Extraordinary Professor
Academic fields
Behaviour and society; Language and culture
Job types
Professor; Research, development, innovation
Education level
Doctorate
Weekly hours
8 hours per week
Extraordinary Professor Recognition, Dialogue and Recovery after Intercountry Adoption (0.2 FTE)
The expertise center for intercountry adoption, INEA, is looking for an extraordinary professor “Recognition, Dialogue and Recovery after Intercountry Adoption”, who connects and inspires the field. This extraordinary professorship is made possible by INEA and is located at the University of Humanistic Studies.
The position:
The extraordinary professor focuses on recognition, recovery, and dialogue around intercountry adoption. In doing so, the chair focuses on research on the recognition of past abuses around intercountry adoption, as well as on the way in which recovery can take place; both at an individual and societal level.
From a multidisciplinary academic setting, the aim is to also make long term impact within both science and practice. Many past studies in the field of relinquishment and adoption are characterized by a quantitative approach, in which the early development of the child was centralized, from a pedagogical perspective. The perspectives of the biological parents and the adoptees themselves are often missing. In order to broaden and deepen the field of research, it is essential to look at intercountry adoption from different perspectives. It involves a wide range of philosophical, sociological, legal, ethical, psychological and postcolonial issues that require an interdisciplinary approach.
Transformative Justice
The chair works from the Transformative Justice approach. The extraordinary professor will work closely with the chair Historical Memory and Transformative Justice, which focuses on recognition and restoration. This framework focuses on the question under which conditions recognition and restoration measures can really make a difference to the lives of those who have been victims of historical injustice, including their loved ones and descendants. It is a relational perspective that assumes that all parties participate, because recognition and restoration are systemic. This means that the perspective of those affected and involved, as well as the role of institutions, are part of the research. Such a relational perspective includes that structural interweavings and continuities become visible and looks from there at what is needed in the present and the future.
The founding foundation
The chair will be established and financed by the expertise centre for intercountry adoption (INEA), which is subsidized by the Ministry of Justice & Security. INEA was founded to be an expertise centre for anyone with questions about intercountry adoption and relinquishment. This is for everyone involved in relinquishment and adoption; adopted people, biological parents, adoptive parents, friends, family and also descendants of adopted people. Furthermore, INEA strives to be a place where professionals, scientists and anyone who comes into contact with relinquishment and adoption through work can find information. INEA works from different pillars, each with a specific focus. These pillars are: psychosocial support, legal support, searching for family, files on intercountry adoption and the scientific knowledge base.
INEA aims, among other things, to give substance to the recognition and redress and dialogue with regard to systemic abuses in intercountry adoption. INEA states that future research and knowledge sharing on recognition, recovery and dialogue should focus on the adoptee, but also involve the following groups: biological families, adoptive families, partners, professionals, schools, care providers, etc.
Destination of the endowed chair
This endowed chair will be established at the University of Humanistic Studies (UvH). This university is inspired by humanistic ideas and approaches academic issues from a trans- and/or interdisciplinary perspective with a special focus on areas where ethics and existential questions are important. That is why this endowed chair is positioned at the University of Humanistic Studies.
Profile of the chair holder
In the current polarized landscape of intercountry adoption, we see that people are increasingly losing understanding of each other. This requires the professor to be able to look beyond his/her/their own perspective. The professor has an eye for the different experiences and perspectives and tries to make connections and enter into dialogue through interdisciplinary knowledge. The professor does this partly by providing insight into the different discourses, power relations and dynamics and embedding the adoption issue in larger (political) dynamics. It is important that, taking into account the tensions in the field, as many perspectives as possible are included. The demand from the target group and society lies in broadening the knowledge, to the social perspective and, linked to that, a systemic perspective that also includes legal frameworks. This applies to both recognition and recovery. Within the UvH, this directly fits with the Chair of Historical Memory and Transformative Justice and specifically the research into Dialogics of Justice, which examines what is needed for individual and social recovery and how these two are related. Through the interdisciplinary design of this chair and in collaboration with the UvH, the aim is to seek connections with all actors and thereby also work towards recognition and recovery. Dialogue can promote this recognition and recovery.
The professor is:
Questions?
For more information, please email or call Prof. Dr. N. Immler (n.immler@uvh.nl 030-2390100).
Application
If you are interested in this position, we kindly request you to apply via the button for the attention of Martha Teijema-Grijpma:
The first round of interviews will be on 8 May 2025. A second round is planned for 12 May 2025.
The closing date for the vacancy is 30 April.