HKU Professor of Epidemiology Job 2027: Tenure-Track Posts, Requirements and Deadline

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is recruiting a Tenure-Track Professor, Associate Professor or Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology, part of the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the School of Public Health. The rank depends on your record. The appointment starts as a three-year fixed-term contract, renewable, on the tenure track. The search focuses on infectious disease modelling and epidemiology. HKU describes the salary as “highly competitive” and gives no figure. Review of applications begins on 28 December 2026, and the advert stays open until 28 April 2027 or until the posts are filled, whichever comes first.

That review date matters more than the closing date. If you want a fair look, apply before 28 December 2026. Below I go through the HKU professor of epidemiology job in detail: what the role involves, the requirements, the benefits HKU lists, how to apply, how to write the research and teaching statements, and how this post compares with similar jobs.

HKU professor of epidemiology job: key facts

About HKU and the School of Public Health

HKU is Hong Kong’s oldest university and ranks 11th in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026. It held the same place the year before. HKU says 54 of its academics are Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers, the most of any Hong Kong university. The main campus is in Pok Fu Lam on the western side of Hong Kong Island, and the School of Public Health sits within the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine.

Infectious disease epidemiology is one of the school’s best-known strengths. In December 2014 the World Health Organization designated the school as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control, HKU’s first. The centre is led by Professor Benjamin Cowling and Professor Seto Wing-hong, with Professors Gabriel Leung, Malik Peiris and Joseph Wu on its steering committee. Its work covers outbreak response, infection prevention and control, and antimicrobial resistance, all with WHO. A new modeller would join a group with long experience of influenza, SARS and COVID-19 research.

On living costs: Hong Kong housing is among the most expensive in the world. That is why the housing benefit in the advert (see below) matters so much. Before you accept any offer, ask exactly what housing support applies at your rank and for how long.

What the job involves

The advert lists four areas of work:

1. Research: carry out independent and collaborative research, publish in high-impact journals and win competitive grants to keep an active programme going.
2. Teaching: teach on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
3. Supervision: supervise research postgraduate students (MPhil and PhD).
4. Administration: take on administrative duties in the school.

The advert does not name a line manager. Tenure-track staff in a division normally work under the division head and the school director, but confirm this at interview.

Requirements for the HKU epidemiology tenure-track post

The advert lists these requirements. It does not split them into essential and desirable, so treat all of them as expected:

• A PhD or equivalent in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health or a related field.
• Previous research experience in infectious disease modelling and epidemiology.
• A strong record of high-quality research, shown through publications and external grants.
• Evidence of international recognition and the ability to work across disciplines on new initiatives.
• A strong commitment to teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

The infectious disease modelling requirement is the filter. A strong chronic disease epidemiologist without modelling work will struggle here. If you come from medicine, a clinical degree helps your teaching profile, but HKU asks for the PhD or equivalent, and the panel will judge you on your modelling papers and grants.

Salary, benefits and tax

HKU gives no salary figure. The advert does list these benefits:

The low tax rate is a real draw compared with the UK, Australia or North America. The phrase “as applicable” on housing means it depends on your terms, so get the details in writing.

Visa and work rights

The advert does not mention visas. Hong Kong universities routinely hire academics from overseas, and appointees from outside Hong Kong need an employment visa sponsored by the employer. HKU has not said anything specific about this post, so ask HR once you reach interview stage.

How to apply for the HKU professor of epidemiology job

1. Open the application: click “Apply on website” on the THE Unijobs listing for job 416997. Applications are online only.
2. Prepare your CV: the advert asks for an up-to-date CV that includes your ORCID link, your H-index from Scopus, your total number of international peer-reviewed publications and your number of senior-authored papers. Put these four items on the first page.
3. Write a research statement: set out your modelling programme, funding plans and links to the school’s work.
4. Write a teaching statement: cover what you can teach at undergraduate and postgraduate level and how you supervise research students.
5. Name three referees: give contact email addresses for three referees and state the position you are applying for.
6. Submit early: aim for before 28 December 2026, when review starts.

How to write the research and teaching statements

Research statement

Aim for two to four pages. A structure that works for tenure-track epidemiology posts:

1. Summary: your field in one paragraph, naming your main disease areas and methods (for example, transmission models, Bayesian inference or real-time nowcasting).
2. Track record: three or four key papers and what each changed, plus grants won.
3. Five-year plan: two or three linked projects, each with the data you would use and the funder you would target.
4. Fit with HKU: how your work connects with the school’s infectious disease group and WHO Collaborating Centre, and who you would work with.
5. Students: how PhD students fit into the plan.

Sample opening line, for illustration only: “My research builds transmission models that turn routine surveillance data into estimates health agencies can act on within days, and I want to extend this work to [disease] in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Teaching statement

Keep it to one or two pages. Name the courses you could teach (introductory epidemiology, infectious disease modelling, biostatistics, outbreak investigation), describe how you teach quantitative methods to students without a maths background and give one example of student feedback or a course you designed.

What the selection process looks like

HKU has not published a timetable. The usual pattern for tenure-track hiring in Hong Kong is a longlist review by the division, a shortlist, a seminar or job talk (often online first, then on campus), interviews with a selection committee, and then reference checks and university approval. Expect several months from review start to offer, so a start date in mid or late 2027 is realistic even though the advert says “as soon as possible”.

Common mistakes

• Leaving out the four CV items: HKU asks for ORCID, Scopus H-index, total peer-reviewed publications and senior-authored papers. Missing them looks careless.
• Applying without modelling work: the advert is specific about infectious disease modelling.
• Waiting for the April deadline: review starts in December.
• A generic research statement: show you know the school’s infectious disease work.
• Ignoring teaching: the advert asks for strong commitment to teaching, so do not send a research-only package.
• Not asking about housing: in Hong Kong it can decide whether the package works for you.

Who should apply and who shouldn’t

You should apply if you hold a PhD in epidemiology, biostatistics or public health, have published infectious disease modelling work and have won at least some external funding. Postdocs with independent papers and a first grant can target the Assistant Professor level; established researchers with large grants and international roles can aim higher. African researchers who have modelled malaria, Lassa fever, cholera, HIV or COVID-19 have relevant experience and should apply.

You probably shouldn’t apply if you have no PhD yet, if your work has no modelling component, or if you want a research-only post with no teaching. If you need a postdoc first, look at research fellowships, or at the Gulf option in the table below.

Similar jobs to compare

If you are a clinician-researcher, the ophthalmology post at HKU uses the same tenure-track structure. The PolyU scheme is worth watching if your work fits health technology.

FAQs about the HKU professor of epidemiology job

What is the salary for an HKU tenure-track professor in epidemiology?

HKU describes it only as “highly competitive” and based on qualifications and experience. The advert adds a gratuity and retirement contribution of up to 15% of basic salary, and housing benefits as applicable.

When is the deadline for the HKU epidemiology job?

The advert closes on 28 April 2027, but review starts on 28 December 2026 and the posts may be filled earlier. Apply before late December.

What documents do I need to apply for the HKU epidemiology post?

You need an up-to-date CV (with ORCID link, Scopus H-index, total peer-reviewed publications and senior-authored papers), a research statement, a teaching statement and email contacts for three referees.

Can I get tenure straight away at HKU?

The advert says outstanding candidates may be offered tenure directly. Everyone else starts on a three-year renewable contract, and tenure may be considered before the end of the second contract.

Sources and updates

I checked the role details on 29 October 2026 against the Times Higher Education Unijobs listing for job 416997 (HKU reference 537728). The ranking comes from HKU’s June 2026 announcement of its QS World University Rankings 2027 position. Details of the WHO Collaborating Centre come from the HKU School of Public Health centre page. When I checked, the school’s own vacancy page did not yet list this post and HKU’s jobs portal could not be opened, so the THE listing is the source for the job details. I will update this page if HKU changes the dates.

Jude Chinecherem

I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.