Call for Applications

Postdoctoral Researcher

Job ID:  27964→  Apply before 31/12/2024 23:59 (Brussels Time)
→  Department: LW21 - Talen en Culturen
→  Occupancy rate:100%
→  Number of positions: 1
→  Type of employment: Contract of unlimited duration with clause
→  Term of assignment: 3 years
→  Wage scale: PD1 to PD4 (doctoral degree)
→  Required diploma:PhD
 

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY 

  

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 80 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students. 

  

  

YOUR ROLE AND TASKS
  

As a post-doctoral researcher at Ghent University, you will join the ERC-Consolidator Grant project ‘Polymathy and Interdisciplinarity in Premodern Islamic Epistemic Cultures (KNOW)’, under the leadership of the principal investigator, Professor Islam Dayeh. 

  

The KNOW project examines the interaction between scholarly disciplines in the post-formative period (1200–1800 CE), a time marked by the rise of new institutions of learning, the expansion of libraries, the establishment and integration of academic disciplines, and an increase in scholarly travel. These developments fostered interdisciplinary cooperation, competition, and conflict, shaping the intellectual landscape of the era. Previous scholarship on this period has generally focused on intellectual products (i.e., doctrines and texts) and has tended to project our contemporary disciplinary divisions onto the premodern period (e.g., humanities v. sciences; religious v. secular). The KNOW project departs from these approaches by focusing on epistemic processes and practices rather than products and artefacts. By applying the lens of polymathy and interdisciplinarity, the project seeks to reshape our understanding of the intellectual dynamics of this period. Interdisciplinarity refers to the interaction and exchange between disciplines, while polymathy describes the qualities of breadth, depth, and synthesis found in individuals engaged in interdisciplinary work.

   

We invite proposals for post-doctoral research subprojects that fit within the wider context of the KNOW project. Such proposals can focus on any aspect of the history of knowledge within the broad remit of the KNOW project, yet in all cases they should address (inter)disciplinary formations, polymathic education and the role of institutions of knowledge. We are interested in proposals that seek to investigate the ways in which post-formative disciplines interacted to find solutions to new, complex problems and were integrated in order to bridge fragmented and disconnected knowledge. Such proposals may include (but are not limited to) the intersections between medicine, mathematics, astronomy and law (fiqh).  

 

At least 70% of your assignment will be spent on academic research. 

   

Your tasks will include: 

  

• Designing and conducting your own academic research
• Completing a monograph to be included in the project publication series 
• Attending regular in-person team meetings 
• Collaborating with the other team members in the organization of the project conferences and workshops
• Disseminating your research through participation in international workshops and conferences 
    
   

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
  

• You hold a thesis-based doctorate (obtained max. 6 years ago. This term of 6 years is determined by the date written on the above-mentioned required diploma) in a relevant field (e.g., History, Islamic Studies, Near Eastern Languages & Cultures)
• You have the ability to develop an original research project 
• You have command of the relevant languages, especially of Arabic 
• You have undertaken historical research on premodern Islamic history 
• You have published in the field of Islamic intellectual history commensurate with your career stage 
• You have an excellent command of written and spoken English
• You are a dynamic and enthusiastic team player 
    
   

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU 
  

• We offer you a contract of indefinite duration with a maximum term of 3 years
• Your contract will start on 01/05/2025 at the earliest; this date is negotiable and later dates are possible
• Your remuneration will be determined by salary scale PD1. Click here for more information about our salary scales 
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, a bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits
• If the candidate is eligible for an international mobility appointment, a postdoc fellowship will be offered 
    
   

INTERESTED? 

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late or incomplete applications or applications that are not submitted through the online system. 
  
Your application must include the following documents: 
  

• In the field ‘CV’: your CV and an overview of your study results (merged into one pdf file) 
• In the field ‘Cover letter’: your application letter in pdf format 
• In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of the required degree (if already in your possession). If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages
• In the field “other documents”: 1) a research proposal (max. 2000 words) that outlines a research subproject you will undertake within the context of the broader aims of KNOW, and 2) names, positions, and email address of two referees (no reference letters) 

  
Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB. 

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position. 


MORE INFORMATION 
  
Applications will be assessed after the closing date and a select number of applicants will be invited for an interview via teleconferencing. 

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Islam Dayeh (islam.dayeh@ugent.be). Important: do NOT send your application by email, but apply online. 

Do you have a question regarding the online application process? Please read the FAQ or contact us via selecties@ugent.be or +32 9 264 34 36