CfA: Postdoc focusing on memory cultures in Central Europe

deadline 18-6-2020

Lund University, Centre for Languages and Literature

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top 100 universities. The University has 40 000 students and more than 8 000 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

The Joint Faculties of the Humanities and Theology have eight departments and carries out large and varied work within research and education with the purpose to understand people as cultural and social beings. The faculties have some 700 employees and around 4000 students.

The Centre for Languages and Literature at Lund University (SOL) is Sweden’s largest university department for languages, linguistics, literature and area studies. SOL provides a wide range of freestanding courses complemented with an increasing number of first and second cycle degree programmes. Housing 33 subjects and roughly the same number of PhD programmes, SOL is a solid foundation for broad and deep education and research, characterised by national and international visibility. SOL is managed by a board chaired by the Head of Department. The management also includes two assistant heads of department with special areas of responsibility. More than 250 people are employed and around 3 000 students, including around 100 PhD students, conduct their studies at SOL.

Full title: Postdoc in Central and Eastern European Studies focusing on memory cultures in Central Europe after the Cold War.

Research environment

The subject Central and Eastern European Studies has developed extensive collaborations with researchers in similar fields of research in Scandinavia, the EU, other European countries (Russia, Ukraine) and outside Europe (USA, Australia, Japan). The subject regularly hosts visiting researchers from abroad for short or long stays in Lund. Central and Eastern European Studies brings together researchers from different disciplines: history, political science, cultural sciences, ethnology and philology. They are involved in interdisciplinary research both within their own projects and different international projects. The research environment shares a common interest for a broadly defined research area of cultural memory studies, which includes historical culture research, use of history, politics of memory and other aspects linked to memory and identity.

Duties

The successful candidate is expected to participate in our research concerning current historical cultures and memory cultures in East and Central Europe. He or she will focus on problems connected with different perceptions of the past and their role in the processes of democratisation, Europeanisation, rising nationalism and anti-democratic tendencies in the region.

The successful candidate is expected to work independently, but is also to collaborate with other researchers within the subject. The postdoc is to participate in and contribute to the research environment by, among other things, active participation in research seminars and other ongoing research-related activities within the subject, and thereby stimulate theoretical discussion, contribute their own studies in the field, and assist in the joint work of initiating new research ideas. The postdoc is expected to conduct their research mainly at the workplace in Lund.

Teaching, supervision and other administrative duties comprise a maximum of 20% of the position.

Qualifications

The candidate must have been awarded a Ph.D. or an international degree deemed equivalent not more than three years before the application deadline. If the degree was awarded earlier, the candidate must provide certificates of parental leave, illness or similar reasons for leave in the application

There is a requirement for very good, documented English language skills as well as the ability to assimilate primary sources and research literature in one of the following languages from East Central Europe: Polish, Czech, Slovakian or Hungarian.

Assessment

The grounds for assessment are a good ability to develop and conduct high-quality research, and teaching skills. The main criterion for a postdoctoral fellowship is research expertise. In all other respects, the assessment will be based on the requirements specified for the post. As documentation for the assessment of qualifications, applicants are to submit a project plan of the research they intend to carry out during their appointment.

Only applicants whose research plan and previous work could strengthen the research team and the project as a whole will be considered for the position of postdoc.

Special additional qualifications:

  • thesis and/or later publications focused mainly within the research field of cultural memory studies.
  • other relevant experience within the same research field

The application must include:

  • A signed complete CV and attested* copy of the Ph.D. degree.
  • A list of publications (including DOI, ISBN or ISSN numbers).
  • A signed plan of no more than 1500 words (not including list of references) of the research project the candidate intends to pursue during the fellowship

*with signature, name in block letters and telephone number of two people who have no conflicts of interest with the applicant and who can confirm that the copy corresponds with the original.
The research plan is to contain a description of:

  • Aim and research question.
  • Theory and method.
  • Relation to the international research front including the most important international work in the field of research.
  • Schedule and expected results.
  • The applicant’s qualifications and competence to conduct the project.

NB! The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions above, that all documents are scanned (as a single PDF file) and that the file has reached the University through the e-recruitment portal no later than the application deadline.

Conditions

The appointment is a fixed-term position for a maximum of two years and is full time in accordance with “Agreement on fixed-term employment as a postdoc” between labour market parties dated 4 September 2008 (Swedish Agency for Government Employers, OFRs, SACO-S and SEKO).

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset. We kindly decline all sales and marketing contacts.

To apply, please click the button “Login and apply”

Type of employment Temporary position longer than 6 months
Contract type Full time
First day of employment 1 October or by agreement
Salary Monthly salary
Number of positions 1
Working hours 100
City Lund
County Skåne län
Country Sweden
Reference number PA2020/1282
Contact
Union representative
  • OFR/ST:Fackförbundet ST:s kansli, 046-222 93 62
  • SACO:Saco-s-rådet vid Lunds universitet, 046-222 93 64
Published 18.May.2020
Last application date 18.Jun.2020 11:59 PM CET

Author: Aisseco

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