Tezpur University Department of Design Recruitment 2026 (Advt. No. 27/2026) – One Assistant Professor (Contractual) and One Guest Faculty

The Department of Design at Tezpur University, a Central University established by an Act of Parliament and located at Napaam, Tezpur in the state of Assam, has released Advertisement No. 27 of 2026 inviting applications for two academic positions on a need-based and short-term basis. The first position is that of an Assistant Professor on Contractual basis for a period of eleven (11) months, and the second position is that of a Guest Faculty for the Autumn Semester 2026, or until the regular vacancies in the Department are filled up, whichever is earlier. Both the positions have been advertised together in the same notice and the engagement of both is purely temporary in nature. The Department of Design at Tezpur University is one of the few design departments in the Central University system of the North-Eastern region of India, and offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes spanning Industrial Design, Visual Communication, Interaction Design, Product Design, New Media Studies, Ergonomics, and Indian Craft Studies. The current recruitment is aimed at strengthening the teaching capacity of the Department so that the Autumn Semester 2026 can be run smoothly and the research and design studio work of the students is not affected on account of faculty shortage. The last date for receipt of the filled-in applications, in the format given in Annexure I and Annexure II of the advertisement, is 10 September 2026 (10.09.2026), and the applications are to be submitted strictly by e-mail.

Important Dates, Nature of Engagement and Application Window

The University has fixed the last date of submission of the application by e-mail as 10.09.2026, and applications received after the due date and time will not be entertained under any circumstances. The Assistant Professor on Contractual basis is being engaged for a fixed period of eleven (11) months from the date of joining, while the Guest Faculty is being engaged for the duration of the Autumn Semester 2026 or till the regular vacancies are filled up by the University through its regular recruitment process, whichever is earlier. It has been specifically provided that the engagement of both the Guest Faculty and the Contractual Assistant Professor is subject to satisfactory performance, and the University reserves the right to grant further extension based on performance, requirements and the availability of vacant positions. Neither of the two positions carries any right of regularisation or absorption against any permanent vacancy, and the engagement is purely contractual and co-terminus with the specified period. Interested candidates are required to apply in the format given in Annexure I and Annexure II, along with copies of all relevant certificates, mark sheets, experience certificates and testimonials, by e-mail to hod_design@tezu.ernet.in with the subject line "Application for Assistant Professor (Contractual) against Advt. No. 27/2026". Eligible candidates will be required to appear before the Selection Committee physically for the interview at Tezpur University, and the date, time and venue of the interview will be notified in due course of time through the University website and by e-mail to the short-listed candidates.

Number of Posts, Emoluments and Perks

There are two posts in total under this advertisement, namely one (01) Assistant Professor on Contractual basis and one (01) Guest Faculty in the Department of Design. The Assistant Professor on Contractual basis will be paid a fixed monthly emolument of Rs. 80,000 (Rupees Eighty Thousand only) on a consolidated basis, and no other allowances such as Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, Medical Allowance, Transport Allowance, Leave Travel Concession, Provident Fund, Gratuity, National Pension System contributions, or any other perk of regular service will be admissible over and above the consolidated emolument. The Guest Faculty will be paid an honorarium of Rs. 1,500 (Rupees One Thousand Five Hundred only) per lecture, subject to a maximum of Rs. 50,000 (Rupees Fifty Thousand only) per month, and no other allowances will be admissible to the Guest Faculty either. The number of lectures to be delivered by the Guest Faculty in a month will be decided by the Head of the Department in consultation with the Dean of the School of Engineering, and the upper ceiling of Rs. 50,000 per month will be strictly enforced. The University reserves the right to revise the honorarium and the consolidated emolument at any time during the period of engagement in accordance with the policy of the Government of India, the University Grants Commission and the Ministry of Education, and the decision of the University in this regard shall be final and binding.

Essential Educational Qualifications for Assistant Professor (Contractual) and Guest Faculty

Since the Department of Design runs programmes that demand a strong blend of design thinking, technological grounding, aesthetic sensibility and applied research, the University has prescribed a multi-layered eligibility criterion. The first essential requirement is a Ph.D. degree in Design, Interaction Design, Product Design, or Visual Communication Design, awarded by an Indian university or a foreign university of repute, in accordance with the UGC Regulations. The second essential requirement is a Bachelor's Degree or a minimum 4-year Diploma in any one of the streams of Design, Fine Arts, Applied Arts and Architecture, OR a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering with First Class or equivalent grade, from a recognised university or institution. The third essential requirement is a Design Master's degree or an equivalent Post Graduate Diploma in relevant disciplines with First Class or equivalent, in a concerned, relevant, or allied subject of Industrial Design, Visual Communication, Fine Arts, Applied Arts, Architecture, Interaction Design, New Media Studies, Design Management, Ergonomics, Human Factors Engineering, Indian Craft Studies, and related fields of Engineering or Design. All the three requirements have to be satisfied cumulatively, and a candidate who lacks any one of them will not be considered eligible. The same eligibility criterion applies to both the Assistant Professor (Contractual) post and the Guest Faculty post, and the Screening Committee may, at its discretion, apply additional short-listing criteria on the basis of the academic score specified in Appendix II (Table 3A) of the UGC Regulations, 2018, for Universities.

Desirable Experience and Areas of Specialisation

While not strictly mandatory, candidates with a minimum of two (2) years of professional design experience in industry, a research organisation, or a design studio of repute, and candidates with prior teaching or research experience in a University or an Institute of National Importance, will be given weightage at the time of short-listing. The Department is particularly looking for candidates who can teach design studios, design history and theory, ergonomics and human factors, interaction design, new media studies, Indian craft studies, and design research methods, and who can supervise design projects and dissertations at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Candidates with a portfolio of design practice that includes industry or community projects, granted design patents or registered designs, design publications in indexed journals, design exhibitions of repute, and demonstrated ability to attract research funding from national and international agencies will be strongly preferred. Candidates who have an interdisciplinary profile combining design with engineering, computer science, social science, management, fine arts, or applied arts are also encouraged to apply, as the Department's curriculum is inherently trans-disciplinary in nature.

Selection Process, Short-listing and Interview

The selection process will comprise two stages. The first stage is the short-listing of candidates on the basis of essential qualifications, desirable experience, academic score computed in accordance with Appendix II (Table 3A) of the UGC Regulations, 2018, and any other criteria that the Screening Committee may deem fit. The second stage is a personal interview before a Selection Committee constituted by the competent authority of Tezpur University. The University has clarified that the academic score as specified in the UGC Regulations, 2018, will be considered for short-listing of the candidates for interview only, and the selections shall be based only on the performance in the interview. In case a very large number of candidates apply for the post, the Screening Committee reserves the right to restrict the number of candidates to be called for interview to a reasonable number, and the decision of the Screening Committee in this regard shall be final and binding. No TA/DA will be paid for attending the interview, although outstation candidates may be reimbursed second-class railway fare by the shortest route on production of tickets, as per the rules of the University. The candidates called for interview are required to produce all original certificates, mark sheets, experience certificates, publications and other testimonials in person for verification, failing which they will not be allowed to appear for the interview.

About the Department of Design at Tezpur University

The Department of Design at Tezpur University is one of the youngest and most vibrant departments of the University, and offers a Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) programme, a Master of Design (M.Des.) programme with specialisations in Industrial Design and Visual Communication, and a Ph.D. programme in Design. The Department has been working actively in the areas of traditional crafts documentation, design for social innovation, design for ageing and accessibility, sustainable product design, interaction design for Indic languages, design pedagogy, and the use of digital fabrication tools in design education. The Department's faculty members have completed sponsored research projects funded by the Department of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Indian Council of Social Science Research, the Indian Council of Historical Research, the Design Innovation Council of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and several State governments of the North-Eastern region. The Department also runs community outreach programmes in partnership with local artisan clusters of Assam, and has signed Memoranda of Understanding with leading design schools in India and abroad for student and faculty exchange. Joining the Department as a Contractual Assistant Professor or as a Guest Faculty offers an excellent opportunity for early-career and mid-career design professionals to gain teaching experience in a Central University setting, to interact with a diverse student body drawn from across the country, and to contribute to the design ecosystem of the North-Eastern region of India.

Key Snapshot: Posts – 1 Assistant Professor (Contractual, 11 months) + 1 Guest Faculty (Autumn Semester 2026); Organisation – Tezpur University (Central University); Department – Design; Emoluments – Asst Prof Rs. 80,000/month consolidated; Guest Faculty Rs. 1,500/lecture, max Rs. 50,000/month; Tenure – 11 months (Asst Prof) / Autumn Semester 2026 or till filling of regular vacancies (Guest Faculty); Last Date – 10 September 2026; Apply by e-mail to – hod_design@tezu.ernet.in; Application Format – Annexure I and Annexure II of the advertisement; Notification – Advt. No. 27/2026.