TORCH Humanities & Identities Visiting Professorship

The TORCH Humanities and Identities Visiting Professorship Scheme (previously known as the Global South Visiting Professorship Scheme) is a flagship scheme that supports Visiting Professors from the Global South for one academic term in Oxford. All Souls College will generously host the visiting academic, and TORCH will provide additional logistical support.

TORCH created this opportunity in 2015 with the aim of support Visiting Professorships and Fellowships for academics from countries in the global majority (for the purposes of this scheme, this is defined as the member states of the G77 group). This includes, but is not limited to, India, Pakistan, Brazil, Malaysia, Philippines, Mauritius, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and across Southern Africa and the Caribbean.

The TORCH Humanities and Identities Visiting Professors are valuable in providing academic role models, and are a crucial part of diversity and inclusivity initiatives in the wider University. The scheme builds on and reinforces existing links between Oxford (including TORCH) and Universities in the countries named above.

The successful scholar will be hosted in Oxford during Michaelmas Term, 2024. They are invited to conduct their research and to contribute, where possible, to the teaching environment through open and public events. They will also be encouraged to participate in the academic life of All Souls College and the wider university. The scheme brings mutual benefit to the Oxford community of researchers and students and to the Visiting Professor through the fruitful exchange of knowledge and experiences.

As part of the package of support, the Visiting Professor will receive accommodation and senior common room membership through the support provided by All Souls College, and a generous allowance to cover travel, maintenance and research expenses. TORCH also provides access to  university libraries and the Visiting Professor will have a university card for 1 year, so that they can continue their research and connection to Oxford beyond their stay. There will also be some funding available to facilitate events, workshops and activities while in Oxford, connecting with different audiences.

Application Process

• For expressions of interest from either prospective Oxford hosts or prospective Visiting Professors, please contact the TORCH International Officer, Dr Anbara Khalidi
• Applications are via the IRAMS system and the ‘Case for Support’ form.
• TORCH Humanities and Identities Visiting Professors are put forward by an Oxford humanities academic, and are selected by a panel comprised of members of the TORCH Management Committee.
• In the application, the Oxford Humanities academic should outline why they have selected the researcher and how their research and practice would contribute to the students and researchers in Oxford, as well as how the research and student community can learn from the Humanities and Identities Professor, and develop longer term partnerships. 
• The application should include the proposed Humanities and Identities Professor’s CV, and research statement on what they plan to do during their Visiting Professorship. (No more than 1000 words on the 'Case for Support' form).
• There is a generous budget to cover the fellowship, please contact the TORCH International Officer to discuss how this should be entered on the IRAMS application.

Eligibility

Proposed TORCH Humanities and Identities Visiting Professors should be holders of university or related posts in their country, and active in Humanities research areas. Visiting Professorships should ideally hold Assistant Professor or full Professor position, and are not normally offered to candidates with doctorates awarded in the last seven years. This opportunity is not available to individuals holding posts in Oxford or who are already resident in or near Oxford. 

Further information on the international activity TORCH supports is available here: https://torch.ox.ac.uk/international-engagement

Data and Privacy Statement

Please read this statement on how your data will be processed as part of this application process

Deadline  

The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Monday 25 September, 2023.

All applicants will receive notification of the status of their application within one month of the application closing date.

Contacts

Dr Anbara Khalidi (International Officer) anbara.khalidi@humanities.ox.ac.uk

Dr María del Pilar Blanco (TORCH Academic Champion for Networks and Partnerships) maria.blanco@trinity.ox.ac.uk

To find out more about the TORCH Humanities and Identities Visiting Professorship and Fellowships scheme, please visit: https://torch.ox.ac.uk/torch-global-south-visiting-professors-and-fellows