Associate Professor in French
Position summary
Introduction
Job description
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is one of South Africa’s leading universities and ranks among the top 500 universities globally. Within the University’s College of Humanities, the School of Arts has a well-established research profile and a substantial community of undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The French Programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal is positioning itself as a major South African centre for quality research and training in French. The applicant must be specialized in French, with expertise in research on any aspect of French language or Francophone Studies. The successful candidate will mainly be based on the Howard College campus, but may be required to do some teaching on the Pietermaritzburg campus.
The incumbent will report to the Head of Discipline: Language & Literature
Minimum requirements
- A PhD in French language and/or literature, Francophone Studies, or a cognate discipline
- Mother tongue fluency in French and proficiency in English
- At least six years of teaching experience in French as a Foreign Language at tertiary level
- Evidence of sustained and impactful research through publications in quality journals and books, appropriate for the level
- Evidence of sustained and successful attraction of external research grants
- A sustained track record of successful supervision of postgraduate students at Masters and PhD level, appropriate for the level
- Evidence of national and international recognition in a research area within the discipline.
- Evidence of strong and sustained academic leadership within the Department / School/ College/ University, which includes mentorship and coaching
This appointment will be made in line with the University Guidelines/benchmarks which are available on the University Vacancies website on http://vacancies.ukzn.ac.za/Academic-Process-Proc-Guides.aspx
Enquiries and details regarding this post may be directed to Prof J Zeller, email: Zeller@ukzn.ac.za
The closing date for receipt of application is 13 November 2026.
All applicants are required to apply online on Career Portal, https://ukzn.ci.hr/applicant/index.php
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The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is committed to meeting the objectives of Employment Equity to improve representivity within the Institution. Preference will be given to applicants from designated groups in accordance with our Employment Equity Plan.
- Please do not send us copies of your degree and other certificates. We will request certified copies if you are short listed for interview.
- Please read the advertisement carefully. We do not consider applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements.
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- The University reserves the right not to fill a vacancy.
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