News

The Graduate School of International Cultural Studies (GSICS) at Tohoku University is recruiting for the following position.

Position

Title:	Associate Professor or Senior Assistant Professor
Affiliation:	Graduate School of International Cultural Studies (GSICS), Department of Contemporary Japanese Media and Gender Studies
Term of Employment:	Four-year tenure-track (tenure review after two years)
Location:	The Graduate School of International Cultural Studies (GSICS), Education and Student Support Center, 41 Kawauchi, Aoba Ward, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-0862
Start Date:	April 1, 2026

Job Description

Researchers with an expertise in film studies, media studies, and literature are encouraged to apply to become either an associate professor or senior assistant professor in the Department of Contemporary Japanese Media and Gender Studies at the GSICS. The role involves teaching graduate lectures in the area of Cultural Area Studies, graduate courses in the department (lectures and seminars), and undergraduate general education courses.

In principle, this is a four-year tenure-track appointment. A tenure review will be conducted by the end of the second year. Exceptionally qualified candidates may be granted tenure at the time of appointment. For details, please contact the Administration Office.

For further details, including how to apply, please see here.

Qualifications

• Applicants must have a Ph.D. degree
• At least three years of educational experience at the university level as an associate professor, senior assistant professor, assistant professor or assistant (for Associate Professor) or at least one year of educational experience at the university level as a senior assistant professor, assistant professor, or assistant (for Senior Assistant Professor)
• Specialized in research fields related to film studies, media studies, and/or literature, with sufficient academic production in these fields
• Capable of conducting international comparative studies in film studies, media studies, and/or literature of Japan
• Capable of delivering lectures and supervising graduate students in Japanese
• Ability to teach classes in English is a preferred skill
• Additional desirable qualifications include research achievements from a gender perspective or a willingness to conduct research that incorporates a gender perspective

How to Apply

Please submit the following materials:

1. A copy of the applicantʼs CV with a photograph. (use the official university form, downloadable from the GSICS website: https://www.intcul.tohoku.ac.jp/english/positions-available/).
2. A list of academic publications (e.g., books, papers, presentations, or other reports, indicating with or without peer review). For each item, indicate whether each publication was peer-reviewed, and if applicable, provide quantitative indicators such as citation counts, journal impact factors, or Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI).
3. All academic publications.
4. Three major academic publications must be marked with an asterisk on the list, and for each, a summary written in Japanese within 1,000 characters must be attached.
5. ① Statement of the applicantʼs previous and current research projects and ② statement of applicantʼs teaching experience, including course descriptions, experience of supervising students, designing courses, and cooperation with the community. Each statement should be on approximately one A4 size page in Japanese.
6. A lecture plan on applicant's area of expertise for 15 sessions (within one A4 page).
7. List of acquired research funds in the past 5 years.
8. Applicants are also allowed to submit a letter of recommendation.

After the initial screening of application materials, selected candidates will be invited for an interview and asked to teach a mock lecture on their area of expertise. Transportation expenses will not be provided.

The application materials must be submitted by e-mail to: int-som*grp.tohoku.ac.jp (replace "*" with "@") with the subject "Application Documents (Department of Contemporary Japanese Media and Gender Studies)". Please send the complete set of submitted documents as PDF files (individually or in batches) with passwords sent to the email address above. The password must be provided by a separate email. All application materials will not be returned.

Application Deadline: September 19, 2025

About the Center

The Tohoku University Graduate School of International Cultural Studies was established in 1993 as the first independent graduate school in Tohoku University. The Graduate School aims to conduct interdisciplinary and comprehensive education and research on international regional culture, cultural exchange, and language and culture, and to nurture outstanding human resources who can play an active role and contribute to the international community.