The Faculty of Arts at the University of Groningen builds on a long-standing tradition going back four centuries. Our mission is to be a top-ranking faculty providing both excellent education and world-class research, with a strong international orientation as well as firm roots in the northern Netherlands. We build on knowledge and share the benefits with society. We are part of a broad, modern and international institution, educating over 5,000 Dutch and international students to become ambitious, articulate and independent individuals. We are a diverse and hardworking team of 700 staff members.

Job description
The Department of Middle Eastern Studies is searching for an Assistant Professor to strengthen our team. We are looking for an enthusiastic and cooperative colleague with expertise in Politics of the contemporary Middle East and a particular focus on the Arab world, a promising research agenda that complements our current interests, and a teaching portfolio that demonstrates the ability to teach courses on politics in the modern Middle East. Candidates with a background in Middle Eastern Studies, political science, international relations and related fields are especially encouraged to apply; candidates specialising in environmental politics are especially encouraged.

We offer a position of 0.8 FTE that combines teaching & educational management (60%) and research (40%). The assistant professor will perform research within the Institute of Cultural Studies Groningen (ICOG). It will be an asset if your expertise allows for participation in or collaboration with other programmes, such as History or International Relations and International Organizations.

Key responsibilities:

- original research and regular dissemination of the results through appropriate channels
- teaching, curriculum development
- thesis supervision at undergraduate and graduate levels
- writing applications to capture national and/or international grants
- representation of the field to external audiences and media
- aministrative duties, commensurate with career stage.

Organisation
The Faculty of Arts is built on a long-standing tradition of four centuries. Our mission is to be a top-ranking faculty with both an excellent education and world-quality research, with a strong international orientation, firmly rooted in the North of the Netherlands. We build and share knowledge benefits to society. We work at a modern, broad and international institution, educating over 5,000 Dutch and international students to become forward-looking, articulate and independent academics. We are a hardworking and diverse team of 700 staff members.

For more information: https://www.rug.nl/let/

Middle Eastern Studies in Groningen
MES is a dynamic department, with Dutch and international staff, that accommodates and facilitates state-of-the-art research and teaching on the modern Middle East. Our teaching programmes are committed to a present-day vision of area studies, integrating disciplinary and regional-historical perspectives on a solid foundation of language skills, and introducing our students to historical, political, cultural and religious developments in the modern Middle East. Both research and teaching are interdisciplinary, based on study of sources in their original languages (as well as translated) and have significant societal impact. The department aims to maintain and further increase its academic and societal relevance by developing research activities, educational programmes and outreach activities.

- a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies, political science, international relations or a closely related discipline
- at least one year of postdoctoral experience in a teaching and/or research position
- affinity with a humanities-based approach to International Relations
- an excellent publication record for the stage of your career, preferably including at least one monograph (under review) and peer reviewed articles
- a demonstrable capacity and willingness to operate beyond narrow disciplinary boundaries within and beyond the field of Middle Eastern Studies, in teaching and in research
- a strong cooperative attitude and willingness to engage in collaborative research and teaching duties
- teaching experience and relevant teaching qualifications (such as BKO-Basiskwalificatie Onderwijs, University Teaching Qualification), or the willingness to obtain this qualification in the first two years of your appointment
- the capacity and willingness to undertake organisational duties
- enthusiasm for communicating academic research to non-academic audiences
- an international experience and outlook will be considered an advantage
- the ability to communicate and teach in English (CEFR C1 level for reading, listening, writing, speaking)
- knowledge of Dutch or willingness to learn it within a reasonable period of time (two years) (CEFR B2 for reading and listening, and CEFR B1 for writing and speaking).

Fixed-term contract: 18 months.

We offer you, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

- a salary, depending on qualifications and work experience, with a minimum of € 3,974 (salary scale 11) to a maximum of € 6,181 (salary scale 12) gross per month for a full-time position
- a holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income
- an 8.3% end-of-the-year allowance
- participation in a pension scheme for employees
- 232 holiday hours per calendar year.

The position entails a contract combining 60% teaching tasks with 40% research-time. Favourable tax agreements may apply to non-Dutch applicants.

The faculty will help you obtaining the requested qualifications for teaching and the Dutch language within two years. Having started to learn Dutch is a criterion for a permanent position.

The base for this position is a temporary contract for 12 or 18 months with a view on a permanent contract. The concrete content and duration of the temporary employment contract (12 or 18 months) depend on the candidate's previous employment history.

The conditions of employment comply with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU). For more detailed information about working conditions and working for the University of Groningen, please check: https://myuniversity.rug.nl/infonet/medewerkers/werk-en-carriere/

The appointee will preferably commence 1 August 2023