We invite applications for a Project assistant at the University of Humanistic Studies in Utrecht, the Netherlands, in the context of a VICI project, funded by the Dutch Research Council NWO, and led by dr. Nicole L. Immler on The Dialogics of Justice, an interdisciplinary research into Transitional Justice, recognition and the art of dialogue.

The University of Humanistic Studies is characterized by an institutionalized interdisciplinarity, combining humanities and social science research. Grounded in a humanist tradition, we study ways for optimising the possibilities for people to live a dignified and meaningful life and for promoting a just and caring society.

Project description
Over the last decade, we have witnessed a rising demand for recognition by victims of colonial violence, failed peace missions, sexual abuse and ecocide worldwide. Those recognition claims for suffering are increasingly put in legal terms and then resolved with financial compensation. However, do those procedures provide the recognition and the repair these claimants hope for? There is increasingly concern that such recognition procedures may rather stabilize and naturalize power hierarchies instead of helping to transform them. Via empirical research this project aims to answer the urgent need for more knowledge on making recognition procedures more effective. Therefore the project explores legal recognition claims as broader dialogue processes between multiple parties on micro, meso and macro level to reveal how recognition works as a social, interactive process. Aim is to clarify the social implications of recognition procedures for individuals, communities, and institutions and to understand under what conditions recognition procedures can be transformative.

Project Set-up: This project explores on-going civil court cases in the Netherlands, contrasting distinct claimant groups seeking recognition of injustices within different institutional settings; all cases having a transnational character:

1. Army: failed peace-mission in Bosnia (Ph.D.);
2. Catholic Church: (sexual) abuse (Ph.D.);
3. Multinational: human rights violations and ecocide in Nigeria (Ph.D.);
4. Socio-legal analysis of all cases - including colonial wrongs (Post-Doc).

Each Ph.D. candidate will work on one case study. The Post-Doc will work on all cases studied within the project, pursuing a socio-legal analysis that will help to rethink future reparatory practices.

Position in the UvH organisation
The research project will be carried out within the chair ‘Citizenship and Humanisation of the Public Sector’ headed by prof. Evelien Tonkens, which hosts Nicole Immler’s VICI-project.

The candidate for a project assistant is supporting the project leader Nicole Immler in the management and coordination of her VICI project The Dialogics of Justice. This position can also be fullfilled by subsequent Master students.

• a Bachelor or Master;
• communicative, precise, proactive, ability to multitask, stress resistant, digitally skilled and passionate in facilitating a team building process;
• has organisational and interpersonal skills;
• is fluent in Dutch and English, orally and in writing;
• an intrinsic interest in the research topic (favourably).

Tasks:

• organise regular team meetings (agenda setting, taking minutes, up-date deliverables), workshops, mid-term and final conference;
• support desktop-research;
• build database, knowledge in ATLAS.ti is a pre;
• archive and digitalize the project data;
• organise summer school and outreach activities;
• creating an interactive project website; a platform for interaction with stakeholders, targets groups and scholarly community.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

We offer a temporary contract for the duration of 1 year with prolongation after evaluation for 3 years by proven ability. The position is classified as Project leader level 3 under the Dutch University Job Classification System UFO (salary scale 8, Collective Labour Agreement (CAO) for Dutch Universities, starting with € 2.579,= brute per month fulltime).

Univeristy of Humanistic Studies (UvH)

Univeristy of Humanistic Studies (UvH)