On the academic rank of lecturer. In the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, and other countries, lecturer is a tenured faculty position roughly equivalent to a Professor of the Practice in the North American system. Do not use this tag for questions about lecturing as a teaching method.
In many universities in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and Switzerland, the academic job rank of "lecturer" is roughly equivalent to the North American "Professor of the Practice" though these may not be tenurable positions.
In the United States, Canada, and other countries influenced by their educational systems, a "lecturer" is generally an academic without tenure who teaches full or part-time and has minimal or no research responsibilities. An "assistant professor" has duties beyond teaching - especially serious research - and is a candidate for tenure who has not yet attained it.
