Since its foundation in 1614, the University of Groningen has established an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative university offering high-quality teaching and research. Its 34,000 students are encouraged to develop their individual talents through challenging study- and career paths. The University of Groningen is an international centre of knowledge: It belongs to the best research universities in Europe and is allied with prestigious partner universities and networks worldwide.

Faculty and department
The Faculty of Arts is building on a longstanding tradition of four centuries. Its mission is to be an ambitious top-ranking faculty in terms of both education and high-quality research, with a strong international orientation, firmly rooted in the North of the Netherlands. The Faculty creates and shares knowledge through outstanding education and high-quality research, beneficial to society. The Faculty educates more than 5000 students, both Dutch and international, in a modern, broad and international institution, producing forward-looking, articulate and intellectually independent graduates.

What will you be working on?

The chair group European Politics and Society at the University of Groningen, Faculty of Arts, is looking for an enthusiastic Assistant Professor (Universitair docent) in European Politics and Society. You will become part of - and contribute to - an energetic and ambitious team of scholars that is diverse in terms of (disciplinary) backgrounds and unified in terms of collegiality. The chair group takes a broad perspective on the field of European politics and society, but particularly focuses on transnational dynamics in European politics and the interaction between centre formation at national and supranational level on the one hand and societal conflict patterns on the other. A focus on the role and effects of language in the public sphere is central in much of our research, while our theoretical and methodological approaches are pluralist (encompassing narrative analysis, critical discourse analysis, content analysis and text-as-data approaches). The position comprises a combination of teaching (60%) and research (40%). Administrative duties may be included as part of the 60% teaching.

As a member of the chair group European Politics and Society, you contribute to the BA programme in European Languages and Cultures, specifically the politics and society specialisation within that programme. In addition, you contribute to the European politics in a Global Perspective track within the MA programme in International Relations and International Organizations and/or the international Erasmus Mundus MA programme in Euroculture. You develop and provide engaging courses and supervise BA and MA theses in the teaching programmes that the chair group contributes to.

The assistant professor conducts high standard academic research in the context of the chair group European Politics and Society and under the auspices of the Research Centre for the Study of Democratic Cultures and Politics (link: https://www.rug.nl/research/icog/research/research-centres/democratic-cultures-and-politics/?lang=en), part of the Groningen Research Institute for the Study of Culture (ICOG). Association with, and contribution to, one or more of the University of Groningen’s interdisciplinary schools (the Jantina Tammes School of Digital Society, Technology and Artificial Intelligence; the Rudolph Agricola School for Sustainable Development; the Wubbo Ockels School for Energy and Climate; or the Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health) would be appreciated. You design and conduct state of the art research, publish in internationally recognized outlets, apply for external funding, and actively engage in societal valorization of research results.

Links to the schools:

- Jantina Tammes School of Digital Society, Technology and Artificial Intelligence: https://www.rug.nl/jantina-tammes-school/?lang=en
- Rudolph Agricola School for Sustainable Development: https://www.rug.nl/rudolf-agricola-school/?lang=en
- Wubbo Ockels School for Energy and Climate: https://www.rug.nl/wubbo-ockels-school/
- Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health: https://www.rug.nl/aletta/?lang=en

Specific tasks:

- providing teaching in the field of European Politics and Society within the bachelor's degree programme in ELC and in respective masters degree programmes
- supervising bachelor and master theses in the aforementioned field
- making an active contribution to the evaluation and development of the degree programme and its individual course units
- conducting academic research in the field of European Politics and Society
- performing administrative and organisational duties.

Who are we looking for?

In addition to a number of basic requirements set by the University of Groningen, such as excellent social and communication skills, presentation skills, coaching skills and a results-oriented attitude, we are looking for a candidate with a PhD in the field of political science, European studies, communication science, sociology, history or related field, who has an adequate command of Dutch or who is willing to learn Dutch within two years, and also:

In the area of teaching:

- has experience with teaching university-level political science, European studies, communication science, international relations, sociology or history (and openness to develop this in a European Studies-related teaching environment)
- has a sufficiently proficient command of English to be able to teach in English
- is an excellent teacher, as demonstrated by positive teaching evaluations
- is demonstrably able to make concrete contributions to the development of course units, partly by actively linking teaching to research
- has gained the University Teaching Qualification or is prepared to do so within a year
- is preferably able to teach in one or more other European languages included in the ELC programme (French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, or Swedish), where French language proficiency is considered an asset in particular.

In the area of research:
- has an active and ambitious research agenda as demonstrated by publications in prestigious international academic outlets
- has a promising track record in societal valorization of research, for example through media appearances or software packages
- has the ability to independently generate and effect innovative ideas
- has international experience and an international network.

In the area of management and organisation:

- is able to make a constructive contribution to multi- and interdisciplinary collaborations and a friendly, collegial atmosphere within the department
- has demonstrable administrative and organisation skills.

The University of Groningen champions Rewards and Recognition, link: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/policy-and-strategy/recognition-rewards/. If you meet most of the criteria but not all and believe you're the right candidate based on your profile, we encourage you to apply.

Fixed-term contract: 18 months.

What do we have to offer?

- a salary based on qualifications and experience of between € 4,332 and € 5,929 (scale 11 CAO Dutch Universities) gross per month for a full time position (1.0 FTE)
- excluding 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus and participation in a pension scheme for employees. Favourable tax agreements may apply to non-Dutch applicants. We offer 232 holiday hours per calendar year for full-time employment
- an appointment for 0,8 - 1,0 FTE. The appointment will commerce at the earliest opportunity and at the latest on 1 September 2024, and will be on a temporary basis for 18 months, after which, should you meet the criteria, the position will become permanent.

The Faculty will only consider candidates who are willing to move to Groningen in the near future and live in the surrounding area of Groningen.

For more detailed information about working conditions and working for the University of Groningen, please check: https://www.rug.nl/about-us/work-with-us/

Prof. dr. Pieter de Wilde
p.de.wilde@rug.nl

European Languages and Cultures
European Politics and Society
European politics in a Global Perspective