The Amsterdam School of Historical Studies (ASH) currently has a vacant Postdoc researcher position as part of position as part of the NWO VIDI-project Lived Time: Using and Experiencing Time in Late-Antique Egypt, led by principal investigator Dr. Sofie Remijsen, Assistant Professor of Ancient History. The position is tenable from 1 September 2022 for the duration of one year.

ASH represents and fosters the study of the human past from Antiquity to the present day. It brings together more than 200 academics who participate in ca. 20 research groups. The school is one of the six Research Schools/Institutes within the Amsterdam Institute for Humanities Research. Each research school/institute covers an important research area within the faculty and has its own research programme, and is also the home base for PhD candidates and postdocs, who interact with each other and with senior members in the research groups that make up the research school.

The VIDI-project Lived Time examines the uses and experiences of time in daily life as responses to the shifting social norms from ca. 250 to 750 CE. In this period, Egypt underwent profound political, economic and religious changes. Reactions to temporal norms and the synchronization of activities shows how people in all layers of societies lived together with others and helped shape societal change.

What are you going to do

As a member of the project team, it will be your task to analyse all relevant sources for the uses and experiences of time from the first century of Arab rule in Egypt (639- ca. 750 CE). Your own research focuses on the temporal coordination of administrative processes. Both the communication of time between various levels of society and the rhythmicity of administrative processes had to address the tensions between the Arab and Greco-Roman time reckoning systems. By studying how these tensions were negotiated, you show how the inhabitants of late-antique Egypt coped on a daily basis with the new rule.

Your tasks and responsibilities:

• conducting research, presenting intermediate research results at workshops and conferences and publishing at least one single-authored, peer reviewed article;
• participating in meetings of the project research group and developing a shared database;
• co-organising knowledge dissemination activities.

What do we require

You are a talented researcher, who can work independently as well as in a research team. You can present the results of your research clearly in written texts and presentations, to both academic and non-academic audiences.

Your experience and profile:

• a PhD in a relevant field (e.g. Semitic languages and culture, History);
• 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 research;
• enthusiasm for communicating academic research to non-academic audiences;
• excellent command of English and Classical Arabic;
• expertise in Arabic papyrology.

Good reading skills in Coptic and/or Greek are a plus.

Our offer

The Postdoc researcher will be appointed at the Department of History, European Studies and Religious Studies of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Amsterdam and will conduct the research in Amsterdam School of Historical Studies. The employment contract will be for one year. employment contract is for 28,5 hours a week. Preferred starting date is 1 September 2022.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and relevant experience, ranges between €3,561 to €5,230. 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;
• an enthusiastic and professional academic team.

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.

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