Faculty of Humanities, Leiden University Centre for Linguistics has a vacancy for a

PhD candidate, starting January 2025 for the project “Russian Narratives of War”

Project description & Key responsibilities
The PhD-project is part of the larger project (NWO-L) called “The language and argumentation of Russian propaganda” which consists of two PhDs and one postdoc and which is led by Egbert Fortuin (project leader, Russian Studies) together with Henrike Jansen and Peter Burger.

What are you going to do?
This PhD-position focuses on the narratives and their linguistic-argumentative properties that are used in Russia to influence the Russian-speaking population in that country to support the government in general and to rally behind the war in Ukraine in particular (period 2014-2024). This project aims at answering research questions such as: What narratives are used in Russian propaganda in general, specifically those concerning the war in Ukraine? How do arguments and rhetorical frames (including the use of words, expressions, and systematic metaphors) play a role in these narratives? How have these narratives evolved and been adapted over time (2014-2024)? Are there particular properties of argumentation, rhetoric and language which are typical for Russian propaganda?

The data will be collected from speeches by Putin, texts from Russian press agencies, texts from Russian state media and propaganda spread across new media channels that cannot directly be linked to the Russian government. The data will consist of words, verbal and multimodal expressions, and more generally frames and arguments, which play a key part in the narratives relevant for this subproject. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods will be used to analyze the data and the project may involve Natural Language Processing methodologies. The focus will be on the semantic-pragmatic analysis of words, expressions using different theoretical frameworks (for example, rhetorical frame analysis, (cognitive) linguistics, Pragma-Dialectics, Critical Metaphor Analysis).

Tasks and responsibilities

• Completion of a PhD thesis within the appointed timeframe.
• Creation of a database containing Russian words, expressions, metaphors, etc. for analysis.
• Performing linguistic, argumentative, and rhetorical analysis on a large corpus of data (quantitative and qualitative analysis).
• Active participation in meetings of the research group on Russian propaganda, intensive collaboration with other group members.
• Presenting preliminary research findings at workshops and conferences.
• Organizing activities for knowledge dissemination.
• (Co-)teaching courses during the second and third years of the appointment (up to 0.2 FTE per year).
• Engagement in the LUCL research group and Faculty of Humanities PhD training programs.

Selection criteria

• An MA in Russian Studies or Slavic languages and cultures.
• Proficiency in Russian at the level of B1 or higher according to the Common European Framework; excellent command of English; passive knowledge of other European languages is recommended.
• Familiarity with linguistics, argumentation theory, and rhetorical theory.
• Knowledge of Russian politics/Russian society.
• Experience with tools for data collection from various types of news media (e.g., web scraping, use of databases, etc.).
• Understanding of both quantitative and qualitative methods for data analysis.

Our organisation
Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL) is one of seven Institutes that falls under the Faculty of Humanities. With over 120 linguists working at the Institute, it is a rich research environment that prides itself on fostering scientific excellence. At LUCL we offer extensive research support to our researchers.

LUCL has a longstanding tradition in the study of the world’s languages and features unique linguistic expertise as well as expertise in argumentation theory, rhetoric and journalism and new media. Current theoretical insights are combined with modern experimental methods in its research profile area ‘Language Diversity in the World’. Researchers from our six umbrella research groups are experts in their respective fields but equally find innovative ways of collaborating with other fields and disciplines.

The Faculty of Humanities is rich in expertise in fields such as philosophy, religious studies, history, art history, literature, linguistics and area studies covering nearly every region of the world. The Faculty has a BA programme of Russian Studies and a MA programme of Russian and Eurasian Studies. With its staff of 995, the faculty provides 27 master’s and 25 bachelor’s programmes for over 7,000 students based at locations in Leiden and in The Hague. For more information: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/humanities.

Terms and conditions
Appointment will be according to the terms of the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO Nederlandse Universiteiten). The employment will be for a period of four years (first a contract of 18 months with an extension of 30 months after positive evaluation of capabilities and compatibility), starting January 01st 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter. The appointment must lead to the completion of a PhD thesis.

The salary range for a PhD candidate is from € 2,872.- to € 3,670.- gross per month (pay-scale PhD candidates in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities), with substantial additional holiday and end-of-year bonuses. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break.

Diversity
Fostering an inclusive community is a central element of the values and vision of Leiden University. Leiden University is committed to becoming an inclusive community which enables all students and staff to feel valued and respected and to develop their full potential. Diversity in experiences and perspectives enriches our teaching and strengthens our research. High quality teaching and research is inclusive.

Information
Enquiries can be made to Egbert Fortuin e.fortuin@hum.leidenuniv.nl

Applications
Please submit your application online no later than October 23 via the blue button in our application system. Your application should include:

• A CV.
• A letter of motivation.
• Two names of recommenders.
• MA thesis in field of Russian Studies.

Enquiries from agencies are not appreciated.