Faculty Position in Political Theory (Open Rank)

Musashi University – Faculty Position in Political Theory (Open Rank)
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Rank: Lecturer (tenure track), Associate professor (tenure track or tenured), or Professor (tenured)
Subfield(s): International Relations, Political Theory
Specialization: International Political Theory

Start Date: Fall 2026 (negotiable)
Application Deadline: 10/17/2025
Date Posted: 9/5/2025
Salary: Competitive

Position Description: The School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (SLAS) at Musashi University invites applications for an open-rank, full-time position (tenure-track or tenured) in International Relations, with a specialization in International Political Theory. The successful candidate will play a central role in SLAS’s Parallel Degree Programme (PDP) in partnership with the University of London (UoL), particularly through teaching contributions to the newly planned BSc in International Relations. We welcome applications from scholars with a strong research agenda and publication record in international political theory, and demonstrated excellence in teaching undergraduate courses in English.

Teaching Responsibilities: SLAS faculty members are responsible for teaching five "koma" per semester, with one "koma" being a 105-minute class meeting per week. The teaching load for this position includes the following courses: International Political Theory* (three “koma”), World History since 1945* OR IFP Politics* (three “koma”), and other undergraduate lectures or seminars (four “koma”).  Priority will be given to candidates who can teach World History since 1945. Courses marked with an asterisk (*) are part of the Parallel Degree Programme (PDP) with the University of London (UoL). For further details, please refer to: 
- Musashi PDP (Japanese): https://www.musashi.ac.jp/manabi/parallel_degree_programme/gaiyou.html&…;
- UoL BSc IR: https://www.london.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduate/bsc-international-…
- University of London International Foundation Programme (IFP)
https://www.london.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduate/bsc-international-…

Salary and Benefits: Salary and benefits will be determined in accordance with the university's salary regulations (based on the recommendations of the National Personnel Authority). Allowances are provided towards dependent care, housing, and commuting costs, as well as a fixed personal research stipend (200,000 yen); additional personal research expenses are covered up to a yearly maximum of 400,000 yen.

Research & Service Expectations: The successful candidate is expected to maintain an active research agenda, participate in program development and administrative duties for the SLAS, the PDP, and the IR BSc program, and contribute to broader university service and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Tenure-Track Details (if applicable): The opening is for a Full-time (tenured or tenure-track) position. In the case of an appointment of a tenure-track lecturer (sennin-koshi in Japanese, equivalent to a tenure-track assistant professor in the US) or a tenure-track associate professor, the initial tenure-track appointment is for a three-year period during which a onetime only decision about whether to confirm tenure will be made by the tenure committee. If the tenure-track appointee is eligible to take parental leave, in accordance with the relevant regulations for such leave, the period of appointment can be correspondingly extended. The decision on tenure will be made based on output in the areas of (1) research, (2) teaching, (3) university administration, and (4) other contributions to society, etc. Should tenure not be awarded, employment will terminate with the end of the tenure-track appointment period. However, where it is deemed necessary, the period of tenure-track employment may be extended once, for one year. Note that teaching loads and administrative obligations for tenure-track appointments remain as specified above.

Qualifications: 1) Applicants must have completed a Ph.D. program in political science, international relations, or a related field at the time of appointment. (2) Applicants must have the ability to effectively teach courses in English. (3) Japanese language proficiency is preferred but not required; intercultural competence and willingness to contribute to a Japanese university environment are essential.

Application Instructions: Applications must be received by Friday, October 17th, 2025 (JST). Selection may be conducted on a rolling basis, with submitted applications examined in the order they are received.

Applicants should submit the following documents to the recruitment committee by e-mail (job7@sec.musashi.ac.jp):
1. Cover letter
2. Curriculum vitae including research activities and teaching experience
3. Reprints or photocopies of three research papers considered most relevant to the position
4. A 400-word English summary of each of the submitted papers
5. List of two referees (names, positions/titles, and email addresses). Emails will be sent to your referees requesting confidential letters, when needed.

*If you have ever been subject to disciplinary action due to sexual violence, including sexual harassment, you must clearly state the details of the disciplinary measure and the specific reason in the “Disciplinary Actions” section of your CV. Please note that failure to disclose such information or providing false information on your CV may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or disciplinary action.

Please submit all application documents (in principle in PDF format) in a zipped file (maximum 30MB). The name of the file should be "SubmissionDateName.zip" (all single-byte alphanumeric characters, no spaces). 
Example: For submission on September 31: “0931JaneDoe.zip”
* Don’t set passwords for files or folders.
* If your application exceeds 30MB in size, please contact us at the address below. 

Interview & Selection Process: Candidates short-listed for interview may be required to submit further documentation, including copies of degree and other certificates as well as additional publications.

Review of application materials will be followed by a panel interview (short-listed candidates only). Details of subsequent stages of the appointment process will be explained to candidates who are successful at the interview stage.

Short-listed candidates will be notified of the interview schedule as early as possible. Only those who passed the second round of interview will be notified of the selection schedule after the second round.

The successful candidate will be informed in writing once a decision has been made. For interviewees residing in Japan, the university will provide domestic travel expenses to cover the cost of attending a scheduled interview. For those residing abroad, the university will provide travel and accommodation expenses to cover the costs of attending a scheduled interview. The amount will be determined according to the university guidelines. Remote interviews may be considered in exceptional cases where a candidate is based overseas or has difficulty attending an interview in person. Please contact us at the address below for details. 

Contact: Written queries should be made via e-mail (job7@sec.musashi.ac.jp).

The university is an equal opportunity employer, and all applications will be considered solely on the basis of professional accomplishments and personal merit. 

All application materials will be treated in the utmost confidence. Personal information therein will be used only for the selection of candidates applying for the current position and subsequently, where applicable, for necessary personnel, salary, or welfare-related paperwork; it will be used for no other purposes.