Call for Applications: Editor, Journal of Asian Studies

The Association for Asian Studies (AAS) is searching for a new Editor for its flagship journal. The Journal of Asian Studies (JAS) publishes the very best empirical and multidisciplinary work on Asia, spanning the arts, history, literature, the social sciences, and cultural studies. Experts around the world turn to this quarterly journal for the latest in-depth scholarship on Asia’s past and present, for its extensive book reviews, and for its state-of-the-field essays on established and emerging topics.

The JAS Editor is responsible for all aspects of JAS production. The Editor works as liaison with the AAS Board of Directors (BOD) as well as manages an active editorial board of associate editors and book review editors, and an editorial staff. The Editor also works in partnership with Cambridge University Press’s production team to produce four issues a year. The Editor is required to attend two AAS Board of Director meetings per year, in the spring (at the Annual Conference location) and fall (in Ann Arbor, MI). As a voting member of the BOD, the JAS Editor plays an active role in AAS activities and policies.

The desired length of time for an initial contract is a minimum of three years, which will be renewable after performance review. The Editor should remain at their home institution for the duration of the editorship. The institution and the AAS must enter a cost-sharing arrangement, with the home institution covering time release for the Editor, office space and equipment, and a part-time editorial assistant, among others, upon negotiation. The AAS is also prepared to consider proposals for joint editorships.

Qualifications

PhD and a strong record of scholarship in the field of Asian Studies. The editor must demonstrate broad knowledge of scholarly journal publishing. Competitive candidates are likely to be associate or full professors or the equivalent. Experience in scholarly editing is desirable.

Application

We solicit nominations or expressions of self-interest in the position to begin officially on July 1, 2021. The new editor should be able to make appropriate arrangements with their local institution and be prepared to participate in the editorial transition process by January 1, 2021.

For initial screening, those interested in the position should send:

  • A statement of interest detailing their qualifications and priorities if appointed editor
  • an indication of the level and type of support to be expected from the editor’s home institution
  • Curriculum vitae

Please send all materials to AAS Executive Director Hilary Finchum-Sung (hvfinchum@asianstudies.org) by February 15, 2020.

Individuals who wish to know more details regarding the application process, financial compensation, cost-sharing expectations from the editor’s home institution, length of appointment, etc. should contact the Executive Director. The search committee will interview candidates for the Editor position at the AAS 2020 Annual Conference in Boston.