CAAD Faculty Fellowship

The College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) at American University of Sharjah (AUS) invites applications for a 10-month Fellowship in the Department of Architecture at the rank of Assistant Professor. The fellowship is designed for early to mid-career applicants to develop their expertise in teaching while simultaneously devoting time to a new or established academic or creative project. Applicants will demonstrate excellence, or potential for excellence, in teaching and must identify a scholarly project to develop during their year in Sharjah.

Fellows benefit from support in the form of teaching mentorship and guidance as well as funding to develop and disseminate their scholarly work. CAAD Fellows have full access to college and university facilities, including CAAD’s world-class fabrication laboratories. A solo exhibition and public lecture in the spring semester provide the CAAD Fellow with an opportunity to share their work with the AUS, Sharjah and UAE design communities. AUS offers fellows a very competitive salary and benefits package, as well as housing on campus.

Teaching in the Department of Architecture includes a broad range of focus areas, including beginning design, architectural design, interior design, urban design, fabrication, integrated design, building technology and computation. Our programs are committed to balancing core disciplinary competence in the design of buildings with advanced studios focused on full-scale fabrication, contemporary urbanism and environmental sustainability. Fellows are given courses based on their degree of experience and area of expertise.

Qualifications

Fellowship applicants should hold a terminal degree in either architecture or interior design. This is typically a Master of Architecture (or equivalent) for candidates with an architecture background, or a degree in interior design (MFA, MID, MA or equivalent). Licensure and a thorough knowledge of design history, theory and practice are desirable. Applicants who have academic experience with the North American model of studio-based design education are preferred. Review of applications will begin in December 2024 and continue until the position is filled. Fellowships begin in August 2025 and end in May 2026. Depending on the availability of funds, the fellowship may be extended by a maximum of one year.

CAAD and AUS

The Bachelor of Architecture at CAAD was the first program outside of North America to receive full accreditation through the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). It offers a progressive, coeducational curriculum serving a highly diverse student body that is 75 percent female. The faculty and students in both architecture and interior design are internationally recognized for scholarship and work produced across a range of studios and courses. In the past 10 years, our architecture and interior design Design Build studios alone have been recognized with 10 AIA Regional Awards, three ACSA Design Build Awards, an ACSA Collaborative Practice Award and have been featured in two JAE articles.

Website: www.aus.edu/caad/department-of-architecture

CAAD has established a reputation as a leader in design education in the region, with AUS ranking number one in the UAE and among the top 200 universities globally for architecture and the built environment, and art and design (QS World University Subject Rankings, 2024). Faculty have the opportunity to grow and contribute to a dynamic and diverse environment with students from approximately 90 nationalities. Our graduates regularly continue their studies at top universities worldwide and have established themselves as key contributors to design and creative industries across the region. The curriculum is based on the North American model with liberal arts and sciences integrated with a professional education. All courses are taught in English.

AUS is a leading comprehensive university in the Gulf, serving students from the United Arab Emirates, neighboring countries in the region, and around the world. In addition to CAAD, the university comprises the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering and the School of Business Administration. AUS is fully committed to equal opportunity at all levels without discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, age, family status or national origin.

AUS is licensed and its programs are accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation of the Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Affairs Division in the United Arab Emirates. AUS has been accredited in the United States of America by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE 19801 USA) since June 2004.

The campus is located in the heart of the Gulf Region, a short driving distance from downtown Dubai, and centrally situated for travel to Africa, Asia and Europe. Our extensive campus library system is complemented by the new House of Wisdom designed by Sir Norman Foster, located adjacent to and within walking distance of the AUS campus. Abu Dhabi and Dubai were recently ranked by The Economist as the Arab world’s two top-ranked most livable cities, offering a rich cultural and physical environment featuring beaches, mountains and spectacular desert landscapes.

Interested applicants should submit the following items as one PDF file that can be downloaded without a password:

1. a letter of application that describes your experience or aptitude for teaching
2. a description of a scholarly or creative project to pursue while at AUS
3. the names and contact information of three referees
4. a curriculum vitae
5. a digital portfolio of scholarly/professional/teaching activities

Submit applications in confidence by visiting https://tinyurl.com/ARCH-FEL-25

(To apply, you must have a Google account).