Postdoc researcher (0,75 -1,0 fte) - Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication

We are looking for a highly motivated Post-Doctoral Researcher and Lecturer who will both conduct research and teach in our undergraduate and graduate education programmes. The research tasks will be part of the NWO VIDI project Crafting Future Urban Economies.

A PhD in Sociology, Arts and Culture Studies, Geography or other Social Sciences is required, with demonstrated skills in advanced qualitative research methods. The candidate is also expected to conduct comparative international fieldwork in one or more of the following cities: Athens, Bucharest, Lille, Turin and Rotterdam. The candidate is expected to possess strong organizational as well as didactic skills and an affinity for working with students.

Project description

‘Crafting Future Urban Economies’ comparatively examines the role of crafts in post-industrial urban economies in Europe. This project investigates how a renaissance of crafts and local making might help tackle two related challenges: strengthening local economies in post- industrial cities building on their unique local histories and skills, while supporting their transition to more circular and sustainable forms of production and consumption.

In particular, this Postdoc project attends to questions relating to the resource and skills implications of local making practices, in particular those that adopt more circular or sustainable approaches. This sub-project explores the skills and practices of makers who reuse and recycle; the material opportunities and challenges they face in doing so; and the implications of their sourced materials on the valuation of their practices by consumers. This project will also gauge in what ways circular making changes what we know about predisposition towards buying crafts. This project relies on interview data (with makers and consumers) and participant observation (incl. workshops and maker fairs), and entails fieldwork in different European cities.

Research duties

• Conducting research within the framework of the Crafting Future Urban Economies project;
• Contributing to the data collection and data analysis of the project;
• Publishing and presenting research results in the form of articles in international peer reviewed journals, book chapters, and papers at international meetings and conferences;
• Contributing to the societal impact of the project and valorization activities, in the form of practitioner-oriented outputs in various media.
• Participating in and contributing to project conferences and workshops;
• Taking part in seminars, workshops, etc. that are organised by the Erasmus Research Centre for Media, Communication and Culture (ERMeCC) as well as the research schools and scholarly associations of which ERMeCC is part.

Possibility for teaching duties;

• Preparing and giving lessons within the context of the various degree programmes in the field of Arts and Culture Studies provided by the ESHCC;
• Monitoring the literature and integrating new insights into the courses;
• Supervising students for BA or MA theses;
• Pointing out possible improvements and integrating them into teaching methods and/or the content of the lessons given;
• Contributing to the evaluation of the courses, both in terms of structure and execution;
• Participating in committees or working groups, as well as performing designated organisational tasks.

• A PhD in Sociology, Arts and Culture Studies, Geography or other Social Sciences;
• Ability to perform independent research, particularly with innovative and advanced qualitative methods of data collection and analysis;
• Proven affinity for empirical research, as evidenced by your research work, publications, research plans and other projects;
• Strong organisational experience and skills;
• Proficiency in spoken and written English. Non-English speakers have to meet the C2-standards of the Common European Framework (CEF).
• Proficiency in at least one other European language, preferably Dutch, French, Italian, and/or Greek;
• Didactic potential. Teaching experience is desired.

We offer an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with good working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU).

The start date of this position is 1 June 2022 and you will be based at the faculty ESHCC in Rotterdam. The position is for 0,75 – 1 fte. The contract will be temporary for 30 months with a probation period of 2 months. Potential for extension is dependent on financing and performance. The salary is dependent on your experience and knowledge and ranges from a minimum of €3.821,- to a maximum of €5.230,- gross per month on a fulltime basis, in accordance with scale 11 of the CAO-NU. In addition, we offer an 8% holiday allowance, an end-of-year payment of 8.3%, and a very generous paid leave scheme. Furthermore, EUR is affiliated with ABP for the pension provision, and we offer partially paid parental leave, fully paid extended birth leave for partners, a personal career budget, work-life balance coaches, discounted collective health insurance, and more. As an employee, you can also use EUR facilities such as the University library and receive a discount on subscriptions for the Erasmus sports center.

Erasmus University Rotterdam offers a Dual Career Programme (DCP) to assist the life partners of new academic staff (on payroll) in finding employment in The Netherlands. The programme is offered in close cooperation with the nearby universities of Delft and Leiden.

Erasmus University Rotterdam aspires to be an equitable and inclusive community. We nurture an open culture, where everyone is supported to fulfill their full potential. We see inclusivity of talent as the basis of our successes, and the diversity of perspectives and people as a highly valued outcome. EUR provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, functional impairment, citizenship, or any other aspect which makes them unique. We look forward to welcoming you to our community.

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research, as expressed in our mission ‘Creating positive societal impact’. EUR is home to 3.700 academics and professionals and almost 33.000 students from more than 140 countries. Everything we do, we do under the credo The Erasmian Way – Making Minds Matter. We’re global citizens, connecting, entrepreneurial, open-minded, and socially involved. These Erasmian Values function as our internal compass and create EUR’s distinctive and recognizable profile. From these values, with a broad perspective and with an eye for diversity, different backgrounds and opinions, our employees work closely together to solve societal challenges from the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam. Thanks to the high quality and positive societal impact of our research and education, EUR can compete with the top European universities. www.eur.nl.

The Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC) is part of Erasmus University Rotterdam. The school has three departments:  History,  Arts and Culture and Media & Communication.

ESHCC offers high quality education, based on scientific research, at the intersection of the Humanities and Social Sciences. We teach our ambitious, Dutch and international students in a stimulating learning environment. After graduation, they will have acquired the knowledge, insight and skills to make an important and inspiring contribution to an increasingly international society in which diversity plays a major role. The faculty has over 1870 students and approximately 226 employees.

The ESHCC also has an ambitious research agenda. We want to strengthen our involvement in multidisciplinary research, expand the share of external funding in our total research funding and increase our social impact. Research takes place within the framework of two research centres:  ERMeCC and History@Erasmus.

Your cover letter should contain a concise statement of motivation of no more than 750 words in which you explain how you envisage your contribution as a researcher to the Crafting Future Urban Economies project.  

Additionally, some indication of the courses currently part of the bachelor’s and master’s programs within the department of Arts and Culture Studies that you would be interested in participating with should be noted in your cover letter. The selection committee will invite a small number of candidates for an interview. Candidates may be asked to submit a more detailed research proposal and/or give a short presentation as part of the application procedure.

To apply, please send your cover letter with your resume, your publication list, and the names and contact details of two referees, before April 10 2022 by e-mail to sollicitatie@eshcc.eur.nl. Please mention “Postdoc Crafting Future Urban Economies” in your email. You should receive a confirmation mail within five workdays. Initial interviews are intended to begin in mid-April.