Ref Number
B03-03196
Professional Expertise
Teaching, Teaching Support and Examination Support
Department
UCL SLASH (B03)
Location
London
Working Pattern
Full time
Salary
£54,931-£64,644
Contract Type
Permanent
Working Type
Hybrid
Available for Secondment
No
Closing Date
06-Aug-2026
UCL is one of the UK’s leading universities, a world-class multidisciplinary research and teaching institution, whose staff and former students have included 33 Nobel Prize winners. Founded in 1826, UCL was the first university in England to admit student regardless of race, religion or gender. It continues to thrive on the creativity and diversity of its community, which today comprises over 18,000 staff and over 51,000 students from 150 countries across the globe. Its 11 faculties span arts and humanities, social and historical sciences, law, architecture and the built environment, engineering sciences, mathematical and physical sciences, life and clinical sciences, and medicine. UCL includes academic units as diverse as the UCL Slade School of Fine Art, the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture, and the UCL Institute of Child Health, which is associated with Great Ormond Street Hospital. UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2025) and is No.2 in the UK and first in London for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021). As well as ranking in the top 10 universities globally, UCL is leading in the key UK league tables, including The Times Good University Guide, The Guardian University Guide and The Complete University Guide. Situated at the heart of one of the world's greatest cities, UCL’s historic central campus in Bloomsbury is within easy reach of several rail and underground stations, the Eurostar terminal and Heathrow airport. About EISPS The department of European and International Social and Political Studies (EISPS) is a multidisciplinary unit centred around the delivery of three undergraduate degrees, with a developing culture of research on European and international affairs and area studies. It is housed within UCL’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities and brings together the humanities and social sciences, with strengths in European and international politics, history, law and philosophy, alongside a strong commitment to language teaching. EISPS offers highly selective degrees which aim to equip students with a rigorous multidisciplinary understanding of international and European affairs, grounded in a chosen disciplinary specialism and complemented by advanced language proficiency. The department fosters practical skills by exposing students to both qualitative and quantitative approaches, enabling them to evaluate evidence, construct coherent arguments, and engage with academic and policy debates.
The Department of European & International Social & Political Studies (EISPS) is looking to appoint a permanent, full-time Lecturer (Teaching) in East Asian Politics. EISPS offers three highly selective and challenging four-year programmes that allow our students to experience the best of UCL Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and prepare them for international careers: BA European Social and Political Studies; BA European Social and Political Studies: Dual Degree with Sciences Po; and BA International Social and Political Studies. The programmes combine specialisation in a humanity or social science with a broad base in European or international history, law, politics and philosophy as well as fluency in a foreign language. This post responds to a sustained and growing teaching need in East Asian politics across the department's programmes, and to the strengthening of regional coverage of East Asia within the BA International Social and Political Studies degree. As a Grade 8 post, the role also carries a leadership dimension in shaping and coordinating the department's East Asia teaching provision, and in contributing to student support through personal tutoring at a time when the department is working to bring its student-staff ratio closer to the UCL average. The successful candidate will provide teaching, supervision, curriculum leadership and associated administrative duties within EISPS, with primary responsibility for the department's teaching in East Asian politics. This will involve teaching across the academic year, including core modules in the governance and politics of China, the politics of Japan, and the wider politics of the East Asia region, and may include contributing to comparative or multidisciplinary options. Candidates should demonstrate a broad and well-established interest in East Asia from a social science perspective, with particular strength in the politics and governance of China and/or Japan; areas of specialisation may include international relations, comparative politics, political economy, law and governance, environmental studies, gender studies, human rights, or sociology. Particular attention will be given to candidates with a strong record of multidisciplinary teaching and curriculum development, and the ability to connect country-specific expertise to broader regional and comparative debates.
The successful candidate will provide teaching, supervision, curriculum leadership and associated administrative duties within EISPS, with primary responsibility for the department's teaching in East Asian politics. This will involve teaching across the academic year, including core modules in the governance and politics of China, the politics of Japan, and the wider politics of the East Asia region, and may include contributing to comparative or multidisciplinary options as well as contributing to the programme’s core modules. Candidates should demonstrate a broad and well-established interest in East Asia from a social science perspective, with particular strength in teaching the politics and governance of China and/or Japan; areas of specialisation may include international relations, comparative politics, political economy, law and governance, environmental studies, gender studies, human rights, or sociology. Particular attention will be given to candidates with a strong record of multidisciplinary teaching and curriculum development, and the ability to connect country-specific expertise to broader regional and comparative debates. The modules expected to be taught include: • ESPS0009 Law and Governance of China • ESPS0041 Politics of East Asia • ESPS0040 Politics of Japan • A comparative or multidisciplinary option in East Asian Studies (module to be developed with the department leadership) • Contributing to the teaching of core modules as needed, including ESPS0001 Introduction to History, Law, Politics and Philosophy, ESPS0029 Dissertation, ESPS0056 Qualitative Research Methods in Practice and ESPS0032 Global Politics. As well as giving lectures and seminars, the post holder will be expected to set and mark essay topics and examinations, supervise undergraduate dissertations, fulfil personal tutoring responsibilities, and take a leading role in the department's dissertation workshops and training. As a Grade 8 appointment, the post holder will also be expected to contribute to curriculum development and departmental administration, including engagement with curriculum reform and improvement, and to provide mentorship and coordination support to associate lecturers and graduate teaching assistants contributing to East Asia teaching. It is expected that the successful candidate will actively follow UCL policies, including Equal Opportunities, and maintain an awareness and observation of Fire and Health and Safety Regulations. The post holder may be asked to carry out other specific tasks and duties as required by the Head of Department. As duties and responsibilities change, this job description may be reviewed and be subject to amendment in consultation with the post holder. Please also refer to the job description linked at the bottom of this page.
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits, some of which are below: • 41 days holiday (27 days annual leave, 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days) • Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme • Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE) • Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan • Immigration loan • Relocation scheme for certain posts • On-site nursery • On-site gym • Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay • Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service • Discounted medical insurance Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.
As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women. Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment and demonstrable impact in advancing gender equality. You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here : https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/
