Associate Dean for Research, Industrial Engagement and Applied Learning

The Associate Dean for Research, Industrial Engagement and Applied Learning is a senior and strategic role in the Office ofAcademic Affairs. Reporting to the Vice President, Academic Affairs, the Associate Dean plays a pivotal role in advancing the University'sresearch mission, fostering industrial partnerships to enrich student learning, and integrating applied learning and experiential learninginto the curriculum. The Associate Dean will be responsible for promoting both faculty/fellows' and undergraduate research that aligns withHabib University's next Strategic Plan 2025-2030. This includes building research capacity, facilitating faculty and fellows toaccess internal and external research funding, and promoting scholarly outputs to enhance the University's global visibility in highereducation. The Associate Dean will also drive industrial engagement by collaborating with academic programs to embed practical,industry-relevant experiences into courses, while forging liaisons with industry partners to identify research opportunities that bridgeacademia and real-world challenges. The role provides an oversight to the Dean's Fellowship Program, a three-year pre-doctoral initiativedesigned to nurture emerging scholars through immersive teaching, research, and mentorship experiences. The Associate Dean will alsosupervise the Academic Centers, the University Library and Information Commons, and the Institute for Design, Entrepreneurship, andLeadership (IDEAL), ensuring these units amplify faculty and student research, facilitate global scholarly dialogues, and cultivateinnovation in design thinking, entrepreneurship, and leadership. The duties and responsibilities of this position include, but arenot limited to, the following functions: Research Leadership and Capacity-Building 1. Provide strategic oversight tothe Office of Research, guiding the Faculty Director in developing and implementing institutional research policies aligned with theUniversity's mission and vision for a high-quality undergraduate experience. 2. Establish frameworks for the operationalmanagement of internal and external grants to ensure effective oversight and compliance 3. Foster a culture of collaboration, andcommunity engagement by supporting disciplinary and transdisciplinary faculty research, including Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. 4. Develop capacity-building programs for grant proposal writing, research mentorship (including the Dean's Fellows), and monitoringresearch effectiveness through data collection, analysis, and reporting. 5. Promote undergraduate research by incentivizingresearch-intensive courses, capstones, summer programs, and research abroad opportunities. 6. Ensure compliance with University'spolicies on research quality, conduct, and University compliance (e.g., IRB), while overseeing research data management for accreditationbodies. 7. Showcase University research outputs through conferences, seminars, lectures, publications, and outreach initiatives toincrease visibility and impact at relevant forums. 8. Keep the community informed of internal and external opportunities alignedwith university priorities. 9. Ensure equitable participation in internal grant cycles to meet budgeted targets and mentorearly-career faculty in proposal development and scholarly advancement. I n d u s tr ialEngagement and Applied Learning 1. Collaborate with academic programs and the Office of Undergraduate Education to integrate applied learning into curricula, ensuring there are sufficient courses in each academic program that provide adequate practicalwork experiences and industry insights to students through diverse industry engagement such as industry projects, co-taught courses,internships, and collaborative capstone projects. 2. Build and nurture strategic liaisons in collaboration with Office of StudentAffairs, the University's Industrial Advisory Boards (IABs) with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and organizations to identify and secureresearch opportunities, and co-creation initiatives that address real-world challenges. 3. Oversee the development ofindustry-sponsored grants and programs, to support applied research and pedagogical innovation. 4. Monitor and evaluate the impactof industrial engagement on student outcomes. Oversight of Dean's Fellowship Program 1. Provide guidance to theDean's Fellowship Program on refining its framework to optimize fellows' research, teaching, professional development experiences and pathto PhD. 2. Guide the Faculty Director of the Dean's Fellowship Program in creating linkages with graduate programs in leadinguniversities globally and identifying mentors for fellows from partner institutions. Supervision of Academic Centers andLibrary 1. Offer strategic leadership to the Academic Centers (e.g., IDRAC, Tasveer o Tasavor, Arzu Center), ensuring theyenrich scholarly experiences, advance faculty research, and disseminate University outputs through outreach and intellectual discourse. 2. Support Faculty Director for Academic Centers and Library to review and align Center visions, missions, and activities withUniversity's goals; 3. Oversee the University Library's role in supporting research and pedagogy, ensuring resources align withfaculty, student, and the larger community for discovery, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge. Strategic Leadership toIDEAL (Institute for Design, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership) 1. Provide strategic oversight to IDEAL, aligning its strategicroadmap with Habib University's mission and industry needs to bridge academia and real-world innovation 2. Guide IDEAL forcreating programs and platforms to empower executives and professionals at various levels for leading their organizations by integratingdesign thinking, entrepreneurship and leadership 3. Ensure the collaboration of Director IDEAL and Associate Dean for UndergraduateEducation to integrate Design Thinking, Entrepreneurship and Leadership with HU curricula in diverse forms 4. Nurture partnershipswith global institutions for co-certification and with industry/NGOs for funding and co-creation Other Responsibilities 1. Assist the Vice President, Academic Affairs in drafting institutional grant proposals and leading University committees/task forcesrelated to research and industrial engagement 2. Represent the University at national and international forums when required 3. Manage budgets for overseen units, monitoring expenditures and ensuring resource alignment with strategic priorities. Personal Specifications The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate evidence of the followingskills, capabilities and experience: 1. an outstanding academic and research record, with an earned doctorate, and qualificationsmeriting appointment at the rank of associate professor or above; 2. a record of progressive leadership responsibilities and successin higher education, preferably in North America or an accredited American-style institution abroad; 3. an in-depth understanding andexperience of working in an undergraduate liberal arts college environment that is student-centric, and committed to student success; 4. sensitivity to cultural differences, and diversity of thought; and 5. an awareness of the rapidly changing character of highereducation globally. Appointment Details and How to Apply Applications should consist of a CV, accompanied bya detailed cover letter. Please email these documents to Salman Khimani, Senior Director Academic Operations and Institutional Research atHabib University at salman.khimani@habib.edu.pk . This position is based in Karachi. Extensive local and internationaltravel may be required. An appointment will be made subject to receipt of satisfactory references. The appointed candidate will beoffered a salary that is commensurate with their experience and appropriate to the seniority of this position.