Department: School of Design & Architecture

Brief information about the School of Design & Architecture at ADA University

The School of Design and Architecture (SDA) is outlined in collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano in the framework of the Italy-Azerbaijan University initiative. It will offer bachelor's, master's and non-degree certificate programs in Design, Architecture and Urban Planning. ADA University is intertwined with the country’s plans, where economic and cultural growth lead the way. The urban areas are growing, and the country landscape and profile are evolving. 

The School of Design and Architecture will share the polytechnic approach to Design, Architecture, and Urban Planning. Graduates will gain foundational disciplinary knowledge and practical experience, thanks to fundamental courses and the learning-by-doing educational approach that pursues up-to-date development lines in project-based design studios. The School of Design and Architecture offers an international level of study suitable for entering the job market as a junior architect or designer. 

More information about SDA can be found at www.ada.edu.az/en/schools/sda

Why apply for this position

The School of Design and Architecture is the place for constant education and innovation, where students will develop the knowledge and skills to contribute to the country’s goal. Indeed, the School of Design and Architecture will raise a new generation of Designers, Architects, and Urban Planners who will participate in the country’s progress, sharing and making the vision for it.  

For this purpose, the School of Design and Architecture will collaborate with public institutions to promote coordinated efforts toward progress, indicating priorities, developing projects, and anticipating future scenarios. Furthermore, the School of Design and Architecture will collaborate with local communities to promote the country’s development beyond Baku and with global partners to reach a multicultural environment and international status. 

Due to this ambitious program, joining SDA will be an opportunity for academic growth and engagement within a new international community of designers and architects.
Brief description of responsibilities:  

Principal responsibilities include teaching undergraduate courses in Communication Design and/or Interior Design. Candidates must have a potential or demonstrated commitment to teaching excellence, scholarly research and publication in peer-reviewed journals, and academic engagement.    

Qualifications:

• Candidates for Assistant Professor must have a Ph.D. in Design or Architecture from an accredited institution or anticipate completion by August 1, 2026, or sooner.
• Candidates for Associate Professor must have a Ph.D. and evidence of quality scholarship.

How to apply:

Please, send to the e-mail address in the Apply for job button the following documents in the PDF format by August 1, 2025, 10 PM Baku time (GMT+4). 

• Cover letter (max 1 page)
• Curriculum vitae
• Portfolio of personal work
• Portfolio of selected students’ works (if available)
• Summary of teaching evaluations (if available)
• A list of publications and a PDF of a maximum of three of them

Women and members of minority groups are strongly urged to apply.

Teaching Position Details in Visual Cultures, Representation and Technical Drawing

Description of the Disciplinary Area:

This disciplinary area focuses on developing students’ understanding of visual culture and their technical and practical skills in representation and communication. It combines theoretical approaches—drawing from art history, media studies, sociology, and cultural studies—with hands-on learning in visual languages, tools, and techniques. Students explore how visual elements such as images, symbols, and spatial compositions convey meaning and reflect cultural values. They learn to use both manual and digital methods to represent form, space, and information across different scales and media, including drawing, photography, digital modelling, rendering, and post-production. Whether applied to the layout and composition of graphic content or the morphological and material representation of interior spaces, this area equips students with the ability to communicate ideas clearly and effectively through appropriate visual and technical means.

Programme: Bachelor of Communication Design

Courses: Basic Design Studio for Communication Design / Drawing Studio for Communication Design / Design Tools for Communication Design

Description of the courses

1. Basic Design Studio for Communication Design

Year: 1st

Semester: 1st

Start dates: February 2026 (teaching starts September 2026)

The studio course* is aimed at an in-depth study of syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic components of visual communication. The educational objectives include the exploration of the vast repertoire of visual configurations, the in-depth study of the methodological aspects for the management of the graphic project in all its phases, the sharing of basic knowledge from an operative point of view, the initiation of a research pathway that promotes the ability to find new points of view. The studio course explores the system of visual configurations, starting from the differentiation of the different types of signs (symbols, indexes, icons); students have to analyze their structure, constituent elements, and meaning.

*Studio courses are structured in two distinct, competency-specific modules. Applicants may apply for only one module within the course, based on their relevant competencies.

1. Design Project Module

Basic knowledge required to teach the course:

• Strong understanding of visual language systems in communication design, with specific reference to syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic dimensions of signs and visual structures.
• Knowledge of methods for managing all phases of a visual communication project, from concept research and development to final execution.
• Proven experience in designing and completing communication projects, with attention to clarity, coherence, and design intention.
• Familiarity with the expressive and structural aspects of typography, symbol systems, and visual rhetoric in applied design contexts.
• Expertise in guiding students through collaborative project activities, supporting creative autonomy and managing group dynamics and conflict resolution.
• Experience in assessing student outcomes through critical review, presentation, and public display.

1. Visual Perception Module

Basic knowledge required to teach the course:

• Strong knowledge of visual perception principles, including Gestalt theory and experimental phenomenology, and their relevance in spatial and graphic composition.
• Understanding of perceptual mechanisms and chromatic systems in the design of visual hierarchies and spatial relationships.
• Familiarity with the application of perceptual models (e.g., figure-ground, proximity, continuity) in design analysis and visual organization.
• Ability to lead perceptual interpretation exercises, supporting the translation of perceptual insights into creative visual experiments.
• Expertise in using digital tools to support perceptual representation and experimentation, particularly in the context of communication design.
• Experience in evaluating student projects that connect perceptual theory to practical design outcomes.

1. Drawing Studio for Communication Design

Year: 1st

Semester: 1st 

Start dates: February 2026 (teaching starts September 2026)

The studio course* provides the fundamental knowledge of the main tools, basic skills, and methods of design representation. The primary objective is to introduce the students to hand drawing as a visual language for communication design and a tool within design and design culture. Additionally, the studio emphasizes the crucial role of drawing as a means of effectively communicating the design process, a natural medium to represent the reasoning and conceptual phase of the project.

The studio course delves into various aspects of representation, enabling students to gain proficiency in drawing freehand, representing concepts through standardized technical drawings, and exploring the use of drawing to design multimedia communicative artifacts. The course also addresses the relationship between form and content of drawing, integration, and composition with other visual contributions. Thanks to the scientific approach adopted, students will manage various representation tools and methods, each serving specific purposes in the design process.

*Studio courses are structured in two distinct, competency-specific modules. Applicants may apply for only one module within the course, based on their relevant competencies.

1. Sketching + 2D Visualization Software Module

Basic knowledge required to teach the course:

• Strong understanding of manual and digital representation techniques used in communication design, including their conventions, purposes, and interpretive potential.
• Proven experience in freehand drawing, perspective construction, orthographic and axonometric projections for concept development and spatial description.
• Proficiency in 2D visualization tools and software (e.g., Adobe Illustrator), including vector drawing, layout, and compositional strategies.
• Familiarity with the relationship between visual form and design content, including methods for effective visual articulation of design concepts.
• Ability to support students in developing drawing skills through integrated manual and digital exercises, with attention to process and final output.
• Experience in critically reviewing and evaluating student drawing projects, with respect to clarity, technical precision, and communicative effectiveness.

2.2 Basics of Animation

Basic knowledge required to teach the course:

• Knowledge of foundational principles of animation, including motion, sequence, and visual timing, as applied to communication design.
• Proficiency in basic animation software (e.g., Adobe After Effects) and its use in narrative and interactive visual communication.
• Understanding of dynamic representation techniques to support storytelling, transitions, and user engagement.
• Ability to guide students in translating design concepts into time-based sequences, from storyboarding to final animated output.
• Familiarity with motion graphics and their expressive functions in multimedia design environments.
• Experience in managing project-based assignments focused on visual experimentation, sequential logic, and dynamic visual storytelling.

1. Design Tools for Communication Design

Year: 1st

Semester: 2nd 

Start dates: October 2026 (teaching starts January 2027)

The course’s primary teaching aim is to provide students with the knowledge of structural elements of the design project focusing on digital and non-digital printing techniques. The course also introduces students to the various tools and expressive languages of representation to communicate their design ideas and concepts and to effectively shape the communication project. Students are also encouraged to practice their knowledge and experiment with applying the methods learned through several individual and in-class exercises, including image processing, presentation methods, and principles of graphic layout.

Basic knowledge required to teach the course:

• Strong understanding of the visual and structural elements of communication design, including layout, grid systems, and typographic organization.
• Knowledge of traditional and digital printing techniques, their technical characteristics, material implications, and communicative impact.
• Proficiency in image processing tools and visual software relevant to the preparation and production of communication artifacts for print and digital contexts.
• Familiarity with visual representation strategies that support clarity, hierarchy, and the expressive articulation of design concepts.
• Ability to guide students through exercises aimed at the development of printed and digital visual artifacts, such as posters, manifestos, or booklets.
• Experience in assessing student work based on its visual coherence, structural consistency, and technical execution across different production techniques.

Programme: Bachelor of Interior Design

Courses: Digital Drawing Studio for Interior Design

Description of the course

1. Digital Drawing Studio for Interior Design

Year: 2nd

Semester: 1st 

Start dates: February 2026 (teaching starts September 2026)

The studio course* focuses on the approach to the practice of technologies supporting the BIM (Building Information Modelling) methodology for Interior Design, Interior Architecture, and Furniture, on learning the cognitive and methodical fundamentals for the design with advanced modelling tools, based on 'integrated information systems'. The course introduces the 3D modelling environment from a basic level and aims to provide the necessary knowledge for the correct, complete and productive use of modelling software, which will be used as a practice tool. The methods useful for the realisation of synthesis images for the quantitative and qualitative verification of the Interior Design project are also explored, with the integration of these procedures within the BIM methodology.

*Studio courses are structured in two distinct, competency-specific modules. Applicants may apply for only one module within the course, based on their relevant competencies.

1.1 3D Modelling Module

Basic knowledge required to teach the course:

• Strong understanding of digital modelling techniques applied to interior design, with particular attention to morphological representation and spatial structuring.
• Proficiency in 3D modelling environments that support BIM methodology (e.g., Revit, Archicad), including basic parametric modelling, view and section construction, and component management.
• Knowledge of modelling practices for spatial, functional, and material representation across various scales of the interior design process.
• Familiarity with the integration of digital tools and workflows for interior architecture, including model preparation for further analysis and visualization.
• Ability to guide students through structured modelling exercises, from initial volume definition to detailed configurations of interior elements.
• Experience in managing the digital modelling process within a design workflow, including interoperability between software and data consistency.

1.2 Rendering Module

Basic knowledge required to teach the course:

• Knowledge of rendering techniques for interior design, including light simulation, material mapping, and synthesis image production for visual verification and communication.
• Proficiency in rendering tools and plugins within BIM or 3D modelling environments, including the simulation of materials, finishes, and lighting conditions.
• Familiarity with techniques for daylight and artificial lighting prediction in interior spaces, including photometric and chromatic management.
• Ability to guide students in the development of renderings that combine technical accuracy with expressive clarity, supporting design decision-making.
• Understanding of how to integrate rendering workflows with the broader BIM methodology, ensuring alignment between visual outputs and data-driven design processes.
• Experience in evaluating rendered outputs in terms of material realism, lighting coherence, and communicative effectiveness within design presentations.