The Department of History, European Studies and Religious Studies in the Faculty of Humanities is looking for an Assistant professor (UD) with a research focus on 'Climate Change and Conflict'. 

While Europe is still a major contributor to global warming, the European Union presents itself as an engine in the international fight against global climate change. The candidate for this assistant professorship does research on the geo-political, governmental, social and/or economic problems and conflicts that come with climate change and anti-climate change policies, within Europe and/or in relation to Europe's international environments. This position is meant to contribute to a new interdisciplinary and transregional research line within ARTES, in cooperation with colleagues working on Latin America, the Middle East, Europe and Eurasia. ARTES focuses on how global encounters have shaped and continue to shape trans-regional relations, including those between Europe and other world regions, from formal and long-standing colonial and post-colonial encounters, to myriad networks of material and intellectual exchange.

The ideal candidate should hold a PhD in either the humanities or the social sciences, with a research focus on climate policies and/or climate change-related conflicts in contemporary Europe and/or in relation to Europe's international environments. The candidate should be an active and ambitious researcher with a strong publication record. Demonstrated ability to apply for and obtain research funding will be considered a plus.

The candidate’s research should be directly connected with the existing research foci of both ARTES and ACES.

Next to team spirit, the candidate has an excellent PhD in a relevant discipline, international publications, an international academic network, and a research proposal that speaks directly to the profile of the position. Research that entails collaboration with non-academic institutions and agencies in the Netherlands, Europe, and beyond is highly welcome. The candidate has solid university teaching experience and will develop and offer modules on climate change and conflict in one or several tracks of the European Studies BA and MA programmes. Important is also proven flexibility in teaching on topics beyond the candidate's own research focus: the holder of this position will be expected to also teach some of the existing modules of European studies, preferably in the tracks of European law, economics, and/or governance.

Tasks:

• Conducting independent research in the broad area of European Studies: climate change and conflict, resulting in academic publications in peer-reviewed international journals or edited volumes;
• actively pursuing external funding for research, notably funding from research councils, national as well as European;
• actively contributing to and developing national and international research networks and other forms of cooperation;
• actively contributing to the research activities of the Amsterdam School for Regional, Transnational and European Studies (ARTES) and the Amsterdam Centre for European Studies (ACES);
• developing, coordinating and delivering teaching in English (and possibly Dutch), in the BA and MA programmes European Studies and/or other programmes;
• supervising BA and MA theses and tutoring students;
• actively contributing to the development and improvement of the broader teaching programmes in the Department;
• taking part in committees and working groups, and carrying out departmental administrative tasks as directed.

• PhD in a relevant discipline;
• an international research network in the research area concerned;
• research output commensurate with the level of the position;
• demonstrable ability and ambition to obtain external research grants;
• wide experience of different forms and levels of delivering university teaching, at BA and MA level;
• broad teaching skills, relevant to multiple departments in the Faculty of Humanities;
• excellent organizational experience and skills;
• the Dutch University Teaching Qualification (UTQ/BKO), or willingness to acquire this within the first two years;
• experience of digital and audiovisual teaching facilities; affinity with ICT in university teaching;
• a good team worker and versatile at all levels, capable of multidisciplinary co-operation;
• excellent organizational experience and skills;
• teaching and admin duties require native or near-native fluency in Dutch and English; appointments are subject to the candidate’s proficiency in both, or their undertaking to acquire possible thorough knowledge of Dutch and English as speedily as possible; non-native Dutch speakers must achieve an active and passive command of Dutch within two years. Passing the state examination for Dutch as a Second Language (NT2), programme II, is a prerequisite for a permanent employment contract.

The contract is initially temporary for a period of two years. Subject to a positive assessment, it will be converted to a permanent contract. The start of the contract is scheduled for 1 August 2020.
The scope of the employment contract is 38 hours per week (1.0 FTE). The UFO profile of assistant professor applies to this position (salary scale 11/12, depending on relevant work experience). The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities applies.

University of Amsterdam

With over 5,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

Faculty of Humanities – Department of History, European Studies and Religious Studies

The Faculty of Humanities provides education and conducts research with a strong international profile in a large number of disciplines in the field of language and culture. Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the Faculty maintains close ties with many cultural institutes in the capital city. Research and teaching staff focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and are active in several teaching programmes.

The Faculty of Humanities offers assistant professors the opportunity to collaborate with leading researchers at research institutes that - partly as a result of their interdisciplinary approach - are world-renowned. Moreover, you will be teaching in a dynamic context in which new teaching methods are being developed.

 The candidate’s research will be part of the Amsterdam School for Regional, Transnational and European Studies (ARTES). ARTES is one of the five research schools within the Amsterdam Institute for Humanities Research. The candidate is expected to build upon and expand existing research strengths within ARTES and UvA's cross-Faculty Research Priority Area, the Amsterdam Centre for European Studies (ACES).

Within the broader University research context, the governance of climate change is a key concern of two of the theme groups of the inter-Faculty Research Priority Area the Amsterdam Centre for European Studies (ACES) , where both the ‘Governing Europe’ and ‘Europe in the World’ themes bring together researchers working on questions of climate change and conflict.

European Studies at UvA is a large and highly successful programme group that connects research and teaching in Law, Economics, Culture, History and Politics, and focuses both on the EU and on a wider Europe, broader in both time and space.

In teaching, the BA programme (taught in separate Dutch and English tracks) consists of interdisciplinary core modules, alongside disciplinary specialisms (Majors) in European Law, Economics, History, Culture and East European Studies.

The MA programme has three separate streams, in the form of the Identity & Integration, European Policy and East European Studies tracks. The successful candidate’s teaching portfolio should complement and add to the existing courses, while also responding to growing student interest in Europe’s international role in questions of climate policies and conflicts. More information about UvA's European Studies teaching and research programmes can be found here.