Associate or Full Professor, Kule Chair in Ukrainian Ethnography and Direct

at  University of Alberta

Department Faculty of Arts - Modern Languages and Cultural Studies Dept
Hours per week -
Posted date October 17, 2024
Closing date Will remain open until filled.
Position Type

DESCRIPTION

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages, and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.
The Department of Modern Languages and the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta invite applications for the position of Kule Chair in Ukrainian Ethnography and Director, Kule Folklore Centre. The successful candidate will take up a tenured appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies in the Faculty of Arts and assume the role of Director of the Kule Folklore Centre for a three to five-year, renewable term.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Kule Chair in Ukrainian Ethnography is a professorial position established in 2004 through a major donation from Drs. Peter and Doris Kule to the University of Alberta. The research focus of the Kule Chair is on collecting and sharing observations related to Ukrainian folklore, customs and traditions, experiences, perspectives, and everyday practices in Ukraine and the diaspora. The Kule Chair is also responsible for teaching Ukrainian folklore, media studies, and related courses in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies (MLCS). The position comes with an annual research allowance funded by the endowment.
The Director of the Kule Folklore Centre is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Centre, including its governance, finances, programming, archives and events. The Director engages with diverse communities of donors, researchers, students and other stakeholders.

The successful candidate will:

• Hold a PhD (or equivalent) in Folklore or a related discipline (such as Cultural Studies, Ukrainian Studies, Slavic Studies, or other)
• Demonstrate familiarity with the diversity and interdisciplinary nature of contemporary folklore theories, methods, and fieldwork techniques, as well as knowledge of social, material, and oral Ukrainian traditions and cultures in the 21st century and their foundations in earlier times.
• Have expertise in one or more of the following areas of folklore studies: material or visual culture, diaspora studies, archiving, ethnographic methods, and general folklore. Folklore-inflected approaches to cultural studies/theory, gender and sexuality studies, critical race studies, (post)coloniality, popular culture, health humanities, and/or human ecology are also welcome. Intersectional approaches are encouraged.
• Have a record of research excellence in relevant field(s) of scholarship
• Have a strong record of teaching excellence and demonstrated ability to teach in the Folklore program and the broader program in Modern Languages and Cultural Studies, including the Slavic program.
• Be fluent in Ukrainian, both oral and written
• Demonstrate administrative and academic leadership skills, including providing leadership in organizing events, financial planning, and human resources management
• Have experience collaborating with academic and community partners and institutions
• Be willing to take an active part in the life of the University of Alberta community

DEPARTMENT AND CENTRE SUMMARY

The Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies (MLCS) is a multilingual multidisciplinary unit in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta. The Department’s history goes back more than 112 years and is closely intertwined with the foundation of the University of Alberta. MLCS is strongly committed to excellence in the research and teaching of literature, culture, and languages and has a rich array of specialists in applied linguistics, cultural studies, folklore, language and literature. Our wide variety of academic programs, both undergraduate and graduate (MA and PhD), encourage cultural literacy and multilingual proficiency.
The Kule Folklore Centre at the University of Alberta was established in 2001 as the Canadian Centre for Ukrainian Culture and Ethnography and received its current name in 2006. Its mission is to foster research and teaching in Ukrainian and Canadian folklore and ethnology at the University of Alberta, across Canada, and internationally and to connect Ukrainian and Ukrainian-Canadian communities globally. The Kule Folklore Centre aspires to become the most important centre for studying Ukrainian culture outside of Ukraine. The Centre also houses the Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives.

Its current strategic priorities are:

• Conducting ground-breaking research in Ukrainian and Canadian folklore studies
• Maintaining and growing the Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives
• Supporting undergraduate and graduate courses in Ukrainian folklore and vernacular culture
• Supporting researchers and students with scholarships and awards
• Engaging with diverse communities through publications, exhibits, lectures, workshops and more.

Please refer the Job description for details