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The Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures at the University of California, Berkeley seeks applications for an Assistant Professor in Modern Arabic Literature and Culture, tenure track, with an expected start date of July 1, 2026.

The Department seeks applications from candidates who maintain an active research agenda in the study of Arabic literature and who have a rigorous training in the Arabic literary tradition, both Classical and Modern. The research focus may be in any genre of Arabic literature in the modern era, broadly configured, and in any region(s) with a significant production of literature in Arabic, but applicants should be well versed in the broader historical and cultural contexts of Arabic literary production. A range of methodological or theoretical dispositions (such as literary theory, philology, poetics, aesthetics, or more) are welcomed. Applicants whose research and teaching are also in conversation with areas of burgeoning scholarly activity, including but not limited to Arabic film and media, graphic literature, music, dialect literature, and/or popular culture are encouraged.

The appointee will be expected to teach both upper-level undergraduate courses and graduate seminars in Arabic, survey courses on Arabic literature and culture in English, and other undergraduate and graduate courses in their areas of expertise. They will also be expected to collaborate in overseeing the Arabic language program, contribute to teaching the department’s introductory survey courses, mentor undergraduate students and supervise graduate students. and contribute to the department’s diverse and inclusive community through their research, teaching, and/or service. The appointee will have the opportunity to connect with a variety of other campus units (such as the Center for Middle Eastern Studies).

The department is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths or who have taken time off for family reasons, or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia. For information about potential relocation to Berkeley, or career needs of accompanying partners and spouses, please visit: http://ofew.berkeley.edu/new-faculty

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our public mission of research, teaching, and service, consistent with UC Regents Policy 4400 and University of California Academic Personnel policy (APM 210 1-d). These values are embedded in our Principles of Community, which reflect our passion for critical inquiry, debate, discovery and innovation, and our deep commitment to contributing to a better world. Every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring and humane environment in which these values can thrive.

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

For more information, please refer to the University of California’s Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment Policy and the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy.

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, or discrimination. Consistent with this commitment, UC Berkeley requires all applicants for Senate faculty positions to complete, sign, and upload an Authorization of Information Release form into AP Recruit as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, applicants will only be subject to institutional reference checks if and when they are selected as the candidate to whom the hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer. More information is available on this website.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment