The ASCA currently has a vacant Postdoc researcher position as part of the broader field Cultural Heritage and Identity. Within this field the focus is on material and immaterial heritage (including digital heritage), and on cultural Heritage and societal changes. The Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (ASCA) is one of the five Research Schools within the Amsterdam Institute for Humanities Research.

What are you going to do?

This postdoc will mobilize the methods, theories and practices of Artistic Research for the interdisciplinary research field of Critical Heritage Studies, specifically in the area of contested heritage. The postdoc will primarily contribute to the Artistic Research Research Group (ARRG) at the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (ASCA). ARRG sees Artistic Research as a new approach to tackling research questions and aims at promoting the exchange of ideas between artists and scholars from a wide range of fields and disciplines (art history, cultural studies/cultural analysis, literary studies, media studies, philosophy, theater studies, musicology). Artistic Research develops a discursive form of producing and communicating research results in parallel with a non-discursive, artistic practice. By bringing academia and the art world together, artistic forms of research change the social status of both and introduce a potential array of practice-oriented methodologies that challenge institutionalized forms of knowledge production.

We are looking for a postdoc who will use Artistic Research to reflect critically upon contested heritage, material or immaterial, where artistic research is used to gain a better understanding of what is at stake in present-day debates about contested heritage, as they are conducted in the public sphere, but also in cultural institutions and popular culture. We are particularly interested in projects that would look at the transnational dimensions of such debates and at how these debates hinder or foster societal change by (re)producing representations of the past that feed into particular visions of the future. We expect the postdoc to set up collaborations with societal partners to actively bridge the gap between science/scholarship and art, and to make the results of their research accessible to non-academic publics.

Your tasks and responsibilities:

• conducting research, presenting intermediate research results at workshops and conferences and publishing at least two peer reviewed articles;
• participating in activities of the research school, department and relevant research priority area(s);
• co-organising knowledge dissemination activities;
• optional: contributing to teaching courses.

Your experience and profile:

• a PhD in Artistic Research or a related area in the humanities, with a focus on (contested) heritage, whose work connects to one or more of the humanities fields represented in ASCA (literary studies, media studies, philosophy, cultural studies/cultural analysis, musicology, art history, theater studies, European studies);
• excellent research skills demonstrated by a track record of publishing in high-ranking journals and/or with leading presses or a demonstrable capacity to develop such a record;
• a strong cooperative attitude and willingness to engage in collaborative, interdisciplinary research;
• enthusiasm for communicating academic research to non-academic audiences;
• excellent command of English.

The Postdoc researcher will be appointed at one of the Departments of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Amsterdam, in accordance with their background and expertise, and will conduct research in ASCA. The employment contract will be for one year. Contingent on a positive performance evaluation the contract will be extended with one year. The employment contract is for 30,4-38 hours a week. Preferred starting date is 01 October 2022.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and relevant experience, ranges between € 3,974 to € 5,439. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8,3% year-end allowance. A favourable tax agreement, the '30% ruling', may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

What else do we offer

• excellent possibilities for further professional development and education, including participation in a dedicated Research Training group;
• an enthusiastic, inspiring and professional academic team;
• the opportunity to collaborate with leading researchers at research institutes that - partly as a result of their interdisciplinary approach - are world renowned.

Faculty of Humanities

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.

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.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.