Researcher at NIOD

The Netherlands' Deployment in Afghanistan (2001-2021): "Afghan Perspectives"

(30,4 hours per week)

About the research programme

Since December 2001, the Kingdom of the Netherlands has made multiple contributions to international military operations, crisis management measures, humanitarian actions and (re)construction projects in and around Afghanistan. It has particularly done so through military detachments and deployments - under the banners of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) -, through the Netherlands embassy in Kabul, and through support to governmental and non-governmental initiatives and assistance programmes. The Netherlands' Council of Ministers commissioned the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies (NIOD-KNAW), in cooperation with the Netherlands Institute for Military History (NIMH), to conduct external, independent, and scholarly research into the Netherlands' deployments in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021.

The research programme aims to investigate and analyse the facts, circumstances and context, and aftermath of this deployment from a broader historical framework, and deals with the nature, scope, costs, time period, and stated objectives of the Netherlands' military, diplomatic and civil deployment, as well as the limitations, dilemmas and choices made in implementations on the ground. The study is organised around three themes: (a) the national and international decision-making processes; (b) the Netherlands' integrated deployment in situ; and (c) the legitimisation of the Netherlands' missions in a broader historical context. The research programme consists of 9 individual scholarly studies on specific themes, including 5 military mission-related studies, and will conclude with a synthesising final report, which will be presented to the Netherlands' Government and Parliament.

About the position

The NIOD-KNAW is currently recruiting a researcher to complete the team. The newly recruited researcher will assist the senior researcher in setting up, carrying out and finalising one individual study within the research programme, in close cooperation with the scientific project leaders, and other (senior) researchers. This individual study will revolve around Afghans' collective experiences of war, occupation, and violence in the period 2001-2021 in a broader historical context. Methodologically, it will require both archival investigation and ethnographic fieldwork, examination of visual and textual primary sources, as well as oral history interviews and critical discourse analysis.

Profile

• The NIOD-KNAW is looking for a researcher with demonstrable qualifications, experience, capacities, and ambitions;
• The newly recruited researcher will become part of the Research Department of the NIOD and will closely cooperate with the Netherlands Institute for Military History (NIMH);
• The newly recruited researcher is expected to work closely with their senior researcher for one individual study, in terms of setting up, carrying out and finalising the scholarly research;
• The newly recruited researcher is expected to be an excellent and sociable team player.

Appointment

The appointment is at the KNAW for the benefit of the NIOD and offers the prospect of part-time employment for a fixed period of 1 year with the option of extension for the duration of the project to a total of 4 years. You will first receive a contract for the period of one year, which after a successful review will be extended for three extra years. Start date as of 1st May 2023 if possible. An A-Level screening (MIVD) will be part of the hiring procedure.

Apply

• Your application consists of a motivation letter and curriculum vitae.

For more information about the vacancy, please contact Prof. Uğur Ümit Üngör (click on the name to send an email)

• The interviews will take place on 22nd and 31st March 2023.
• You can apply via the button on this page until 15th March 2023.

You can find more information about NIOD here: https://www.niod.nl

Requirements

• A completed MA (history, anthropology, sociology, political science) on a topic related to the position, or relevant and demonstrated experience;
• Demonstrated strong organisational skills, in terms of research, and experience in conducting empirical, archival and/or analytical historical research;
• Ability to work under the pressure of the tight deadlines of the research programme;
• Demonstrated experience with using (classified) primary sources, archives, oral history;
• Research experience regarding Afghanistan (or the region) is a strong asset;
• Excellent knowledge and command of Dutch, English, and Dari, and preferably knowledge of a fourth relevant language regarding Afghanistan (e.g. Pashto, Uzbek, etc.);
• Willingness and ability to travel abroad;
• Willingness and ability to undergo a security clearance procedure carried out by the Netherlands' Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD);
• Excellent standard IT skills and experience.

Fixed-term contract: 1 year.

Employment conditions
Depending on education and experience, the salary amounts to a minimum of €2.960 and a maximum of €4.670 gross per month for full-time employment (scale 10 under the collective labour agreement for Dutch Universities/KNAW) . This excludes 8% holiday allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet and home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP.

The KNAW offers its employees an excellent package of fringe benefits. A package that meets the various needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week it is possible to increase the number of days' holiday from 29 to 41 days a year (for full-time employment).

A one year contract will be offered with the opportunity to extend to the full lenght of the project which is in total 4 years.

For a complete overview of the employment conditions, please refer to the webpage: working at the KNAW.

NIOD

About NIOD

NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies was founded on 8 May 1945 to map the history of World War II in the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies through independent research. In recent decades, this expertise has been extended to research into mass violence and genocides in Europe and elsewhere in the world. NIOD is a scientifically independent and at the same time strongly socially oriented institute.

In addition to scholarly research, NIOD makes its collections open to both professionals and private individuals. NIOD is housed in a monumental building of the National Property Administration in the centre of Amsterdam. In house, it manages 3 kilometres of archives, a library with 75,000 titles and a large photo collection. NIOD has about 75 employees. It is one of the 15 institutes of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).