Professor/Associate Professor/Assistant Professor (Language Acquisition)

Department/ Unit: Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages
Closing date: December 13, 2026

The Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages is a young and vibrant department devoted to the study of language as it serves as a bridge between the mind and society. It has established strengths in formal and experimental research to advance linguistic theory, especially research on sign and spoken languages of China. We address questions of broad theoretical and societal significance through interdisciplinary approaches.

The Department invites applications for a professorial appointment in language acquisition, with a focus on rigorous empirical work using computational approaches including generative AI. The appointee must be conversant with theories in first language acquisition. We are particularly interested in applicants whose research bridges our existing strengths while bringing in cutting-edge elements to elevate our research in language acquisition programmatically. The appointee is expected to develop new courses in computational approaches to language as well as to teach existing courses in language acquisition. The appointment will be made at the rank of Professor, Associate Professor, or Assistant Professor, commensurate with the successful candidate's qualifications and experience.

Ranked among the best in linguistics internationally, the Department strives to innovate from field studies to laboratory-based research. The Department hosts a cluster of GPUs, with the CUHK Central Research Computing Cluster providing additional high-performance computing access. Eyetrackers, TMS, fNIRS, EEG, EEG-tPBM, MRI and Nasality Visualization machines are either housed in Department units or available through university core facilities, including a 10-person fNIRS system administered by the Brain and Mind Institute. The Department's laboratory located in the CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute serves as a base for our research in the Chinese Mainland. The Faculty of Arts is home to a vibrant community of scholars in humanistic studies, supported in particular by its Research Institute for the Humanities and the Digital Humanities Initiatives. The appointee is expected to contribute to the Faculty's AI Humanities programme and the CUHK 2026-2030 Strategic Plan more broadly.

Applicants should have: (i) a PhD degree in linguistics or a related field; (ii) a record of excellence in interdisciplinary research in the relevant field, commensurate with rank and experience; and (iii) a strong commitment to effective teaching. The Department's primary medium of instruction is English. The appointee is expected to: (a) teach undergraduate and postgraduate courses, (b) supervise undergraduate, MA, MPhil, and PhD projects and theses; (c) conduct research supported by external funding in his/her areas of expertise; and (d) undertake administrative duties.

The appointment will normally be made on contract basis for up to three years initially, commencing August 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter. Subject to mutual agreement, the appointment may lead to a longer-term appointment or substantiation.