Professor/ Associate Professor: Artificial Intelligence and ICT (5 year contract) at Nelson Mandela University

   CORE PURPOSE OF JOB     

• The Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology (in partnership with the Faculty of Sciences) seeks to establish Artificial Intelligence research at Mandela University centred around the study and development of intelligent, autonomous systems. The research focuses on theoretical foundations, as well as applications of AI.
• We seek expertise ranging from machine learning to knowledge representation and reasoning, autonomous agents and multi-agent systems, human-machine interactions and collectives, cognition and human modelling, data science, robotics, augmented reality, graphics, computer vision and imaging, audio-visual signal processing, natural language processing and affective computing.
• The incumbent would be Hosted by the Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology and co- hosted by Faculty of Sciences and will be responsible for projects in the School of IT and the Department of Computing Sciences, as well as other cross-faculty research, innovation and engagement projects and output.
• The incumbent would need to facilitate learning and teaching at undergraduate and post graduate level in the School of IT and the Department of Computing Sciences as well as be involved in the supervision of postgraduate students.

     
KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS
Academic leadership

• Provide strategic academic leadership in the development of sustainable inter, multi- and transdisciplinary scholarship in artificial intelligence.
• Guide and support curriculum and programme development initiatives that support AI and technological innovation.
• Facilitate learning and teaching at undergraduate and post graduate level
• Position the School of IT and the Department of Computing Sciences as a place for development of applied AI in our graduate training.

Research

• Contribute to the creation of knowledge by virtue of research and innovation studies, producing accredited research output and successfull supervision of Masters and Doctoral students
• Mentoring of early-career researchers in AI within and across faculties.

Engagement

• Identify and initiate strategic, sustainable, high-level institutional transformative partnerships within and beyond the region, focussing on the application of AI.

Transformation

• Contribute to the transformation strategy in terms of enhancing AI as an application area.
• Support capacity enhancement programmes by mentoring graduate students and early career scholars in the application of AI.
• Develop sustainable donor partnerships in support of the university’s strategy on AI.

 CORE COMPETENCIES

• In-depth knowledge and experience in transdisciplinary scholarship in the application of AI
• Experience within the higher education or similar sector in cross-disciplinary research in AI
• Capability in infusing the application of AI in the Faculty curricula
• Knowledge and experience in AI and the application thereof
• Capacity to conceptualise and implement sustainable impactful cross-disciplinary projects for graduate and postgraduate students in the field of AI
• Ability to supervise graduate students and mentor early career scholars
• Publications in the field of AI in DHET (or equivalent) accredited journals
• Experience in working effectively with diverse people

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Full Professor

• Doctorate in the field related to the core purpose of the job
• 4 years as Associate Professor with extensive demonstrable experience in the core functions of the job; preferably in a higher education, science council or relevant industry environment.
• Proven accredited research output record in the field of AI and/or evidence of accredited creative and innovative outputs recognised nationally and internationally.
• Successfully supervised a sustained number of Masters and Doctoral postgraduate students.
• Record of mentoring new academics and early-career researchers.
• Plays a leadership role Record of successful grants/funding applications

 
Associate Professor

Doctorate in the field related to the core purpose of the job

• Doctorate in the field related to the core purpose of the job
• 3 years as Senior Lecturer with demonstrable experience in the core functions of the job; preferably in a higher education, science council or relevant industry environment.
• Proven accredited research output record in the field of AI.
• Successfully supervised a sustained number of Honours and Masters or Doctoral postgraduate students.
• Record of successful grants/funding applications

Recommendation:

• Actively engaged in research as leader of a team or entity.
• Evidence of partnerships and collaboration at national and/or international
• Evidence of partnership and collaboration
• Evidence of engagement with industry, discipline or community projects
• NRF rating