The Amsterdam School for Regional and Transnational and European Studies (ARTES) invites applications for a fully-funded 4-year PhD position in Eastern European studies. The PhD project is funded by a starting grant from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands and will be led by Dr Gulnaz Sibgatullina.

The PhD fellow will be part of ARTES, one of the five Research Schools within the Amsterdam Institute for Humanities Research, and the East European research cluster. ARTES combines humanities and social science-based approaches to the study of Europe and other world regions, and the relations between them. East European research cluster operates as a bridge between Eastern European Studies, Religious Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, and Slavic Studies, with a focus on Central Asia, Ukraine, and Russia, and social and religious history in Central Europe.

What are you going to do?
By working with a combination of digital, print and audio data, you will analyse grassroots reactions in Russia and/or neighbouring countries (e.g., Ukraine or Kazakhstan) to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and, particularly, the escalation of the conflict in February 2022 intensified critical reassessment among various groups of the institutions and structures shaped by Russian and Soviet systems, which have been facilitating Russian hegemony throughout the region. The onset of the active military confrontation amplified voices not only outside Russia but also within the country, calling for the recognition of groups that have historically endured or continue to face various forms of discrimination, subjugation, and silencing. The primary objective of this project is to capture the discourses of national, ethnic, and regional identity that have been evolving over the last decade and formulated in terms of the struggle against Russian imperialism.

The project will address the following research questions:

• Which actors (groups and movements) participate in advancing anti-imperial discourses? What are their agendas, and what language(s) do they use?
• How do the specifics of post-socialist reality (political structures, languages, historical hierarchies) contribute to the dominance of certain discourses and cultural practices on a transnational/transregional level?
• How do digital media platforms facilitate the dissemination of these discourses in the region, e.g., through enabling collective debate and sharing of personal testimonies?

By examining these dynamics, the project seeks to understand the contextual factors that contribute to the prevalence of certain discourses in the region and how regional connections enable the dissemination of ideas. The PhD fellow will critically examine the applicability and potential challenges of employing global emancipatory theories in the post-socialist states.

Tasks and responsibilities:

• Collect digital data and analyse virtual networks;
• Contribute to the development of digital discourse analysis tools;
• Participate in PhD training and project meetings;
• Author/co-author peer-reviewed articles and chapters;
• Present project findings at conferences;
• (Co)-teach courses at the BA-level in the 2nd and 3rd year of the appointment (max. 0,2 fte per year);
• Complete your PhD thesis within the required timeframe of 4 years;

You are a talented and dedicated researcher, motivated to embark on a four-year project that deals with continuously developing context. Being a team player, you enjoy working in close collaboration with your supervisors, other researchers and institutions. At the same time, you are able to work independently and develop research ideas on your own. You have good communication skills that will enable you to present your research clearly in papers, talks, and the final dissertation.

Requirements:

• A complete Master’s degree in East European/Central Asian, Heritage, Memory, Postcolonial Studies or a related field by 1 October 2023. You may apply if you have not yet completed your Master’s degree only if you provide a signed letter from your supervisor stating that you will graduate before 01 February 2024;
• Fluency in a minority language spoken in Russia, Ukrainian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, or Uzbek; knowledge of Russian;
• excellent research skills demonstrated by an outstanding Master’s thesis and a demonstrable capacity to develop a track record of publishing in high-ranking journals and/or with leading presses;
• a strong cooperative attitude and willingness to engage in collaborative research;
• enthusiasm for communicating academic research to non-academic audiences;
• good command of English.

We offer a temporary employment contract for a period of 48 months. The first contract will be for 16 months, with an extension for the following 32 months, contingent on a positive performance evaluation within the first 12 months. The employment contract is for 38 hours a week. The preferred starting date is 01 February 2024.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and relevant experience, ranges from € 2,770 up to a maximum of € 3,539. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8,3% year-end allowance. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

What else do we offer?

• PhD candidates receive a tuition fee waiver;
• PhD candidates have free access to courses offered by the Graduate School of Humanities and the Dutch National Research Schools;
• excellent possibilities for further professional development and education;
• an enthusiastic, inspiring and professional academic team.

Faculty of Humanities

The University of Amsterdam is the Netherlands’ largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 42,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity.

The Faculty of Humanities provides education and conducts research with a strong international profile in a large number of disciplines in the field of language and culture. Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the faculty maintains close ties with many cultural institutes in the capital city. Research and teaching staff focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and are active in several teaching programmes.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.