Director of Centre for Arts, Science and Biocultural Ecologies

NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY; Singapore; On-site; SGD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university in Singapore is seeking a Director for the Centre for Art, Science, and Biocultural Ecologies (CASBE). The ideal candidate will have a significant leadership background in contemporary curating and a proven track record in interdisciplinary research and practice. This role involves driving the vision for the Centre, collaborating with global partners, and overseeing various academic initiatives. Candidates should possess excellent communication skills and experience in securing funding. Applications close on 5 February 2026.

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in art, science communication, or cultural programs.
• Track record in curatorial practice and/or research.
• Experience of securing and managing large funding projects.

Responsibilities

• Articulate and implement an academic vision for CASBE.
• Interrogate the role of art and culture in interdisciplinary discourses.
• Advocate for CASBE through academic platforms and professional networks.

Skills

Leadership experience in contemporary curating

Interpersonal communication skills

Partnership building

Experience with securing large funding

Curatorial practice and research

Education

Advanced understanding of contemporary art and cultural trends

Job description

Offer Description

Director of Centre for Art, Science and Biocultural Ecologies (CASBE)

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Young, research intensive, and outward‑looking Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) is ranked among the world’s top universities.

The Centre for Art, Science and Biocultural Ecologies at NTU Singapore brings artists, scientists and humanities scholars together to study and support Asia’s diverse biocultural ecologies. The successor institution to NTU Singapore’s highly successful Centre for Contemporary Art, CASBE focuses on curatorial practice as a form of research able to combine multiple systems of knowledge to support biocultural sustainability. Through exhibitions, residencies, research initiatives, and academic education, CASBE is committed to combining art and interdisciplinary innovation in Singapore, Asia Pacific, and the world.

Located within Singapore’s international visual arts precinct Gillman Barracks, the Centre provides visiting researchers, including artists and curators, an entry point to the contemporary art ecosystem in Singapore and the wider region with a focus on Spaces of the Curatorial and Biocultural Ecologies

The Director of CASBE will concurrently hold the position of Associate / Full Professor of Curatorial Practices at NTU School of Humanities (SoH); and will also play a leading role in the new Max Planck NTU Singapore Centre for Biocultural Worlding.

Both CASBE and SoH are part of NTU Singapore’s College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CoHASS), whose students and scholars actively collaborate in fields ranging from philosophy to design, to understand how people in Asia and beyond act in and make sense of the world. Ambitious and rapidly growing, CoHASS aims to be Asia’s leading centre for innovative, interdisciplinary Humanities, Arts and Social Science research.

Associate / Full Professor of Curatorial Practice

CASBE seeks outstanding applicants for its Director post, which will concurrently carry a faculty position at the rank of Associate or Full Professor of Curatorial Practice. The CASBE Director is expected to:

• Articulate and implement an academic vision for the Centre for Art, Science, and Biocultural Ecologies (CASBE) in alignment with CoHASS and NTU mission, framing the Centre as a critical site for the arts, culture, technology and environment;
• Interrogate the role of art and culture within interdisciplinary discourses and pioneer contemporary curatorial practices research, and programming in relation to Singapore, Southeast Asia, and the Asia Pacific;
• Collaborate with the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG ), Berlin, in co‑directing the Biocultural Worlding project;
• Nurture interdisciplinary collaborations within NTU, across Singapore and globally;
• Advocate for CASBE through key academic platforms and professional networks;
• Initiate and oversee grant‑funded projects;
• Drive community outreach, industry engagement, and funder‑facing activities;
• Oversee Financial, personnel, and operational management with help from CASBE Senior Assistant Director.

Qualifications:

• Significant leadership experience in contemporary curating and strategically directing art, science communication or cultural programs;
• Track record in curatorial practice and/or research in a related field;
• Strong skills in interpersonal communication and partnership building;
• Experience of securing and managing projects with large funding;
• Track record in initiating research and other grants as well as third‑party sponsored projects;
• Preferably: advanced understanding of contemporary art and cultural landscape and trends in Asia Pacific.

Application Procedure

The closing date for this application is 5 February 2026. Applicants are invited to submit their applications through the NTU career portal:

Applications should include the following:

• Cover letter (including vision for CASBE and leadership statement);
• Curriculum vitae (including records of exhibitions, competitive grants, and graduate supervision, if applicable);
• Teaching statement (max 1 page);
• Records of teaching evaluations (if available);
• Link to publications and projects;
• Names and contact details of at least five (5) referees.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.