Research Assistant Professor / Postdoctoral Fellow in the Ethics of AI, HKCRC (EXPIRED)

Lingnan University is one of the eight publicly funded institutions in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) with the longest established tradition among the local institutions of higher education.  Lingnan University is a global leader in providing quality education focusing on whole-person development and conducting high-impact research for a better world.  Moving forward, Lingnan University aspires to become a leading research-intensive liberal arts institution in the digital era.

Lingnan University’s Faculties of Arts, Business, Social Sciences, School of Data Science, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Interdisciplinary Studies run undergraduate, taught postgraduate and research postgraduate programmes.  Its liberal arts education model blends the arts, science, and elements around human and humanities.  Lingnan University strives to enhance innovation and technology research to drive a positive impact in the society and the world.  Building upon Lingnan University’s existing strength in combining the best of the Chinese and Western liberal arts traditions, the University will leverage its geographical strength in the Northern Metropolis and pioneer the liberal arts education model in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and beyond.    Further information about Lingnan University is available at https://www.ln.edu.hk/.

Applications are now invited for the following post:

Research Assistant Professor / Postdoctoral Fellow in the Ethics of AI
Hong Kong Catastrophic Risk Centre
(Post Ref.: 24/99/PHIL)

The Hong Kong Catastrophic Risk Centre, a research centre under the Department of Philosophy at Lingnan University, is interested in hiring candidates who work on the philosophical and ethical issues related to AI, understood as including the moral implications of AI technologies and their impact on society (e.g., the transparency and accountability of such systems, privacy infringement, job displacement and even existential risks to humanity). More information on the centre can be found at: https://www.ln.edu.hk/philoso/hkcrc/; and more information on research interests and publications of philosophers at Lingnan University can be found at: https://www.LN.edu.hk/philoso/?page_id=9/.

General Requirements

Applicants must have a PhD in Philosophy (or related disciplines) by the start of the appointment and a record of publications in Philosophy, preferably in leading journals.

Job Duties

Research:
The Research Assistant Professor, or Postdoctoral fellow, will be carrying out research and submitting papers to top journals in the field of AI ethics, broadly construed. This includes targeting 3*/4*-ranked journals as per the current departmental journal list. Additionally, the appointee will be responsible for submitting grant proposals to various funding bodies. Furthermore, the appointee will have the opportunity to organize seminars, reading groups, workshops, and other related research activities.

Teaching:
The appointee will play a central role in the daily operation of the upcoming new Taught Postgraduate programme offered by the Hong Kong Catastrophic Risk Centre (HKCRC) and Department of Philosophy. The new Taught Postgraduate programme, Master of Arts in Artificial Intelligence and the Future, will be a full-time programme starting in the 2024-25 academic year.

The teaching load will be one or two courses per year, distributed according to the needs of the Centre and upon mutual agreement. English will be the language of instruction. The appointee would also be required to supervise students’ capstone projects.

Service:
The appointee will perform administrative duties as assigned by the Director of the HKCRC in accordance with the Head of the Department.

Appointment

The conditions of appointment will be competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. A gratuity will be paid after two years of service. Please note that tax in Hong Kong is exceptionally low. See https://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/ese/st_comp_2023_24/stcfrm.htm/ for a tax calculator.
Fringe benefits include annual leave, medical and dental benefits, mandatory provident fund, and incoming passage and baggage allowance (where appropriate). Appointments will normally be made on a contractual basis for two to three years.
Start date is no later than August 2024.

Application Procedure (online application only)

Please click "Apply Now" to submit your application. Applicants should include a letter of interest, a CV and one writing sample in the application. Applicants should also provide names and contact information of three referees. Personal data collected will be used for recruitment purposes only.

We are an equal opportunities employer. The closing date would be 15 June 2024. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the post is filled. Qualified candidates are advised to submit their applications early for consideration.

Informal inquiries concerning the post can be directed to Professor Sauchelli, Director of HKCRC, at [email protected].

The University reserves the right not to make an appointment for the post advertised, or to fill the post by invitation or by search. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.