Full Professor in Religion and Global Affairs

University of Notre Dame; Notre-Dame; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious academic institution in Canada is accepting applications for the McDonald Family Professorship in Forgiveness and Ethics. This full-time position includes a leadership role as the Director of the Ansari Institute, focusing on the role of religion in conflict and reconciliation. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. and demonstrate a record of distinguished scholarship and public engagement in the fields of history, political science, or related areas. Applications are due by October 17, 2025.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated expertise in religion and global affairs.
• Record of distinguished scholarship and teaching.
• Engagement with religious dimensions of peace and conflict.

Responsibilities

• Provide intellectual and strategic leadership for the Ansari Institute.
• Guide research agenda and oversee external grants and programming.
• Conduct research, teaching, and service.

Skills

Distinguished scholarship

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Public engagement

Education

Ph.D. in history, political science, sociology, or anthropology

Job description

Overview

The University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs is accepting applications for the McDonald Family Professorship in Forgiveness and Ethics, a full-time, tenured position at the full professor level. This position includes an administrative leadership role as the Director of the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion, which studies, learns from, and collaborates with religious communities worldwide. The Ansari Institute engages in research, teaching, outreach, and interaction with religious communities, faith and civic leaders, academics and journalists, and the general public.

The ideal candidate will be a distinguished scholar in the role of religion and/or faith in shaping conflict and reconciliation, including but not limited to religious violence, interreligious tensions, transitional justice, memory and trauma, and the role of religious institutions or faith-based organizations, ideas, institutions or philosophies in peacebuilding processes. Candidates should approach these issues through rigorous disciplinary training in fields such as history, political science, international relations, sociology, anthropology, or related areas. Scholars with a regional or global comparative perspective are welcome, as are those whose research engages both historical and contemporary case studies.

Responsibilities and Leadership

The ideal candidate will also have a record of interdisciplinary research, institutional leadership, and commitment to public engagement. As director of the Ansari Institute, they will provide intellectual and strategic leadership for Ansari, guiding its research agenda, overseeing external grants and programming, and collaborating with other units in the Keough School and at the university more broadly. This is a full-time, tenured appointment with administrative responsibilities and teaching expectations at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The professorship will be based in the Keough School, which promotes interdisciplinary and policy-relevant research on global affairs, transformative educational programs, and partnerships for global engagement. The Keough School emphasizes integral human development (IHD), central to the University of Notre Dame’s mission. The Keough School offers undergraduate, Master’s and PhD degrees. Position duties include research, teaching, and service. The position is expected to begin in August 2026.

Qualifications

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Qualifications: Candidates must have a Ph.D. in history, political science, sociology, anthropology, or a closely related field, with demonstrated expertise in religion and global affairs.

The successful candidate is expected to have a record of distinguished scholarship and teaching that merits appointment at the full professor level, demonstrate engagement with religious dimensions of peace and conflict, including but not limited to reconciliation, religious nationalism, or religious pluralism in divided societies, be committed to interdisciplinary collaboration and public engagement, and help position the university as a center for research and teaching on religion and conflict transformation.

Application Instructions

Applications, including a cover letter, curriculum vitae, research statement, and teaching statement, should be submitted through the Interfolio system at http://apply.interfolio.com. Questions about the position may be addressed to the search committee chair Scott Appleby, Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Global Affairs at [e-mail]. We will begin reviewing completed applications on October 20, 2025 and will accept applications through October 17, 2025.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Notre Dame seeks to attract, develop, and retain the highest quality faculty, staff and administration. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or age in employment. Moreover, Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and complies with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). We strongly encourage applications from candidates attracted to a university with a Catholic identity.

Background Check

This appointment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Applicants will be asked to identify all felony convictions and/or pending felony charges. Felony convictions do not automatically bar an individual from employment. Each case will be examined separately to determine the appropriateness of employment in the particular position. Failure to be forthcoming or dishonesty with respect to felony disclosures can result in the disqualification of a candidate. The full procedure can be viewed at https://facultyhandbook.nd.edu/?id=link-73597.