AGBS - Faculty Position in Plant Pathology

About UM6P

Located at the heart of the future Green City of Benguerir, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University(UM6P), a higher education institution with an international standard, is established to serve Morocco and the African continent. Its vision is honed around research and innovation at the service of education and development. This unique nascent university, with its state-of-the-art campus and infrastructure, has woven a sound academicand research network,and its recruitment process is seeking high quality academics and professionals in order to boost its quality-oriented research environment.
In its research approach, the UM6P promotes transdisciplinary, entrepreneurship spirit and collaboration with external institutions, both international ones for developing up to date science, and at continent level to address real African challenges.
All our programs run as start-ups and can be self-organized when they reach a critical mass. Thus, academic liberty is promoted as far as funding is developed by research teams.

About AgBS:

The AgroBioSciences (AgBS) program is a component of the Science & Technology pole of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P). It constitutes a structure of higher education and practical-based research with a vision of solving real African agriculture challenges leveraging up to date science and technology.
Oriented towards Africa, AgBS acts in connection with a wide network of universities and research centers around the continent in order to link real field issues with up to date science.

AgBS is composed with four main units:

• School of Agriculture (ESAFE) which is oriented towards graduate studies, in linkage with specific African agriculture scientific challenges. Its vision is to have a recognized reputation in Africa with a strong E-Learning Platform. The majority of the ESAFE students comes from abroad, all around the continent. The ESAFE targetis to reach around 1.000full-time students by 2024.
• Biodiversity and Plan Sciences (BPS) is a research program leverages up to date technologies in the service of African agriculture challenges. It is a multidisciplinary research program with the ambition to conduct relevant and cutting-edge research with a positive impact on the African agriculture.
• Center of Excellence for Soil and Fertilizer Research in Africa (CESFRA) aims to be a reference in Africa for soil analysis, soil mapping and fertilization recommendations.
• African Innovation and Technology Transfer Center (AITTC) is a sustainable farming center that is aiming to develop a network of 14 operational experimental farms in Africa in collaboration with local institutions in order to address real field challenges.

Job description:

The Biodiversity and Plant Sciences program at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) is seeking applications for a full-time Associate Professor in the field of Plant Pathology.
The successful candidate is expected to participate in an interdisciplinary team to develop and lead research programs on applied and molecular plant pathology.
Candidates should have research experience in working with economically important plant pathogens (fungi, bacteria, nematodes) of diverse crops (horticulture, legumes and cereals) of Africa.
Priority will be given to the candidates having research experience and publication record in the field of plant pathology, plant-pathogen interactions, precision phenotyping and plant resistance to diseases.
Interest in and ability to contribute to interdisciplinary research collaborations in one or more areas central to the UM6P Agricultural Sciences strategic plan is expected.
Ability to engage professionally with a diverse population of faculty, staff, and students across the university and externally is required.
Evidence of research and teaching excellence is expected. Strong English communication skills, both verbal and written, are required.

Key duties:

Successful candidates are expected to:

• Develop     research     projects     focusing     on    understanding      molecular     mechanisms      of pathogenicity and host plant resistance.
• Cloning and functional analysis of effectorsfrom plant pathogens, and resistance genesfrom their respective host plants.
• Establishing precision phenotyping facilities for the screening of the seedlingand adult plant resistance of diverse horticultural, legumes, and cereal crops of Africa.
• Strengthen breeding programsby identifying sourcesof resistance, phenotyping of mapping populations, and association mapping studies.
• Develop internal and external linkages with other disciplines to attract funding.
• Generate external research funds to support and maintain integrated research programs.
• Establish collaboration and partnerships with advance research and industrial institutions.
• Supervise graduate students, develop teaching materials, and attract high level-students. Publish in well ranked and high impact journals in the field.
• Teach the principles of plant pathology, including molecular aspects of plant-pathogen interactions, disease resistance in crop plants, epidemiology and modelling.

Criteria of the candidate:

• PhD degree in Plant Pathology.
• At least 10 years of demonstrated research experience of working with diverse pathogens of horticultural, legumes, and cereal crops.
• High publication record in leading international and well ranked journals (at least 6 publications in the last 3 years).
• Strong experience in teaching and supervising students and postdocs. Significant research record and leadership.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.