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Position Overview

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at The Ohio State University invites applications for a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor position in Transnational World Language Studies in the area of Transpacific AI/Technology/Society Studies beginning August 15, 2027. We aim to hire a dynamic scholar who will contribute to the vibrant and collegial intellectual communities of our department by engaging with interdisciplinary research, innovative teaching, program development, community engagement, and service.

In keeping with the department’s commitment to interdisciplinarity, we are especially interested in scholars who can contribute to the university’s AI Fluency Initiative (teaching) and the Arts and Humanities AI Humanities Institute (research) with expertise in East Asian Studies broadly defined. The successful candidate will examine the global flows of AI and related technologies in terms of their impact on society, the humanities, and the arts with special attention to the Transpacific region (East Asia, South East Asia, the Americas). Given that East Asia has fast become a hub and driver of open-source innovation in the AI sector, the successful candidate will be able to train graduate students and help build the toolkit of tomorrow’s alumni to include tech fluency, global media literacy, and intercultural competence in a Transpacific context.

The successful candidate will enhance and amplify the department’s strengths in media studies, digital humanities, performing arts, translation, and/or language pedagogy/linguistics. They will conduct qualitative research at the cutting edge of the fields of East Asian Studies in Transpacific contexts and of technology studies with disciplinary expertise in one or more of the following fields: East Asian Languages and Literatures, Comparative Literature, Asian American Studies, Digital Humanities, Media Studies, Communications, History of Science, Science/Technology/Society, Human-Inspired AI, Computational Media, Arts, and Cultures and/or related fields. They will offer undergraduate courses that combine hands-on experiential learning with critical reflection, collaborative teamwork, and leadership development to prepare undergraduate students for the job market of the future. They will offer graduate courses that critically examine the transformative impact of AI and related technologies on social communities, cultural practices, media, and forms of communication in the Transpacific region.

Successful candidates would be charged with conducting research and creating courses that engage their discipline beyond national borders from the perspective of intercultural competence and global fluency. 

Partial startup for the Transnational World Language Studies tenure-track positions is funded by the Mellon Foundation grant “Global Fluency, Career Agility: Transforming World Languages at Ohio State.” The new hires will participate in the activities within the Department, be charged with creating new courses, and have designated faculty mentors who are engaged in research on topics relating to transnational world language education, global fluency and intercultural competence, and to their area of specialization.

 

Performance Objectives

• Research the social, cultural, artistic and/or linguistic impacts of new technologies in the Transpacific region.
• Straddle quantitative approaches to AI tools with qualitative assessments of their validity, ethical underpinnings, and social responsiveness and utility in comparative contexts.
• Advance the Mellon-funded Transforming World Languages at OSU initiative by collaborating with faculty and staff across disciplines, contributing to innovative programming, and creating new courses that strengthen students’ global fluency and intercultural competence.
• Be a campus-wide resource on Transpacific AI-related policies/governance as well as social and cultural impacts of AI for different AI research clusters at The Ohio State University.
• Develop and teach AI-related courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels in order to regularly update and offer our EALL AI major course; to contribute to existing undergraduate AI certificates (e.g., AI, Art, and Creativity (in development), AI Language and Mind; AI Ethics and Society); to support offer Transpacific and Comparative AI-centric classes as well as mesh with the AI initiatives in the Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design.
• Develop a faculty-led study abroad program centered around AI technology and its impacts in East Asia with non-Mellon funding.
• Offer AI-related professional development workshops for DEALL and other world languages faculty and graduate students.
• Connect with East Asian/Transpacific AI initiatives in universities across East Asia and the Americas.

 

Education and Experience Qualifications

Required:

• PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures, Asian American Studies, Comparative Literature, Digital Humanities, Media Studies, Communications, History of Science, Science/Technology/Society, Computational Cultural Studies, Human-Inspired AI, Computational Media, Arts, and Cultures or related field required at time of appointment which is August 15, 2027. ABDs welcome to apply.
• Native or near-native fluency in at least one East Asian language (Chinese, Japanese, Korean)
• Candidates must demonstrate achievement or strong promise of scholarly success.

Desired:

• Experience in and/or commitment to public-facing or community engaged scholarship, teaching and/or service.
• Ability to customize AI tools for research and teaching
• Fluency in languages other than Chinese/Japanese/Korean spoken in the Transpacific region (e.g., Spanish, Portuguese, and South East Asian Languages)
• East Asian language teaching experience at the college level.

 

Ohio State provides access to a depth and breadth of opportunities and resources. Starting your first day, Ohio State offers you a comprehensive benefits package.

 

How to Apply

To be considered, please submit your application via Workday.

Application period closes November 18, 2026.

Inquiries may be directed to Professor Pil Ho Kim (kim.2736@osu.edu).

 

You will be presented with the opportunity to attach up to FIVE individual documents in the Application Documents section. Please include the following:

• Attachment 1: Cover Letter: 1-2 page letter, which should include a brief summary of your academic background and why you are interested in this opportunity.
• Attachment 2: CV (Curriculum Vitae): Detailed overview of your scholarly experience, including your research experience, teaching and mentoring experience, service, engagement, and publications.
• Attachment 3: Research Statement: Summary of your past research accomplishments, current work/research, and proposal for your future research plan as a faculty member.
• Attachment 4: Teaching Statement: A statement of your approaches, experience and philosophy regarding your teaching, learning, and mentoring.
• Attachment 5: A writing sample.

 

Candidates selected to move forward in the process will be asked to provide three letters of reference.

The university is an equal opportunity employer, including veterans and disability. 

Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check. Additionally, there may be further requirements specific to the college or unit, which could include drug and health screenings, as well as faculty misconduct checks depending on the rank of the position.