Assistant Professor in Middle East Politics
| Posting date: | 09 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £47,389 to £56,535 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 08 April 2026 |
| Location: | Durham, County Durham, DH1 3LE |
| Company: | Durham University |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 26000308_1773054587 |
Summary
The School of Government and International Affairs (SGIA) at Durham University seeks to appoint an exceptional scholar as an Assistant Professor with research and teaching expertise in Middle East Politics with a focus on the Arab world. Applicants with research and teaching expertise in the politics, political economy, or security of the Middle East, with a particular focus on the Arab states, are encouraged to apply.
We particularly welcome applications from candidates whose research engages with state-society relations in the Arab world, with a particular focus on the Gulf. This may include (but is not limited to) governance and authoritarian resilience; political legitimacy, contestation, and repression; civic mobilisation and social movements; political participation and representation; public policy, welfare and service provision; identity politics and social cohesion; gender and the changing dynamics of citizenship, rights, and belonging. Applicants whose work addresses the intersection of domestic politics with major global and regional challenges of the Arab world are also strongly encouraged to apply. Relevant themes may include the international relations of the Middle East, politics of energy transition, climate governance, and environmental sustainability; migration, displacement, and demographic change; security governance and militarisation; and the international political economy of the Arab world.
This post offers an exciting opportunity to make a major contribution to the development of internationally excellent research and teaching while allowing unrivalled opportunities to progress and embed your career in an exciting and progressive institution. For more information, please visit our School page at School of Government and International Affairs - Durham University as well as the web page of the Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (IMEIS) at Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies - Durham University
The successful candidate will benefit from individual research support funding, access to SGIA and University-wide research funding and be entitled to apply for sabbatical leave on a basis of one term of leave in each seven terms of service. SGIA and Durham University provides high-quality administrative support to assist with applications for research funding, to facilitate research-based engagement and impact work with non-academic communities, and to enable the introduction and dissemination of new educational practice.
The successful candidate will get involved in the development of our research community in Middle East politics, including its connections with other Durham departments and other institutions, and innovative educational practice to enhance the learning experience of both undergraduate and postgraduate students, including PhD candidates. Among other EDI initiatives, the department is currently in the process of diversifying its curriculum, and this is a project we would be keen on the post-holder to contribute to.
For more information, please visit our department pages at www.dur.ac.uk/sgia/
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