We are looking for a highly motivated PhD Candidate who considers it a challenge to conduct PhD research on “Sport in the City” (cf. project description below) as part of the Erasmus Initiative Vital Cities and Citizens and the Global History Cluster. The future candidate will be expected to participate in the following tasks:

Research duties (80%)

• Conduct PhD research within the framework of the Erasmus Initiative Vital Cities and Citizens, specifically on the project “Sport and Nation” within the Global History Cluster.
• Contribute to the data-collection and data-analysis;
• Publish and present research results in the form of articles in international peer-reviewed journals and papers at international conferences;
• Perform organizational task such as assisting in the organisation of workshops and other knowledge utilisation activities;
• Write and defend a dissertation in order to successfully complete the doctoral degree;
• Participate in project meetings, conferences, seminars, etc. that are organised by the Erasmus Initiative Vital Cities and Citizens and the History department as well as the research schools and scholarly associations of which the History Department is part.  

Teaching duties (20%)

• Prepare for and teach classes within the context of the various degree programmes in the field of Global History as provided by the ESHCC;
• Supervise and coach students;
• Point out possible improvements and integrate them into teaching methods and/or the content of the classes given;
• Contribute to the evaluation of teaching, both in terms of structure and execution;
• Participate in committees or working groups, as well as perform designated organisational tasks.

A research Master’s degree in the Social Sciences or Humanities is required, as well as wide-ranging knowledge of the fields of sociology (sport and fandom), media (representation) and history. The applicant should have a solid background in both quantitative and qualitative research methods, strong didactic skills and an affinity for working with students. As this project will involve intensive collaboration with other researchers, as well as external stakeholders (e.g. educational practitioners, policy makers and representatives of cultural institutions), the candidate will be expected to have strong organizational and social skills. Experience with research in the global South is a pre-requisite. Concretely, the candidate should possess:

• A solid background in both qualitative and quantitative methods of social scientific research as evidenced by the Master’s thesis, publications, research plans, and other projects;
• Strong social skills including a willingness to collaborate and to take the initiative in research and teaching;
• Didactic potential. Prior teaching experience is considered an advantage;
• A willingness to develop knowledge and skills in various disciplines and to increase his/her ability to teach a wide range of subjects within the faculty’s degree programme;
• Organisational experience and skills;
• Proficiency in spoken and written English. Candidates should meet the C1-standard of the Common European Framework (CEF);
• Proficiency in spoken and written Dutch is required; candidates should meet the C1-standard of the Common European Framework (CEF).

Employment starts in September 2017. The initial contract will run for a term of 1.5 years, which - depending on performance – will be extended with a second term of 2.5 years. The conditions of employment correspond with the “CAO Nederlandse Universiteiten” (CAO NU).

For the job of PhD Candidate (Promovendus) the salary starts at € 2.222,- gross per month on a 38 hour per week contract in the first year, which will increase annually up to a maximum of € 2.840,- gross per month on a 38 hour per week contract in the fourth year (Grade P).

The EUR has attractive employment conditions, which include a holiday allowance of 8.0%, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3% and 41 annual vacation days in case of a full work week. 

The expertise of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is concentrated in the fields of Business Administration, Economics, Medicine and Health Sciences, Law, Psychology, Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, Sociology, Public Administration, History, Arts and Culture, Media and Communication, Philosophy, and International Development Studies. In addition to the initial degree programmes and scientific research, the University offers specific postgraduate study programmes and courses. Erasmus University has around 25,000 students and some 2,500 staff members.

Erasmus Initiative Vital Cities and Citizens

The Erasmus University has recently launched three so-called Erasmus Initiatives, through which academic excellence and multidisciplinary collaboration in research is stimulated. One of these is the Vital Cities and Citizens project which aims to (1) advance our understanding of the ways in which social and cultural transformations affect urban life - and (2) by doing so – to help cities thrive as places of inclusion, tolerance and cohesion, and better articulate the aspirations of their diverse citizens. The Erasmus Initiative Vital Cities and Citizens is a collaboration between the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS), the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC), and the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS).

Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC)
The Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication  includes the Departments of Media and Communication, Arts and Culture Studies, and History at Erasmus University. The ESHCC is home to more than 1100 students and 130 faculty and staff members.

The History Department of the ESHCC is a vibrant and internationally-oriented research department. Within this department, the Global History Cluster analyses global flows and networks from a long-term transcontinental historical perspective. Our research seeks to explain the ways in which these networks and flows have influenced the everyday lives of people, and their identities and ideas.