Professor/ Associate Professor of Computational Social Sciences

Founded in 1911, The University of Hong Kong has attained pre-eminence as a research-led comprehensive university, comprising 36,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students and more than 8,500 full-time professoriate, academic and professional services staff. Through upholding the highest international standards of excellence in its research pursuits, scholarship, teaching and learning, and service to the community, HKU is consistently ranked amongst the world’s top universities: 26th in the 2024 QS World University Rankings, 2nd in the 2024 QS Asia University Rankings 2024, and #1 most international university in the world in the 2023 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. More information about HKU can be found at https://hku.hk/.

The Faculty of Social Sciences, HKU

The Faculty of Social Sciences of The University of Hong Kong was established in 1967 and has undergone rapid expansion and significant transformation since then. It comprises the Departments of Geography, Politics and Public Administration, Psychology, Social Work and Social Administration, Sociology, and Journalism and Media Studies Centre. The Faculty aims to contribute to the advancement of society and the development of leaders locally, regionally, and globally, seeking to make a positive social contribution through a global presence, regional significance and engagement with the rest of China. The Faculty delivers impact through internationalization, innovation and interdisciplinarity. It attracts and nurtures global scholars through excellence in research, teaching and learning and knowledge exchange.

The Faculty has been a major research hub in the region and was ranked 5th in Asia and 32nd in the world in 2024 according to the QS World University Ranking. Among the six departments, four ranked top 3 in Asia and three ranked top 25 in the world. Our ongoing success propels us toward our goal of becoming the foremost social sciences institution in Asia. More information about the Faculty can be found at https://www.socsc.hku.hk.

The Position

The Faculty is seeking an outstanding scholar with proven international leadership in research, teaching and knowledge exchange in the field of Computational Social Science. Applications are invited for appointment as Professor/ Associate Professor within the Faculty of Social Sciences, with a start date of September 1, 2025 or at the earliest convenience. Direct tenure may be offered to qualified candidates, subject to approval.

Applicants should possess a Ph.D. degree in Sociology, Political Science, Statistics, Economics, or related fields with a focus on Computational Social Sciences. The candidate should have expertise in developing and applying cutting-edge computational and quantitative methods to big data in the social sciences and a proven ability to work on cross-disciplinary topics, bridging multiple social science subjects. The appointee should also have a strong research track record with publications in leading academic journals. He/She will also be responsible for teaching courses and supervising students at both graduate and undergraduate levels, as well as contributing to the administration of academic programmes. 

What We Offer

A highly competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience will be offered, in addition to annual leave and medical benefits. At current rates, salaries tax does not exceed 15% of gross income. The appointment will attract a contract-end gratuity and University contribution to a retirement benefits scheme, totalling up to 15% of basic salary. Housing benefits will be provided as applicable.

Nominations and Applications

The University only accepts online application for the above post. Applicants should apply online at the University’s careers site and upload (1) an up-to-date CV, (2) a research plan, 3) a teaching statement, and (4) state the contact information of three referees on the online application form. Review of applications will start as soon as possible and continue until December 31, 2024, or until the post is filled, whichever is earlier. 

The University is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to equality, ethics, inclusivity, diversity, and transparency.