Job information

Rank: Assistant/Associate Professor, depending on qualification and experience.

Location: Agricultural Engineering (AE) Area of Specialization of the Agricultural Systems and Engineering (ASE) Academic Program, Department of Food, Agriculture and Bioresources (DFAB), School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand.

Background:

1. The Institute: The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), founded in 1959, is an autonomous, non-profit, international, postgraduate educational institution. The Institute offers degree and non-degree programs in three Schools. AIT promotes technological change and sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region through higher education, research and outreach. AIT has become a leading regional postgraduate institute and is actively working with public and private sector partners throughout the region and with some of the top universities in the world. It offers Master and Doctoral degrees, diploma and certificate programs in engineering, science, planning and management, and serves over 2,000 students from various countries across Asia and beyond. Teaching faculty, researchers and students from more than 45 countries form a unique international community on the Institute’s beautifully-landscaped residential campus, situated 42 km north of Bangkok.

2. The ASE: This Academic Program comprises three Areas of Specialization, namely Agricultural Systems (AS), Agricultural Engineering (AE) and Agribusiness Management (ABM) within the Department of Food, Agriculture and Bioresources (DFAB). The AS specialization provides a holistic understanding of smallholder agriculture, the type mostly found in Asia. It provides comprehensive understanding of physical and biological production factors from the perspective of the producers, including how economic and social factors affect farm enterprises. The AE specialization emphasizes on the application of engineering principles to agriculture to increase the efficiency of food production through effective use of inputs and management of natural resources. It prepares professionals to develop, adopt and disseminate knowledge and technologies that focus on the engineering and management of biological and agricultural resources. The ABM specialization builds on longstanding strengths and experience in research and postgraduate teaching in the fields of agricultural production-processing-preservation, agro- and food-industry management and marketing and in agricultural development.

Applications are invited for a direct-hire full time faculty position at an Assistant/Associate Professor level in the Agricultural Systems and Engineering (ASE) Academic Program, Department of Food, Agriculture and Bioresources, School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand.

Duties and Responsibilities

The successful candidate is expected to:

1. Independently teach a minimum of 3 to 4 postgraduate courses per year in the broader areas of Agricultural Engineering/ Biological Engineering/ Biosystems Engineering focusing on the knowledge-areas of Precision/ Smart and Digital Farming and protected cultivation technique. Creative approaches on the development and evaluation of the state-of-the-art Precision/ Smart and Digital agricultural strategies and technology to improve overall profitability, environmental sustainability and resilience of agricultural production systems in Asian region and beyond are welcome. Knowledge on on-farm irrigation management, agricultural systems analysis, and agricultural instrumentation techniques would be an advantage.
2. Develop new relevant course(s) and research programs as necessary
3. Supervise Master and Doctoral student’s thesis/dissertation research
4. Conduct sponsored and individual research
5. Carry out consultancy and outreach activities
6. Assist in the conduct of training/workshop and other human resource development activities supported by AIT or international or national agencies
7. Perform professional and academic duties assigned by the School/Institute

Qualifications

Applicants should hold a PhD degree or equivalent in Agricultural/ Biological Engineering/ Biosystems Engineering or closely related fields from a reputable university. Applicants having a strong background in agriculture-based engineering and technology, with knowledge of Precision, Smart and Digital Technology and their applications in food production systems, hydrology, and/or having experiences in commercial agricultural production industry are particularly encouraged to apply. Ability to publish in international refereed journals, excellent communication skills and experience in obtaining external research grants are highly desirable. Applicants should possess demonstrated relevant experience and competence in teaching and student supervision at graduate level with excellent oral and written communication skills in English.

Benefits

The appointment may be at the rank of an Assistant or Associate Professor, depending on qualifications and experience. The salary offered to the successful candidate is regionally competitive, commensurate with qualifications and experience. Additional benefits include provident fund, air travel for self and direct dependents, settlement grant, education subsidy for dependent children and medical benefits according to the provisions in the Institute’s policy and procedure. It is also possible to earn an additional income by carrying out consultancy services as provisioned in Institute’s policy and procedure.

The application deadline is 31 March 2021. Review of applications will begin immediately after the deadline and will continue until the position is filled. The selected candidate is expected to join the institute in August 2021.

Please send in a letter of application including (1) curriculum vitae, (2) copies of at least five selected publications, (3) one-page professional statement describing goals and aspirations and (4) names and addresses of three referees to the following address:

The Dean
School of Environment, Resources and Development
Asian Institute of Technology
P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
Tel: +66-2524-6074
Fax: +66-2524-6071
E-mail: deanserd@ait.ac.th