and procedures, faculty are entitled to generous benefits.

About the Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations: The Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations (ARIC) provides a multi-disciplinary framework for study of the history and culture of the Middle East since the rise of Islam. It seeks to explain the thought, movements, processes, institutions, and identities of Arab-Islamic civilization. These include but are not limited to aesthetic and intellectual production, political and religious thought, cross-cultural interaction, commerce and economic relations, government, and social, political, and religious loyalties. Course offerings cover the Arab and Islamic world from the seventh century to the modern era. The study and appreciation of these fields forms an important part of the university's mission to give students a greater awareness and appreciation of the heritage of the Middle East. ARIC offers master's degrees in Arabic Studies with emphases in four fields: Islamic Art and Architecture, Middle Eastern History, Islamic Studies, and Arabic Language and Literature. All MA students must write a thesis based on research using original Arabic language sources.