A PhD candidate in history or economics focussing on Southeast Asian economic development in the long 20th century. You will have the liberty to develop your own research project on one of the following topics:

• Intra-Asian trade and trade networks
• Labour markets, education and human capital formation
• Government borrowing and foreign direct investment

You will be part of a larger research team working on the NWO-funded VICI-project 'South-South Divergence. Comparative Histories of Regional Integration in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa since 1850', and will be supervised by prof. Ewout Frankema and other scholars of the Rural and Environmental History Group. You will follow the PhD-education programmes of the Wageningen School of Social Sciences (WASS) and the N.W. Posthumus Institute. Also co-lecture one or two courses in economic, global and/or environmental history to social science students will be a part of this position.

You are an ambitious, enthusiastic scholar and a team player, devoted to research and education in an international and interdisciplinary academic environment.
You also have:

• a completed MA in Asian history, Economic history or a related history field; Economists with an MSc in Development Economics and a proven interest in questions of long-term development in Southeast Asia are also invited to apply;
• demonstrable research skills; Experience with archival research and statistical analysis is a major advantage;
• excellent command of English in oral and written form; proficiency in other languages would be considered an advantage, depending on the chosen research focus;
• good organizational skills and the proven capacity to work with deadlines;
• enthusiasm for teaching and working with (international) students;
• strong motivation to develop your own research project;
• ability to work both independently and in small teams.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.
The gross salary for the first year is € 2.434,- per month rising to € 3.111,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

Wageningen University & Research

The mission of Wageningen University and Research is "To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life". Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With its roughly 30 branches, 6.800 employees and 12.900 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen's unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!