In the Department of Arts and Cultural Studies there is a vacancy for a Full Professorship in Heritage and Memory. 

What are you going to do?

Context of the chair

The Department of Art and Culture Studies in the Faculty of Humanities is looking for a professor in ‘Heritage and Memory’, to build upon and extend existing research strengths on this topic within the Amsterdam School for Heritage, Memory and Material Culture (AHM).

Art and Culture Studies at UvA is a large academic department that connects research and teaching in Art History, Heritage and Memory Studies, Museum Studies, Cultural Studies, Theater and Music Studies. The professor will be located in the Chair Group Cultural Studies.

Teaching

• The professor will teach in the current BA Cultuurwetenschappen (Cultural Studies) and its foreseen successor Global Culture Studies, particularly in the broad field of culture, heritage and memory. The professor will teach at Master’s level in the dual Master’s programme Heritage and Memory Studies and related degree programmes, such as Museum Studies. The professor will be expected to teach in Dutch and English – the current languages of instruction in the BA and MA curricula –  and to be able to supervise theses in both languages.

Research

• The professor will lead the Cultural Studies capacity group. The chair holder will occupy a key position within the broad domain of UvA research, in particular at the Amsterdam School for Heritage, Memory and Material Culture (AHM) and also within the different degree programmes in the fields of heritage, art, culture, history, material culture, media and digitalisation. AHM is one of the five research schools in the Amsterdam Institute for Humanities Research. AHM, as a thematic research school, is the research base for a broad range of disciplines from Heritage and Memory Studies, to Archaeology and Conservation and Restoration to Museum Studies and Art History. The professor will be expected to excel in (inter)nationally-recognised research and to demonstrate this by means of prominent publications in the fields of heritage and memory. The professor will play a connecting role between researchers who primarily focus on giving meaning to contemporary processes relating to material and immaterial heritage on the one hand and those who focus on the more historically-oriented field of social and cultural memories on the other hand. 
• He/she will be expected to work in an interdisciplinary, unifying and active manner within the AHM research school, to develop innovative research with social impact, to raise funds and to lead large research projects. The professor will be expected to recruit new PhD candidates and to act as committee member for the defence of theses within AHM and outside.
• The professor will be the figurehead of the University of Amsterdam within the field of heritage, memory and material culture, which is undergoing rapid growth internationally, and will need to be able to make the most of the momentum to clearly position the degree programme nationally and internationally, and to play a role in public debate.

Leadership and administrative tasks

• The professor should have proven ability in leading interdisciplinary teaching and research teams, and proven experience in administrative functions. We are looking for a candidate who is able to both support and motivate colleagues, creating a nurturing environment that allows other researchers to thrive. S/he should support the group’s HRM (career development, professionalization, coordination) and offer mentorship.
• The professor should not only have the proven administrative and managerial capacity to guide her/his group but should also be willing and able to take on administrative responsibilities at Departmental and/or Faculty level (including leadership of the capacity group, wider department or the directorship of AHM).

What do we require of you?

The professor is an expert in the field of culture, heritage and memory. She/he will be expected to be able to develop a conceptual and theoretical vision on the interdisciplinary study of cultures of memory, interpreted as the ways in which the past is remembered by means of varying media and cultural practices, and significance is given, resulting in collective and identity-shaping stories. This requires a thorough and demonstrable knowledge of historical and theoretical development of the broad fields of memory studies, (critical) heritage studies, and cultural studies. Expertise in dealing with and giving meaning to heritage and the past, expertise in the material aspects of the field of research is expected. Finally, the professor is able to factor the digital turn into the development of research and teaching in the field of heritage & memory.

Candidates for the position are further expected to meet the following requirements:

• S/he holds a PhD in the field of heritage and memory studies or a related field;
• has an excellent international academic reputation and publication record;
• is an experienced and enthusiastic teacher at all levels of academic training and has experience in developing teaching programmes at Bachelor and Master levels;
• has proven excellent management and leadership qualities, and is a capable and enthusiastic administrator.
• can show a track record of acquiring external research funding;
• has experience with supervising PhD projects and junior researchers;
• has an extensive national and international network with academic, political and cultural institutions;
• has experience with collaborative projects and is able to establish productive connections with other academic disciplines within as well as outside the department;
• is able to contribute to knowledge exchange in public as well as academic settings.

All foreign employees appointed at the Faculty of Humanities are expected to have a good command of both written and spoken Dutch within two years. The Faculty will assist in this process. 

Please also check the document ‘Information about chairs at the Faculty of Humanities’ for more information.

The appointment will be permanent. The gross salary will normally conform to professorial scale 2, between €5.864 and €8.539 gross per month (€81.837 - €119.170 per annum, including 8% holiday pay and an 8,3% end of year payment) on a full-time basis (38 hours per week) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU). In certain cases, however, different terms of employment may be offered.

Curious about our organisation and attractive fringe benefits such as a generous holiday arrangement and development opportunities? Here you can read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

University of Amsterdam

The University of Amsterdam is the Netherlands' largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 30,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity.

Faculty of Humanities

The Faculty of Humanities provides education and conducts research with a strong international profile in a large number of disciplines in de 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.