Associate Professor/Professor - African Arts, Media and/or Cultural Studies

Date Posted: 11/12/2026
Closing Date: 01/18/2027, 11:59PM ET
Req ID: 50989
Job Category: Faculty - Tenure Stream (continuing)
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: Centre for Comparative Literature and African Studies Centre
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)
Existing Vacancy: Yes

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Centre for Comparative Literature and the African Studies Centre in the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto invites applications for a full-time tenure stream position in African Arts, Media and/or Cultural Studies. This will be a joint appointment between the Centre for Comparative Literature (51%) and the African Studies Centre (49%). The appointment will be at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor, with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2027. The successful candidate will be eligible to be named the New College Professor in African Studies for a three-year term, which will be renewable following a favourable review.

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants must have earned a PhD degree with disciplinary or interdisciplinary backgrounds in African Studies, Comparative Literature or a related area, with a clearly demonstrated record of excellence in research and teaching. We seek applications from Africanist candidates, with lived experience on the continent, whose research and teaching interests complement and enhance the existing strengths in the Centre for Comparative Literature and the African Studies Centre and who situate their work firmly within African Studies, with expertise in African Arts, Media and/or Cultural Studies.

We seek candidates whose work engages multiple linguistic traditions across the region(s) that they study. Research may address artistic and cultural production, heritage, representation, media, visual and material cultures across different temporalities. We welcome scholarship that examines both the historical evolution and contemporary significance of African cultural forms, practices, and media. Research within the scope and regional focus of Western, Central or Southern Africa is particularly welcome.

Candidates must have an established international reputation and must provide evidence of research excellence, as demonstrated by a record of sustained high-impact contributions and publications in top-ranked and field-relevant journals; the submitted research statement; presentations at significant conferences; awards and accolades; other noteworthy activities that contribute to the visibility and prominence of the discipline; and strong endorsements from referees.

Evidence of excellence in teaching will be demonstrated through teaching accomplishments, the teaching dossier (including the required materials outlined below), and strong letters of reference.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Candidates will be expected to sustain and lead innovative and independent research, and to maintain an outstanding, competitive, and externally funded research program.

In addition, the successful candidate will be assigned a teaching and service load.

HIRING SALARY RANGE

The rank and salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The salary range for this position exceeds $200,000 CAD per annum.

ABOUT US

The Centre for Comparative Literature at the University of Toronto offers M.A.and Ph.D. programs of study in every major area from classical to contemporary literatures with particular emphasis on literary theory and criticism. The Centre, founded by Northrop Frye in 1969, is unique in North America in design, purpose and practice. Each student has an individualized curriculum whose aim is to provide thorough preparation in literary traditions and a rigorous study of different theoretical approaches. To learn more visit: https://complit.utoronto.ca/about-us/.

The African Studies Centre fosters a vibrant intellectual, social and cultural hub of academic excellence with a shared ethos and commitment to public scholarship, social justice, global citizenship, engaged scholarship and a praxis of inclusivity, epistemic diversity, and reflexive community engagement. To learn more visit: https://www.africanstudies.utoronto.ca/about-us/our-centre/about-our-centre.

For more information on working at the University of Toronto, please visit https://www.utoronto.ca/research-innovation/working-at-uoft.

APPLICATION PROCESS

All application materials, including recent reference letters, must be received by Monday January 18, 2027.

All qualified candidates are invited to apply online by clicking the link below. Your CV and cover letter should be uploaded into the dedicated fields. Please combine additional application materials into one or two files in PDF/MS Word format. Applicants must submit the following materials:

• a cover letter;
• a current curriculum vitae;
• a research statement outlining current and future research interests;
• one recent publication;
• a teaching dossier, including
• a teaching statement,
• sample course materials, and
• teaching evaluations; and
• the name and contact information of three references.

The University of Toronto’s recruiting tool will automatically solicit and collect letters of reference from each referee within 48 hours of an application being submitted. Applicants remain responsible for ensuring that references submit recent letters (on letterhead, dated, and signed) by the closing date. Submission guidelines and details on the automatic reference letter collection, including timelines, are available in the candidate FAQ.

Equity, diversity and inclusion are essential to academic excellence as articulated in University of Toronto’s Statement on Equity, Diversity and Excellence. We seek candidates who share these values and who demonstrate throughout the application materials their commitment and efforts to advance equity, diversity, inclusion, and the promotion of a respectful and collegial learning and working environment.

If you have any questions about this position, please contact Professor Conrad James, Chair at [email protected].

The University of Toronto has adopted the AAU Principles on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Academia, including the requirement that applicants release personnel information from prior employers regarding sexual misconduct. Full details and requirements can be found here.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Indigenous Substantiation
The University of Toronto has implemented a process to substantiate Indigenous Membership/Citizenship/Enrolment for those candidates who identify as Indigenous. For more information regarding the University's Indigenous Substantiation Process, please refer to: Indigenous Substantiation Website.

Diversity Statement
The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities. We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to strengthening our academic mission.

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP.

Accessibility Statement
The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact [email protected].