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FACULTY OF HUMANITIES, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SCIENCES
SCHOOL OF MEDIA, INFORMATION AND CREATIVE ARTS
DEPARTMENT OF MEDIA STUDIES AND APPLIED COMMUNICATIONS
VACANCY NO: IRC 2253
The University of Botswana (UB), a premier state-owned tertiary institution dedicated to shaping the future through excellence, research, innovation and meaningful societal impact, invites applications from accomplished and suitably qualified professionals for the position of Senior Lecturer/Lecturer in Public Relations and Journalism in the Department of Media Studies and Applied Communication.
SENIOR LECTURER
The Senior Lecturer in Public Relations and Journalism is responsible for advancing the Public Relations and Journalism discipline, make significant contribution to research and/or scholarship and teaching, as well as administrative activities of the University. This successful candidate will also provide significant leadership in scholarly research and/or professional activities relevant to the profession, discipline or community.
Duties: The successful candidate will be expected to: i. Contribute to the development of and implementation of university, faculty and school level strategies, policies, plans, and procedures; ii. Teach post-graduate and undergraduate level courses in Public Relations, Advertising and Applied Communication, among others; iii. Supervise postgraduate and undergraduate students’ projects (in the areas of Public Relations and Communication) as need may arise; iv. Participate in the academic, governance and social engagement in Media related fields; v. Provide academic leadership through programme development and research in collaboration with colleagues in and outside the department; vi. Act as a mentor to junior academic staff; vii. Provide good disciplinary knowledge and ensure that use a range of learning practices; viii. Demonstrate coherence between philosophy and practice; ix. Use programme/course design principles and institutional guidelines to ensure effective curriculum development; x. Review programmes/ courses to ensure they are relevant to and up to date with local, international, global and disciplinary contexts, as well as engagement with students, stakeholders and peers; xi. Secure external funding to support research and elevate the university's reputation; xii. Drive grant proposal development to sustain research momentum; xiii. Advocate for cross-disciplinary research to tackle societal challenges effectively; xiv. Collaborate with other institutions, organisations or cognitive disciplines in the university to drive the research standing of the university; xv. Examine, moderate or assess undergraduate and/or postgraduate students; xvi. Participate and serve as a Board Secretary in departmental committees; xvii. Conduct and participate in community extension work to include the promotion of locally relevant cultural attributes/values that benefit the community, serving as an advisor/resource to a community organisation and/or applying professional expertise to solve community problems; xviii. Engage in continuous professional development to stay current in both academic and professional realms locally; xix. Participate in the identification and mitigation of operational risks and perform any other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by the Head of School/Departmental Chairperson required by the University in line with the role.
Requirements: The successful candidate should possess: (i) A PhD/Doctorate in Media Studies, Public Relations, Communication or related field, (ii) At least 3 years relevant teaching experience at a university or comparable institution; (iii) An excellent cumulative and sustained record of research and publications with at least 6 pieces of research products published by recognized publishers, 4 of which must be articles in refereed/accredited journals in internationally recognized indexing databases; (iv) Sustained research output: a minimum of 1 peer reviewed publication every two years; (v) Scholarly presentations at national and/or international conferences; (vi) Be lead and/or single author in at least 2 refereed journal articles; (vii) Publications should be spread nationally and/or internationally and across journals; (viii) Some research impact, including but not limited to citations, the h-index, patents, policy applications, peer reviews, publications that are prescribed texts in other institutions etc. (required in at least 1 of the these); (ix) Recognized as being of at least national research standing (e.g. reviewer for refereed/accredited national and regional publishers; Editorial board member of at least a national publisher in a relevant field; invitation as key note speaker at national and/or international conferences (required in at least 1 of the these); (x) Successful supervision/co-supervision of research projects/post-doctoral research fellow; (xi) Evidence of social engagement and governance.
The following will be added advantages: (i) Sustained research activity: ongoing internally and/or externally supported research; (ii) Research awards and other forms of research recognition, where appropriate; (iii) Examiner/moderator/assessor for undergraduate and/or postgraduate projects nationally; (iv) Effective experience in running a programme/course.
Other Requirements: i. Registered or eligible for registration with the Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA).
LECTURER
The Lecturer in Public Relations and Journalism is responsible for undertaking independent teaching and research in the Public Relations and Journalism discipline or related areas and make independent contributions to professional practice and/or expertise. The incumbent will also coordinate or lead the related activities as appropriate to the discipline and undertake administrative activities of the University.
Duties: The successful candidate will be expected to: i. Contribute to the development of and implementation of university, faculty and school level strategies, policies, plans, and procedures; ii. Teach post-graduate and undergraduate level courses in Public Relations, Advertising and Applied Communication, among others; iii. Supervise postgraduate and undergraduate students’ projects (in the areas of Public Relations and Communication) as need may arise; iv. Undertake scholarly research either individually or in collaboration with others; v. Develop, update, and deliver undergraduate and possibly some graduate courses; vi. Design and administer assessments that accurately measure student learning outcomes; vii. Present scholarly articles at national and international seminars and conferences; viii. Develop portfolio of creative and professional work and participate in competitions to showcase contribution; ix. Facilitate research capability development at community level; x. Contribute to the development of research proposals and implementation of projects; xi. Participate in external research in efforts to boost the standing of the university/ institute as required; xii. Participate in the identification and mitigation of operational risks; xiii. Collaborate with relevant internal and external stakeholders as needed to effectively deliver duties as defined; xiv. Assist with organizing faculty/ university symposium and conferences of national importance and perform any other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by the Head of School/Departmental Chairperson.
Requirements: The candidate should possess: (i) a PhD/Doctorate in Public Relations, journalism, Communication or a related field, (ii) and show evidence of engagement in research. (iii) Hands on experiences in public relations and advertising/ or marketing, evidence of governance and social engagement in media-related fields, and teaching experience at a university or comparable institution will be added advantages.
NB: Under special circumstances, a candidate with a Master of Arts Degree in Media Studies, Public Relations, Communication or related field (iii) Bachelor of Arts Degree in Media Studies, Public Relations, Communication or related field of at least 2(i) pass or equivalent maybe considered.
Other Requirements: i. Registered or eligible for registration with the Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA).
Remuneration: The University offers a competitive salary and benefits commensurate with experience and qualifications. For more information on the University, please visit our website; www.ub.bw
How to apply: The curriculum vitae should contain a detailed list of published works, clearly specifying titles of publications and information about indexing databases that these appear in, ISBN numbers (for books, book chapters and conference proceedings), dates of publications, names of publishers, name/s of co-authors if any and number of pages. The works should be categorised into books, book chapters, refereed journals, non-refereed works, consultancies and practical media projects.
Applicants should clearly state the position and level they are applying for, address the stated qualifications and provide other information to assist the University determine their suitability for the position. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview. They should also provide current CVs (including telephone and active e-mail), certified copies of academic certificates and transcripts, evidence of research, three reference letters, and Send applications to: The Faculty Manager, Faculty of Humanities Education and Social Sciences, University of Botswana, Private Bag UB 00702, Gaborone-Botswana Telephone: (267) 355 4044/2231/2196. E-mail: hessvacancies@ub.ac.bw
Hand-delivered applications should be submitted to the University of Botswana Gaborone campus, Block 247 Office no. 236.
Applicants should inform their referees to: i) Quote the Vacancy number and position applied for and ii) submit their references directly to the above address before the stipulated closing date.
NB: Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted
Closing Date: 06 October 2026