CORE PURPOSE OF JOB

Nelson Mandela University's Humanities Faculty seeks a distinguished scholar to take up the strategic role of special Associate Professor/Full Professor of the African Literary Archive. The  Associate Professor/Professor of African Literary Archive will support the Faculty’s strategy to revitalize the Humanities and reignite their catalytic role in the academy, and reposition the Faculty as a leader in the area of African Literary Archive regionally, continentally and internationally. They will advance scholarship on the African Archive, particularly the vast archive of 19th-century southern African historical literatures, newspapers, and other texts written in African languages by early African literates. We seek a scholar who is eager to shape the knowledge field of these African intellectual traditions and connect them to the longer histories of oratures and the multiplicities of indigenous literary forms. This is a transdisciplinary professorship at the intersections of African language studies, archival studies, sociolinguistics, literary studies, and historical studies. In addition to positioning the Faculty in this field, the incumbent must demonstrate attributes of being innovative, rigorous, and technically competent. The Associate Professor/Professor will also supervise, mentor, and train postgraduates in the range of competencies required in this field of scholarship. This includes developing their capacities for working academically with multiple southern African indigenous languages, texts in translation, relevant research methods and archival platforms. The successful candidate must have a track record of engagement in relevant high-level sector networks and forums advancing this focus area along with broad scholarship in African languages development. The Faculty has further identified the digitisation of archives as a potential area for development in the preservation and curation of African archives, to be explored under the professorship.

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

• Academic Leadership: Develop and advance a high-level research programmes/ projects within the focus area of African Literary Archive, in collaboration with the Department of History, as well as establish scholarly institutional networks within and beyond the continent within the focus area; offer lectures, seminars across undergraduate programmes, supervise and mentor postgraduate students in interdisciplinary themes relating to the African literary archive, as well as participate in Faculty-related activities.
• Research outputs: Produce scholarly publications in top rated and accredited local and international presses.
• Transformation - Contribute to the Faculty’s strategy to mentor and develop emerging scholars and academics towards the sustainable long-term transformation of the greater South African Humanities.
• Engagement: Initiate sustainable and high level partnerships within the field of African literary archive with partners across the African continent, the international African diaspora and other parts of the world on behalf of the Faculty.
• Fundraising: Develop sustainable donor partnerships in support of the programmes on the field.
• Reporting: Write regular reports on the progress of programmes and projects

CORE COMPETENCIES

The candidate must have the following:

• Well-established academic credentials and scholarly profile in their field.
• A research and teaching record rooted firmly within the relevant Humanities or Social Sciences disciplines (e.g. History, Philosophy, Sociology).
• Proven track record of scholarly engagement with African literary archives.
• Ability to supervise postgraduate students, as well mentor early career scholars in the field.
• Proven track record of engagement with the languages/ heritage sectors broadly.
• Experience in researching/ identifying/ curating/ promoting/ documenting archival historical literary material in either formal or community-based institutions.
• Demonstrable creative and original contributions in the field of African literary archives and heritages.
• A well-established track record of engagement and high-level networks in the relevant fields, particularly as it serves the purposes of this role.
• Ability to work independently and in a team.

REQUIREMENTS

Associate Professor:

• Relevant Doctoral degree in a relevant Humanities discipline with extensive relevant experience (three to seven years)
• A substantial publication record in with evidence of active and prolific publication with the last 3-5 years
• Track record of substantive engagement on matters concerning language/ heritage sectors beyond the university
• Evidence of postgraduate research supervision.
• Evidence of academic management and leadership
• Evidence of active participation in professional, industry and/or community activities at regional, continental and international level.
• Applicants will be requested to provide documented evidence in the form of testimonials, grant letters, and any other relevant documentation of professional evidence

Professor:

• Relevant Doctoral degree in a relevant Humanities discipline with extensive relevant experience (two years working experience as an Associate Professor)
• A substantial publication record in with evidence of active and prolific publication with the last 3-5 years
• Track record of substantive engagement on matters concerning language/ heritage sectors beyond the university
• Evidence of postgraduate research supervision.
• Evidence of academic management and leadership
• Evidence of active participation in professional, industry and/or community activities at regional, continental and international level.
• Applicants will be requested to provide documented evidence in the form of testimonials, grant letters, and any other relevant documentation of professional evidence