Assistant Professor / Junior Associate Professor in Data
ScienceThe Department of Data Science, situated within the School of Frontier Engineering, Kitasato University,Japan, invites applications for the position of Assistant Professor / Junior Associate Professor in Data Science(continuing upon review every ﬁve years). We welcome applicants whose research interests reside at thenexus of Data Science and other science disciplines. We speciﬁcally aim to recruit an individual of expertiseand unwavering commitment to the pursuit of data analysis and statistical modelling research. Thisappointment will augment and complement the expertise of current members of the Data Modelling Group,
fostering robust collaborations with external researchers in the ﬁelds of biological, medical and healthsciences. The appointee will assume a pivotal role in conducting high-calibre research and delivering cuttingedge Data Science education in the Department.
The Department of Data Science and our home, the School of Frontier Engineering, were newly establisheddivisions at Kitasato University in April 2023, as part of the University's initiative to proactively address
emerging challenges in our future society, advancing our scientiﬁc knowledge in the fast-growing data era. InApril 2024, we moved into our brand-new ﬁve-storey department building, which is the home forundergraduate and master’s students, as well as state-of-the-art in-house high-performance computing
facilities, at the Sagamiahara Campus. Our staﬀ members are recent appointees who have been activelyinvolved in shaping the Department's strategic framework and tailoring the Data Science curriculum toensure the highest standards since its early conceptualisation. We anticipate the recruitment of additional
new staﬀ members in the ensuing years. Our Department fosters a thriving and vibrant milieu, oﬀering an
intellectually stimulating and friendly research/teaching environment, active interdisciplinary linkages acrossthe University and a welcoming community of passionate staﬀ and enthusiastic students.

Application documents:
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Cover letter (please indicate which position you are applying for)Up-to-date CV
The list of publications
Research statement (up to A4 two pages)
Teaching Philosophy (up to A4 two pages)
Up to three key publications (pdf)
The list of contacts of two references (whom we can contact for short-listed applicants)

The application must be in Japanese or English.

Submission:
All the documents should be combined into a single pdf and named as “surname_ﬁrstname.pdf”. Pleasesubmit your pdf tohttps://kitasato.app.box.com/f/1182da26af674a6a80379bf50c90481e
Upon successful submission, you will not receive any conﬁrmation email but will be directed to a submission
success page on your browser. You can update your ﬁle anytime until the closing time by simply resubmitting
the ﬁle.

Closing date:
23:59 Japan Standard Time (UTC +09:00) on 29th September 2024

Interview:
It will be held online during the period of 7-11 October 2024 (We will contact short-listed applicants toarrange a date for an interview).

Informal inquiries:
Professor Hideyasu SHIMADZU; fr-dm@kitasato-u.ac.jp

About the Kitasato Institute
The Kitasato Institute, established in 1914, traces its roots back to the former Institute for Study of Infectious
Diseases, founded in 1892, as Japan's ﬁrst private medical research facility renowned for its biomedical
research and education. The Institute is named after its founder, Dr Shibasaburo Kitasato, a Japanesephysician and bacteriologist, who made groundbreaking contributions to the ﬁeld of infectious disease
control and preventive medicine, discovering the infectious agent of tetanus and bubonic plague, as well asleading the ﬁeld of serotherapy, which has beneﬁted many worldwide today. Dr Kitasato’s portrait has now
been featured on Japan's new thousand yen banknotes since July 2024.
For over a century, the Institute has been at the forefront of scientiﬁc discoveries and medical advancements.
With a multidisciplinary approach, the Kitasato Institute excels in various areas, uniting experts from diverse
ﬁelds in life sciences. This collaborative environment fosters a vibrant exchange of ideas and enables theInstitute to address complex medical challenges from comprehensive perspectives. Throughout its history,
the Institute has made signiﬁcant contributions to public health and human well-being, playing a crucial rolein developing vaccines and groundbreaking discoveries for infectious diseases.
In addition to its research endeavours, the Institute places great emphasis on education and training. It oﬀers
a range of educational programmes to nurture the next generation of scientists and healthcare professionals
and actively collaborates with academic institutions, government agencies, and industry partners, bothnationally and internationally. With its pioneering spirit, state-of-the-art facilities and a talented team ofresearchers and educators, the Kitasato Institute remains dedicated to advancing scientiﬁc knowledge andpractice for the beneﬁt of society.
https://www.kitasato-u.ac.jp/en/about-kitasato/institute.html

About Kitasato University
Kitasato University was founded in 1962, commemorating the Kitasato Institute's 50th anniversary.
Recognised for its excellence in life science research and education, the University oﬀers diverse academic
disciplines and programmes that foster students with an unwavering determination to pursue successfulcareers in their chosen professions. The University comprises three aﬃliated hospitals and nine dedicatedschools: Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, Medicine, Marine Biosciences, Nursing, Science, Allied HealthSciences, Frontier Engineering and Health Sciences, where around 8,500 students (postgraduates andundergraduates) currently study. All schools place a strong emphasis on practical and hands-on training intheir curriculums, through which the University prides the student-centred approach that values
collaboration, critical thinking and innovation.
Kitasato University actively engages in cutting-edge research across various ﬁelds of life sciences, providing a
dynamic platform for interdisciplinary collaborations and scientiﬁc discoveries. One notable ﬁgure in theUniversity is Professor Satoshi Omura, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015
for his groundbreaking research on discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused byroundworm parasites. With a rich history and continuous dedication to academic excellence, coupled withthe vibrant and dynamic learning environment, Kitasato University thrives on shaping the future of life
science research and education, equipping students with the knowledge and skills necessary to makesigniﬁcant contributions to the future society.
https://www.kitasato-u.ac.jp/en/about-kitasato/about.html

About the Department of Data Science, the School of Frontier Engineering
The School of Frontier Engineering was established in April 2023 as the eighth school of Kitasato University.
Within the School, the Department of Data Science stands as the sole department. This new development ispart of the University's visionary initiative to confront the unprecedented challenges in the fast-growing dataera, forging all the expertise in the University to create a resilient future society. This transformative
endeavour coincides with celebrating the Kitasato Institute's 110th and Kitasato University's 60th anniversary.
We have been housed in a brand-new ﬁve-storey department building with state-of-the-art in-house highperformance computing facilities since April 2024.
The Department consists of eight divisions (laboratories) leading key research areas:
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Artiﬁcial Intelligence
Bioimage Informatics
Bioinformatics for Bioengineering
Data Modelling (the present vacancy)
Life Sciences Information Design
Medical Informatics
Soft Matter Informatics
Trans-Omics

Around 120 students per year are admitted to our BEg programme. We also launched a graduate school for a
research master programme (MEng) in April 2024. We now plan to start a PhD programme in a few years.
Data Modelling Group URL: https://kitasato.datascience.jp/dm/

JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title:

Assistant Professor in Data Science (Jyokyo) orJunior Associate Professor in Data Science (Koushi)(continuing upon review every ﬁve years)

Affiliation:

Data Modelling Laboratory, Department of Data Science, School ofFrontier Engineering

Salary:Salary depends on qualiﬁcation, experience and seniority based on
the University’s spin points.
Model cases: 6,161,100 JPY per annum (Assistant Professor, 30 yearsold); 7,438,200 JPY per annum (Junior Associate Professor, 40 yearsold)Responsible to:

Dean of School and Data Modelling Group Leader

Campus location:

Sagamihara Campus (Kanagawa, Japan)

Working Hours:

As reasonably necessary, usually not less than 38 hours per week

Start Date:

1st April 2025 or as soon as thereafter

Key Responsibilities:
Research•••••••

Conduct original research of international quality in areas of Data Science and relevant ﬁelds,
which would expand and complement existing activities within the Department of DataScience.
Attract external funding to support the research.
Publish research outcomes in internationally recognised peer-reviewed journals.
Present research outcomes at major scientiﬁc and professional conferences.
Collaborate in research initiatives with colleagues in the Department and more widely acrossthe University.
Collaborate in research initiatives with Japanese and overseas institutions and other relevantbodies.
Represent Kitasato University in national and international research communities.

Teaching•••

Contribute to teaching modules.
Develop new teaching activities, including projects and modules.
Supervise BEng and postgraduate students (i.e. research masters and PhDs)

Administration••••

Undertake academic, administrative and admission duties within the Department and theUniversity, as the Dean of the School and the Group Leader may require.
Act as personal tutor to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Serve as an examiner at undergraduate, research master and PhD levels.
Serve on appropriate Departmental and University committees.

Other Duties••

Undertake outreach activities for the Department and the University, as the Dean of theSchool and the Group Leader may require.
Observe and comply with all University policies and regulations, including the key policiesand procedures.

Please note that the job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, and the postholder may be required toundertake other duties broadly in line with the above key responsibilities.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Needed for the Position:
Qualiﬁcations
Essential• A PhD or an equivalent degree in an appropriate subject (if your degree is expected, please state
when it is expected by in the application).

ExperienceEssential••••

Ability to teach in Japanese or English
Ability to teach some of the following modules: 1) Fundamentals of Probability; 2) Data Analysis
and Mathematical Principles I & II; 3) Data Modelling; 4) Likelihood Principles for Data Modelling;5) History of Data Science, and 6) some modules for the postgraduate programme.
Ability to plan and implement an independent research programme.
Experience in data analysis and modelling using R.

Desirable•••Experience in leading or signiﬁcantly contributing to successful collaboration in research.
Experience in university teaching at the undergraduate and/or postgraduate level.
Previous experience of, or demonstrable interest in, curriculum development, the design anddevelopment of courses and innovative teaching methods.

Knowledge, Skills and Competencies
Essential••••••A research background in Data Science and related disciplines.
Willingness to understand current teaching and learning methods in Japanese higher education.
Excellent written and oral communication skills and interpersonal skills in a range of contexts (e.g.
presentations, student support, research collaboration).
Demonstrated ability to conduct, publish and disseminate high-quality research in peer-reviewed
journals.
Demonstrated ability, or clear potential, to secure research funding.
Demonstrated skill in delivering engaging and eﬀective teaching.

Personal Attributes
Essential•••

Self-motivated, able to work both independently and collaboratively, able to initiate and organise
activities and projects and to manage and develop self and others.
Able to plan, implement, and articulate to others, coherent and innovative programmes ofteaching and research, including the vision and skills to make a sustained contribution over a
period of years.
Committed to working in a supportive, collaborative, open environment and supporting others(students, research staﬀ and colleagues).