Open Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Positions in the Diplomacy and Security Studies

Open Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Positions in the Diplomacy and Security Studies Division and the Interethnic Relations and Conflict Studies Division at the Center for Northeast Asian Studies, Tohoku University

Overview
The Center for Northeast Asian Studies, established in 1996 as an independent research institute inside Tohoku University, aims to create interdisciplinary knowledge that contributes to solving cross-border environmental issues under cooperative globalization. In response to the changing global socio-political landscape, the Center established a new Department of Geopolitical Studies, founded upon the principles of interdisciplinarity, inter- and trans-regionality, and creative collaboration. Bringing together scholars from around the world, the Center is dedicated to integration – of research within and outside of Japan, of scholarship on and of the expertise of Northeast Asian studies – as a driving force for the development of Geopolitical Studies and as a roadmap for its future.
 
As part of a major new initiative, Tohoku University seeks to fill two faculty positions in the Diplomacy and Security Studies Division and the Interethnic relations and Conflict Studies Division. We welcome applicants who work in history, socio-cultural anthropology, international relations, political science and law, and related disciplines. Special consideration will be given to applicants whose goals and methodologies align with the Center’s tenets of interdisciplinarity and trans-regionality. Successful candidates will be appointed as tenure-track assistant professors.
 
The appointments are expected to begin on December 1, 2025. Successful candidates will demonstrate a commitment to research and teaching from a perspective that situates Japan in the larger world and highlights a global perspective in the Department of Geopolitics Japanese Studies of the Center for Northeast Asian Studies. Appointees will teach and advise in English at the undergraduate and graduate levels, with a typical teaching load of three classes each semester (3/3). Service in the form of administrative roles in the Center or in editorial involvement in the Center’s journal and other publications are also part of the appointment. Preference will be given to candidates capable of and willing to join collaborative research projects with scholars in Japan and to those interested in conducting research using the rich archival collections at Tohoku University.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in the Humanities, Social Sciences or a closely related field by the time the appointment begins;
• Native or near-native proficiency in English;
• Proficiency in languages relevant to Northeast Asian Studies (Russian, Chinese, or other local languages);
• Robust research agenda in the Diplomacy and Security Studies of Northeast Asian Studies or the Interethnic relations and Conflict Studies of Northeast Asian Studies;
• Strong commitments to research, teaching and management;
• Evidence of potential for significant contributions to the Center, University, and wider field of Northeast Asian Studies;
• Willingness to learn the basic Japanese language for livelihood and work.

Compensation
The annual salary for these appointments will be determined in accordance with Tohoku University’s Regulations on Employee Salary and will be based on length of experience and performance.
Estimated salary range: 5-8 million Japanese yen (before tax and deduction）

Allocation of Office and Laboratory Space
Successful candidates will be allocated a furnished office space on campus.

Accommodation
Successful candidates may be able to move into university accommodation if there are any vacancies on the date of appointment.

Welfare
Successful candidates must be enrolled as a member of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Mutual Aid Association (MEXT), which provides health insurance and enrollment in the Employees’ Pension Scheme. Tohoku University will also provide employment insurance as well as industrial accident compensation insurance.　 

Submissions

Please submit the following materials to kyouinkoubo.cneas@grp.tohoku.ac.jp.

Applications received by 30 June 2025 will receive full consideration.

1.    A cover letter;
2.    A curriculum vitae;
3.    A completed resume (a standardized form has been created and is available for download here);
4.    A writing sample representative of recent research (max 20 pages);
5.    A research statement and agenda summarizing past research and outlining future plans;
6.    Three letters of reference when applying for a position of tenure-track assistant professor;
(NB: Please have the referees send the letters directly to the CNEAS; letters sent by the applicant cannot be accepted);
7.    A completed and signed 'Conduct Questionnaire' (available for download here).

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to submit a teaching dossier, including a teaching philosophy statement and sample course materials. Candidates reaching the final round of the selection process will be invited to the Tohoku University campus.
 
Tohoku University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other protected status.

Please contact the Center for Northeast Asian Studies Administrative Office for any questions or additional clarification:
kyouinkoubo.cneas@grp.tohoku.ac.jp