Professor/Associate Professor/Assistant Professor/Research Assistant Professor at Bio-Inspired Systems Laboratory, HKUST(GZ)

In the rapidly changing environment of the 21st century, there is an increasing need to forge bridges across disciplines to address emerging challenges and problems. Through its commitment to academic excellence, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed world-class strengths in many subjects over its short 30-year history.  With a strong track record of cultivating high end talents and nurturing future leaders for academia and industry, HKUST is well positioned to craft an innovative approach to cross-disciplinary education and research in its Guangzhou campus, HKUST(GZ), and meet the needs of an ever-evolving world.

HKUST is a leading international university ranked 1st by Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2020 and 27th by QS World University Rankings 2021. The Guangzhou campus synergizes with and maintains the same academic standard as the Clear Water Bay campus.  English is the medium of instruction at HKUST(GZ).  Bio-Inspired Systems Laboratory is a central facility for interdisciplinarity and synergy in collaborations in the Guangzhou campus and aims to become a regional and national research and educational hub as well as a global innovation leader in novel bio-inspired systems.

Flying animals including insects, pterosaurs, birds and bats can perform sensational acrobatic flying feats that make drones look hopelessly bleak.  Birds demonstrate power-efficient flight combined with remarkable manoeuvrability, achieved by multiple-degree-of-freedom control of wings, body and tail, etc. Insects are able to fly, navigate, avoid obstacles and predators, find food and shelter, learn and interact socially with other insects.  On the other hand, aquatic animals have good swimming and manoeuvring capabilities, and these observations have motivated research on fish-like propulsion for marine vehicles.  The fish fin movements, used by fish for their locomotion and positioning, are being replicated by researchers as flapping foils to mimic the biological system. Terrestrial animals demonstrated dextrous locomotion capabilities, such as legged, limbless, rolling and jumping locomotion.  Their soft and slender morphologies play a crucial role to attain search and rescue missions in unstructured and confined environments. For amphibious animals, they can swim underwater, locomotion on land, take off from water and land, and fly in the air.  Bio-inspired amphibious vehicles are used for a variety of specialized purposes including air-sea rescue, marine salvage, oceanography and further air taxi.

Interdisciplinary Approach
Bio-Inspired Systems Laboratory supports novel and creative research at the interface of biology, science, engineering, architecture, and design using approaches informed by fundamental research. The faculty in this laboratory will investigate some of the most challenging locomotion behaviours observed in the natural world with a combination of biomimetic robots and studies of animal motion.

Qualifications of Candidates:
The Bio-Inspired Systems Laboratory is inviting applications for tenure-track/non-tenure-track faculty positions at the rank of Professor/Associate Professor/Assistant Professor/Research Assistant Professor.  We are looking for candidates who have a PhD degree in engineering or science and have outstanding research record in all areas related to bio-inspired systems, with priority given to candidates in research areas specialized in the following area(s):

• A candidate who is equipped with core strengths in engineering and science, such as aerodynamics/fluid dynamics, integrated design and smart manufacturing, materials and advanced control and sensing, but is also able to speak the language of biology utilizing its structures, processes, and principles.
• A naturalist who is able to team with engineers and physical scientists to examine biological structures, processes, and systems in terms of evolved solutions to problems, and as sources of engineered designs.
• A designer who turns to the natural world for inspiration as to function, form, material and ecological footprint.

Remuneration and Conditions of Service
Salary is highly competitive of international standard and will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.  Generous start-up funding, ample laboratory space and excellent research equipment and support will be provided.

All posts are Mainland China appointments to be offered by the HKUST Mainland entity in accordance with the local employment laws and regulations.  Appointment to Professor rank and some Associate Professor rank will be made on substantive basis while initial appointment to other faculty ranks will be made on a fixed-term contract of up to three years.

Application Procedure
Please submit the application via the HKUST/ HKUST(GZ) Recruitment System (https://facrecruit.hkust.edu.hk/).  You should first sign up to create your personal account.  For more information, please visit the recruitment website (https://gz-faculty-recruitment.hkust.edu.hk/).  Review of applications will continue until all positions are filled.  We thank applicants for the interests.  Please be advised that only shortlisted candidates will be notified of the results of their applications.  For questions regarding the recruitment system or general inquiries, please reach us at facultyhire@ust.hk.  For specific questions to the Bio-Inspired Systems Laboratory, please email to bislab@ust.hk with subject title of “Bio-Inspired Systems Lab faculty application”.

(Information provided by applicants will be used for recruitment and other employment-related purposes only.)

HKUST(GZ) is committed to diversity in recruitment and equal opportunity employment and we strongly encourage suitable candidates of diverse backgrounds to submit their applications.