عميد كلية الآداب والعلوم

The Opportunity

The American University in Dubai (AUD) invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. The preferred start date for this position will be January 2027.

This is a pivotal leadership opportunity at a time of strong institutional momentum. The School of Arts & Sciences combines academic rigor, interdisciplinary thinking, and substantive external engagement with one of the world’s most dynamic cities.

The next Dean will join a leadership team executing a forward-thinking strategic plan. They will have the opportunity to promote student success, expand faculty research capacity, deepen partnerships with local and global organizations, strengthen graduate offerings, and shape the School’s evolving identity at the intersection of international affairs, psychology, and biology. They will also help guide the continued implementation of several major recent initiatives including a revised Core Curriculum.

This is a unique moment to lead a School already positioned as a regional standard-bearer for high-impact, globally relevant arts and sciences education—and to work alongside faculty and students from over 100 countries in the heart of Dubai.

The Position

The Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences serves as the School’s chief academic and administrative officer and reports directly to the Provost. The Dean is responsible for overseeing program development and accreditation, recruiting and supporting faculty, and managing school-level operations. The Dean also plays a key role in expanding external partnerships, enhancing the School’s research profile, and cultivating a student-centered, globally engaged learning environment.

The Dean will be expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to academic excellence, organizational effectiveness, and innovation. They will be tasked with building on the School’s existing strengths while evolving its programs to reflect the demands of a rapidly changing professional landscape, including the growing role of data science, AI, and hybrid delivery models.

The ideal candidate will bring both academic credibility and pragmatic leadership experience. They will be able to demonstrate teaching effectiveness and excellence, a track record of scholarship, professional development, and student advising abilities, as well as other service to the school, university, and broader community. They will be deeply familiar with the challenges and opportunities of leading an Arts & Sciences school in a multicultural, internationally accredited context—and will possess the strategic mindset and interpersonal skill to inspire collaboration across departments, industries, and borders.

The compensation package for this position is competitive and is based on the expatriate model. Besides tax-exempt basic salary, it includes housing, annual round-trip ticket, health/Life insurance, professional memberships, conference attendance expenses, assistance with children's tuition, and other components.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the School, aligned with AUD’s institutional mission and strategic plan
• Oversee curriculum design, development of new programs, and academic assessment processes
• Commit to the principles of liberal arts education and steward the university’s Core Curriculum
• Advance faculty research, scholarly activity, and external grant initiatives
• Lead national and international accreditation processes
• Strengthen student success and alumni engagement
• Cultivate partnerships with social, business, and government organizations in Dubai and beyond
• Manage the School’s budget, staffing, and operational efficiency
• Recruit, retain, and support a diverse and high-performing faculty
• Promote interdisciplinary collaboration across the university
• Represent the School internally and externally with professionalism and purpose

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in an arts or sciences discipline from a regionally accredited (preferably Western) institution
• At least ten years of teaching experience and attainment of the rank of Associate or Full Professor
• Proven track record of academic leadership in higher education
• Demonstrated excellence in research and scholarly contributions
• Experience in curriculum development and accreditation
• Strong team leadership and communication skills
• Multicultural fluency and experience in international academic settings

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing externally funded initiatives and/or public-private partnerships and ability to build robust academic-industry networks
• Familiarity with the UAE and Gulf academic environment
• Demonstrated success leading change and innovation in academic setting

The University

The American University in Dubai (AUD) is a private, academically and culturally inclusive institution of higher learning, providing a globally recognized American education. When it was established in 1995, AUD became the first American university in the entire Gulf region. It is accredited in the United States by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and in the United Arab Emirates by the Ministry of Education’s Commission for Academic Accreditation. AUD’s 2,300+ students come from 100+ countries and are enrolled in one of its six schools: Architecture, Art, & Design; Arts & Sciences; Business; Engineering; the Graduate School of Education; and the Mohammed bin Rashid School for Communication. A School of Medicine, under development now with the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, will be the university’s seventh.

School of Arts and Sciences

The School of Arts and Sciences at AUD offers undergraduate and graduate programs designed to prepare students for leadership in global environments. The School offers three undergraduate programs: Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and Bachelor of Science in Biology. The School offers minors in History, Humanities, Literature, Middle Eastern Studies, Politics, Social Sciences and Mathematics. Additionally, the School offers an undergraduate Certificate in Middle Eastern Studies.

At the graduate level, the School offers a Master of Arts in International Affairs degree with concentrations in International Law and Diplomacy, Global Governance and Sustainability, and Security Studies.

The School is the home of AUD’s Core Curriculum, a required interdisciplinary 36-credit course of study for all AUD undergraduates. Last year, the core was revised to feature a series of Gateways to Higher Education, Big Questions, and Core Experience courses. Faculty teaching in the Core Curriculum are organized into English, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Mathematics divisions.

The School works with AUD’s Center for Executive Programs and Professional Services (CEPPS) to deliver tailored training and development programs to private and public sector organizations across the UAE. It also collaborates with AUD’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (AEIC) to develop entrepreneurial leaders across campus.

Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications through AUD's Recruitment Portal, with the subject line “Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences,” where they can create their profiles and provide the necessary documents mentioned below.

• Cover letter
• Updated CV
• Statement of teaching philosophy
• Contact information of three (3) academic/professional references

No telephone calls please.

While we thank all applicants for their interest, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted for an interview.