Visiting Faculty Member in Communications and Media

VISITING FACULTY MEMBER IN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Programme: Communications and Media

School: School of Arts and Sciences

Duty Station: Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic

Duration: September 15-December 31,2026

Reports to: Associate Dean, Naryn Campus

Application Deadline: 25 August 2026

Programme Description

UCA's Communications and Media programme offers a unique integrated approach that includes communications theory, media studies, journalism and applied media with a storytelling approach. The programme mirrors current trends in the study and practice of media communications. Students will be equipped with a strong foundation in both theory and practical skills desired by media industries, including journalism, public relations, multi-media design, media production. They will acquire skills in writing and critical thinking, as well as knowledge in media law and ethics and the political, economic, cultural and social character of Central Asian societies.

Why Join UCA?

• Impactful Teaching and Research: Contribute to an academic institution that is dedicated to fostering innovation and development in Central Asia and beyond.

• Collaboration and Growth: Be part of a diverse, interdisciplinary academic environment, with opportunities for collaboration and research across multiple fields of societal relevance.

• Regional Leadership: Lead the development of innovative solutions to regional challenges in climate adaptation, sustainable development, technology, data science, and digital policy.

• Support for Female Scholars: UCA is deeply committed to supporting all scholars in all fields, providing opportunities to further advance gender equity in academia.

Key Responsibilities

The University of Central Asia seeks to fill few Visiting Faculty positions in the Communications and Media programme at UCA’s campus in Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic. This position is advertised as a Visiting Faculty role; however, outstanding candidates may be considered for a longer-term or permanent appointment. In your role as a faculty member, you will be contributing to the development and implementation of a new Communications and Media curriculum at the Bachelor Level that has been designed in partnership with the University of Technology Sydney in Australia and individual course developers.

Academic programmes combine the student-centered environment of a liberal arts college with the intellectual excitement of being at the frontiers of knowledge offered by a research university. The language of instruction for undergraduate studies is English, with a requirement that all undergraduate students be fluent in their native language and Russian. As a Visiting Faculty, you will be dedicated to teaching classes and providing each student with personal academic attention to ensure that they master and apply the material.

Lastly, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to continue their research and develop new research for UCA in Central Asia, actively creating pathways to engage students in the research programme. Applicants should thus be research active and have a commitment to establishing foundational knowledge for students new to the field.

UCA Background:

The University of Central Asia (UCA) was founded in 2000 as a private, not for profit, secular university through an International Treaty signed by the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and His Late Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV; ratified by their respective parliaments and registered with the United Nations. The Presidents are the Patrons of the University and His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V is the Chancellor. UCA’s mission is to promote the social and economic development of Central Asia, particularly its mountain communities, by offering an internationally recognized standard of higher education and enabling the peoples of the region to preserve their rich cultural heritage as assets for the future. UCA is distinguished by its three schools: the undergraduate School of Arts and Sciences (SAS), the Graduate School of Development (GSD), and the School of Professional and Continuing Education (SPCE). For more information: www.ucentralasia.org

Minimum Qualifications

• MA/PhD in Communications and Media or Central Asian Studies. For media production focused courses, a Master's degree or equivalent industry based experience would be considered.

• Fluency in English (knowledge of Russian, Kyrgyz, or Tajik is an asset)

Teaching experience

• Demonstrated subject knowledge and ability to teach the courses contracted for

• Ability to work independently, as well as within a teaching team; flexibility and the ability to work in a constantly-evolving academic endeavor is essential

• Experience in teaching in Central Asia would be a valuable asset

• A demonstrated commitment to teaching and students. At least 2 years of experience teaching at the undergraduate level would be expected.

• Experience using innovative teaching methods and evaluation methodologies

• Technical skills related to media production (TV/Radio/Digital/Print) would be a requirement for the media production faculty positions.

Teaching requirements:

• Prepare and deliver one course of 6 credits including lecturing, feedback, and assessment

• Be available on-site and online for student contact hours

• Be available on-site and online for team meetings

• Maintain communication with Programme Director for any questions arising from students’ performance and overall course delivery

• Provide within institutional deadlines final assessment of students work

• Provide Programme Director course assessment at the end of the semester

• Coordinate with other faculty members for skills needed in the delivery of the course especially in the case of project production that requires media labs and technical knowledge

Research experience

• A proven ability to publish research in high quality journals desirable

• Regular attendance and experience with presenting at international conferences desirable

• Experience in conducting research in Central Asia would be a valuable asset

• Aware of current and future industry trends; strong network of industry contacts to support internship programs, project collaborations and industrial mentoring.

• Demonstrated interest developing critical ways to conceptualize and research empirically the relationships between media and communications technologies and the social world with particular reference to development and social change communication challenges faced by individuals and organizations in the region.

Delivery, schedule and responsibility:

• For the assigned course, the appointed Visiting Faculty is required to deliver the course material for three-3 hours every week for 15 weeks as per the academic schedule. There will be one-1 non-teaching week as the semester break.

• All lecture material must be provided on Moodle as the official LMS of UCA, and the Visiting Faculty is encouraged to utilise other platforms such as Teams to connect with students for consultation.

• The appointed Visiting Faculty is required to attend the Department meetings related to the academic matters and course administration.

• The appointed Visiting Faculty is required to take part in Assessment Moderation and provide reports to the Department.

• The appointed Visiting Faculty is required to follow all UCA Academic Policies and deadlines as per the academic calendar.