Project Description
What is needed to maintain peace or to prevent conflict, either within or between countries? And what are viable ways to deal with conflicts and tensions when they occur? Although researchers and policy-makers have debated these issues over the past decades, ordinary people’s perspectives in this regard have been largely underrepresented in current theorizing on this topic. Nevertheless, people may have different interpretations of what peace and conflict is, what may threaten it or what is needed to accomplish or resolve it. Such perceptions are likely to be shaped by the broader societal context in which they live as well, and the various social expectations and representations that may exist in this regard (e.g., in the media, in political discourse). This project aims to gain more insight into these issues, combining insights and methods from political sciences, communication, anthropology, and (social) psychology. During this project, you will conduct several studies and write a dissertation. We also ask you to spend 10% of your time on teaching.

The successful candidate will be based at the Tilburg Center for Cognition and Communication (TiCC). Researchers in TiCC explore social and cognitive aspects of human interaction through a multidisciplinary approach, combining careful experimentation with survey methods, interviews, corpus analyses and computational modelling. Core research domains include (in alphabetical order) communication and technology, cross-cultural communication, information visualization, language production, new media design, social media research, and non-verbal communication.

Profile of candidate
We are looking for an enthusiastic candidate with a background in a relevant discipline, including (in alphabetical order): Anthropology, Language and Communication, Political Sciences, Psychology, Sociology, or a related area. You should have a strong interest in doing research, critical analytical skills, excellent writing skills, and a good command of English and preferably Dutch as well. Knowledge of and experience with both (advanced) quantitative and qualitative research and data analytic techniques is a plus, as well as a willingness to further develop these skills. You should be able to work and think independently, but be able to collaborate with others as well. We also expect you to have a professional attitude with a strong commitment to integrity and research ethics.

What we offer
Tilburg University is rated among the top of Dutch employers and has excellent terms of employment, such as a holiday allowance of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3% (annually), an options model and reimbursement of moving expenses. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may qualify for a tax-free allowance equal to 30% of their taxable salary. The university will apply for such an allowance on their behalf. The Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences will provide assistance in finding suitable accommodation. The collective labor agreement of the Dutch Universities applies. 

The PhD candidate will be ranked in the Dutch university job ranking system (UFO) as a PhD-student (“promovendus”) with a starting salary of €2.434,- gross per month in the first year, up to €3.111,- in the fourth year (amounts fulltime). The selected candidate will start with a contract for one year, concluded by an evaluation. Upon a positive outcome of the first-year evaluation, the candidate will be offered an employment contract for the remaining three years. It is also possible to work 80% instead of fulltime. The selected candidate is expected to have written a PhD thesis by the end of the contract (which may be based on articles).

Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences

Research and education at the Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences (TSHD) has a unique focus on humans in the context of the globalizing digital society, on the development of artificial intelligence and interactive technologies, on their impact on communication, culture and society, and on moral and existential challenges that arise. The School of Humanities and Digital Sciences consists of four departments: Communication and Cognition, Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Culture Studies and Philosophy; several research institutes and a faculty office. Also the University College Tilburg is part of the School. Each year around 275 students commence a Bachelor or (Pre) Master Program. The School has approximately 2000 students and 250 employees.

Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences