The European Languages and Cultures (ELC) degree programme is looking for two enthusiastic assistant professors (in Dutch called UD: universitair docent) in European politics and society, who will contribute significantly to the bachelor's degree programme and especially the Politics and Society profile. You will be part of the European Politics and Society (EPS) chair group (https://www.rug.nl/let/onze-faculteit/organisatie/vakgebieden/europese-talen-en-culturen/chair-group-politics-and-society?lang=en) a team aiming at excellence in teaching and research. The positions will comprise a combination of teaching (60%) and research (40%) in the field of European politics and society, broadly understood. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the ELC degree programme, the assistant professors must be able to place European politics and society into a wider cultural, historical, theoretical and socio-political context. While the assistant professors will be appointed by the ELC department, close ties will be maintained with the degree programmes in International Relations and International Organizations, which also has an excellent reputation within The Netherlands and abroad. In addition to teaching within the ELC degree programme, the assistant professors will also be involved in teaching in master's degree programmes, including the track European Politics in a Global Perspective in the MA in International Relations. Research by the assistant professors will be conducted in the context of the chair group European Politics and Society and under the auspices of the Groningen Research Institute for the Study of Culture (ICOG) and its Research Centre for the Study of Democratic Cultures and Politics.
Specific tasks:

● providing teaching in the field of European politics and society within the Bachelor's degree programme in ELC and in respective Master's degree programmes, featuring the European Politics in a Global Perspective track in the MA in International Relations
● supervising bachelor's and master's theses in the aforementioned field
● making an active contribution to the evaluation and development of the degree programme and its individual course units
● conducting academic research in the field of European politics and society and being involved in PhD supervision
● performing administrative and organizational duties.

In addition to a number of basic requirements set by the University of Groningen, such as excellent social and communication skills, presentation skills, coaching skills and a results-oriented attitude, we are looking for candidates with a PhD in the field of political science, sociology, history or related fields who have an adequate command of Dutch or who are willing to learn Dutch within two years (to at least CEFR B2 level – for reading and listening) and also,

In the area of teaching:

● have experience with teaching university-level political science, sociology or history (and openness to develop this in a European Studies-related teaching environment)
● having experience with teaching university-level courses in the social sciences and humanities, with an emphasis on digital methods, big data and/or quantitative analysis being an advantage.
● have a sufficiently proficient command of English (at least CEFR C1 level – for reading, listening, writing, speaking) to be able to teach in English in the European Languages and Cultures degree programme
● preferably have language skills (i.e. being able to teach in that language) in one or more of the following languages: French, German, Spanish. Swedish, in addition to either of these three languages, is a bonus
● have gained the University Teaching Qualification (in Dutch: BKO) or is prepared to do so within a year
● are excellent teachers, as demonstrated by positive teaching evaluations
● are demonstrably able to make concrete contributions to the development of course units, partly by actively linking teaching to research.

In the area of research:

● have an active research agenda as demonstrated by publications in the area of expertise mentioned
● have international experience and an international network
● have the potential to obtain external research funding.

In the area of management and organization:

● are able to make a constructive contribution to multi- and interdisciplinary collaboration and a friendly, collegial atmosphere within the department
● have demonstrable administrative and organization skills.

* please note: only some of the qualifications may be used for the summary

Fixed-term contract: 12 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 € 3,746 (salary scale 11) to a maximum of € 5,826 (salary scale 12) gross per month for a full-time position
- 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% end-of-year bonus and participation in a pension scheme for employees. Favourable tax agreements may apply to non-Dutch applicants.

The faculty will facilitate you with obtaining the requested qualifications for teaching and the Dutch language within two years.

The appointment will initially be on a temporary basis for 5 years with the possibility of becoming a permanent position following a positive ‘Results and Development’ assessment. The assessment for a permanent position is possible from the third year onwards. The position entails a contract combining 60% teaching tasks with 40% research-time.

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://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/new-staff/

Starting date: 1 January 2022

Faculty of Arts

Founded in 1614, the University of Groningen enjoys an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative institution of higher education offering high-quality teaching and research. Flexible study programmes and academic career opportunities in a wide variety of disciplines encourage the 36,000 students and researchers alike to develop their own individual talents. As one of the best research universities in Europe, the University of Groningen has joined forces with other top universities and networks worldwide to become a truly global centre of knowledge.

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 team of hardworking and diverse groups of 700 staff members.