associate professor
A mid-level academic rank in Japanese universities, above lecturer (講師) and below full professor (教授).
He was promoted to associate professor this year.
Associate Professor Tanaka will be in charge of the lecture.
准教授 is the current official title that replaced 助教授 in 2007, while 助教授 is now used mainly in historical or informal contexts.
教授 is the top academic rank at a Japanese university, while 准教授 is the associate-professor rank just below it, so the two titles are easily mixed up.
Standard kanji form for 'associate professor' in modern Japanese universities.
Alternate kanji form using 準; less common than 准教授 but still encountered.
Compound of 准 (quasi-, associate) and 教授 (professor). The kanji 准 is used specifically for the academic rank, while 準 is a variant with similar meaning.