LUCL, Faculty of Humanities, Leiden University, opens a Post doctoral position for a 4 years period within the NWO financed VIDI project ‘Crossroads. European cultural diplomacy and Arab Christians in Palestine. A connected history’. This project looks at the relationship between the European cultural and linguistic agenda and the local identity formation process, and social and religious transformations of Arab Christian communities in Palestine, when the British ruled via the Mandate. It will enquire the role of culture and languages in European policies regarding the Arabs of Palestine and the ways Arab Christians used culture and languages to define their place in the proto-national and religious configuration between 1920 and 1950.

The candidate to this Post doc position will be responsible for the development of the subproject ‘Between the Holy Land and the Mediterranean: the Arab Orthodox community of Palestine (1920-1950)’. This subproject answers the question to how the different Greek religious institutions address the cultural issues at stake with the Arab populations? How did Arab Orthodox elites promote culture to affirm their role in the Orthodox communal life in the Holy Land? What were the consequences on their relations with the Arab Catholic population?

For a description of the project, please check https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/research/research-projects/humanities/crossroads-european-cultural-diplomacy-and-arab-christians-in-palestine-a-connected-history-1920-1950.

Key responsibilities

• Conducting original research, contributing and disseminating of the results through appropriate channels, e.g. publications, conferences, etc.;
• Co-supervision of PhD research;
• Representation of the field to external audiences and in the media.

• A PhD degree in the Study of Humanities, Social Science, Political Science, and Religious Studies/ Theology. Candidates near completion of the degree will be considered. Candidates with a primary background in Social Science or Political Science must be able to demonstrate a solid grounding in the Study of Humanities and Religious Studies;
• A research and publication record commensurate with career stage;
• Demonstrable specialist expertise in the broad field of Easter Orthodox Religion and Politics in the Middle East and a vision for the further development of that field;
• The ability to supervise written work on the Middle East at the BA, MA, and PhD levels;
• The ability to engage with wider issues of scholarship, and to position the study of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in transnational and global configurations;
• Ability to work from interdisciplinary, theoretical, and comparative perspectives;
• Willingness and ability to work in a team;
• An excellent command of English. Knowledge of Greek, and/or Ottoman and/ or Arabic is important as well.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

We offer a fixed-term post from 1 April, 2018 (or as soon as possible hereafter) for one year and with a possible extension of another three years to a total of four years. Salary range, depending on education and work experience, from €2,588 to €4,084 gross per month (pay scale 10), based on a full-time appointment. The appointment will be under the terms of the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities.

Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3 %), training and career development and sabbatical leave. Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break. More at www.workingat.leiden.edu/.

Diversity
Leiden University is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from members of underrepresented groups.

Universiteit Leiden

Leiden is a typical university city, hosting the oldest university in the Netherlands (1575). The University permeates the local surroundings; University premises are scattered throughout the city, and the students who live and study in Leiden give the city its relaxed yet vibrant atmosphere.

Leiden University is one of Europe's foremost research universities. This prominent position gives our graduates a leading edge in applying for academic posts and for functions outside academia.

https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/

Faculty of Humanities

The Faculty of Humanities is rich in expertise in fields such as philosophy, religious studies, history, art history, literature, linguistics and area studies covering nearly every region of the world. With its staff of 995, the faculty provides 27 master’s and 25 bachelor’s programmes for over 7,000 students based at locations in Leiden’s historic city centre and in modern buildings in The Hague. For more information https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/humanities. 

Leiden University has a longstanding tradition in research in the world’s languages and features unique linguistic expertise. LUCL combines current theoretical insights and modern experimental methods in its research profile area “Language Diversity in the World”. For more information, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/humanities/leiden-university-centre-for-linguistics/. 

https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/humanities