2024 Mathematical Sciences Lecturer/Assistant Professor Positions

Wenzhou-Kean University

Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU), located in Wenzhou, China, one of three Sino-American universities along with NYU Shanghai and Duke Kunshan University, is approved by the Ministry of Education of China. Launched in 2012, WKU offers a unique model of higher education in partnership with Kean University, a comprehensive, public university in the state of New Jersey that is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. WKU sits on approximately 500 beautiful acres and currently enrolls about 4,600 undergraduate students, and it is now in the midst of a rapid growth that will bring enrollment to 7,500 students within the next five years. All instruction is in English, and all curriculum is provided by Kean University. In addition to its current 18 undergraduate programs, WKU has been approved by the Ministry of Education for offering 8 Master’s and 3 doctorate programs. Wenzhou is one of the most vibrant and economically advanced developed cities on China’s East Coast, located one hour by plane and just over three hours by high-speed train from Shanghai.

About the Job:

The College of Science, Mathematics and Technology is seeking highly motivated individuals to join the Mathematical Sciences department at WKU. 

All faculty positions are full-time assignments, effective for either the start of the 2024 Spring semester or the 2024 Fall semester. These positions are initially appointed on a 3-year contract and are subject to renewal every three years.

A Lecturer is a full-time, 11-month employee who teaches 39 credits per year and provides student and learning support services during the assigned period. Lecturers will be expected to provide high quality teaching, student advisement, and learning support services, as well as service to the university, college, school, program and/or the professional community; and perform related work as required. These positions are full-time assignments appointed on a 3-year contract at the first instance.

A Tenure-track Assistant Professor is a full-time, 10-month employee. These positions are appointed on a 3-year contract at the first instance which will be renewed contingent on positive evaluations. Tenure-track faculty will apply for tenure after 6 years of service. Early career researchers with Ph.D. degree obtained within the past 10 years from reputable universities (Carnegie R1 institutions or comparable research institutions with strong academic reputation in the fields), are encouraged to apply. Tenure-track candidates should possess a strong track record for publication and are ready to lead their own research groups independently. Tenure-track faculty are required to teach 24 credits per academic year and conduct research. Six credits teaching release time will be provided to new faculty each year for the first two consecutive years of the appointment to support external research grant development and other significant research endeavors. Thereafter, release time may be available by application on competitive basis. The university will provide start-up grants (up to 300,000 RMB) in support of their research programs. After joining WKU, faculty will apply to a variety of internal research funds including international research collaboration grants (up to 300,000 RMB per project) as well as external grants at the municipal, provincial, and national levels. Tenure-track faculty are also expected to provide service to the university and/or professional community. Tenure-track candidates should possess a strong track record for publication and are ready to lead their own research groups independently. They are expected to plan and conduct research and develop extramurally funded research programs involving students, which is essential for tenure and promotion. Tenure track candidates are also expected to publish peer-reviewed journal articles in high impact journals in related fields and provide service to the university and/or professional community. In addition to teaching and student-engaging research duties, candidates are also expected to contribute to the growth of the programs, including but not limited to curriculum development, program assessment, student recruitment/advisement, senior project supervision, internship opportunities, research experiences for undergraduates (REU), etc. 

Teaching assignments and related responsibilities may include day, evening, and online courses. Interest or experience in using advanced instructional technologies to improve the teaching/learning process is highly desirable. All faculty may be required to teach General Education courses as needed. Opportunities are also available to teach disciplinary support courses.

Qualifications: 

A doctorate degree in applied mathematics, statistics, data analytics, machine learning, computer vision, or a closely related field. English fluency is required. Candidates should be capable of teaching upper-level courses, including Applied Machine Learning, Big Data Computing, and Statistical Data Mining, in addition to foundational Math courses.

Application Information:

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Please send cover letter, resume, statement of teaching philosophy, statement of research goals, unofficial transcripts, two most recent peer-reviewed academic publications, and contact information of three professional references by email to Search Committee Chairperson at wkumath@wku.edu.cn. Official transcripts for all degrees and three current letters of recommendation are required before appointment.

Faculty positions at WKU offer:

• $66,000-$70,000 for Lecturers and $70,000-$75,000 for Assistant Professors. Salary of extraordinary candidates shall be determined on a case-by-case basis
• The University will provide start-up grants to support tenure track faculty to start their research programs
• A well-rounded healthcare coverage, academic travel up to $2,000, housing options and subsidy up to $3,000, home traveling up to $6,000 (2 international round-trip airfares), a reimbursement to cover relocation expenses up to $1,000, shuttle bus to campus for work, and up to 8% front-load retirement benefits in accordance with completion of years of service with the University
• WKU tuition waiver up to 80% for spouse/dependent children of faculty for undergraduate programs
• The opportunity to teach high quality students. About 45% of graduates have been admitted to the graduate schools at the World’s Top 50 Universities, and about 60% of graduates at the World’s Top 100 Universities
• Extraordinarily strong candidates at Associate Professor or Professor level may be considered for a special research track position with high research output expectations, low teaching load (1-1 or 2-0 load), generous research start-up funding (RMB 1-5 million), a 10-month salary of RMB 0.7-1.0 million (about USD $105-147K), and RMB 1 million in housing subsidy

Background Screening:

Wenzhou-Kean University conducts background screenings on all candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third-party administrator to conduct background screenings.