Numata Professorship of Buddhist Studies at Oxford

The University intends to appoint to the Numata Professorship of Buddhist Studies with effect from 1st October 2022 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The Numata Professorship was established in 2006 following a generous donation from the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) of Tokyo and is named after the BDK’s founder, Mr Yehan Numata. It plays a pivotal role in teaching and research in Buddhist Studies at Oxford within the Faculty of Oriental Studies. The post is associated with a Professorial Fellowship at Balliol College.

The University seeks a scholar of the highest international calibre, with an outstanding record of research and publication in a prominent area of Buddhist Studies (broadly interpreted to cover any historical period and relevant academic discipline). The Numata Professor will be expected to contribute to the long-term development of Buddhist Studies by providing research leadership within the Faculty. The postholder will teach in the Faculty of Oriental Studies and the Faculty of Theology and Religion and play a major role in the supervision, guidance and examination of graduate students.

You should have a substantial international reputation in Buddhist and related studies, with an excellent publication record and a research agenda that will result in further substantial publications of international quality. You should be able to provide effective and innovative teaching at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including the teaching of primary sources in at least two of the canonical languages of Asian Buddhism. You should have a demonstrable ability to train, guide, and motivate research students and junior colleagues, and to develop and present proposals for research funding.

If you would like to discuss this post, please contact Thomas Hall on  thomas.hall@orinst.ox.ac.uk or +44 (0)1865 278210. All enquiries will be treated in strict confidence and will not form part of the selection decision.

Applications for this post are to be made online. For further details including the job description and selection criteria, please see the link below.

The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on Monday 27 September 2021.

Interviews are expected to be held in November 2021.

Applications are particularly welcome from women, from disabled people and from people of Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, as these groups are currently under-represented in academic posts in Oxford.