Vacature: Professor of International Studies with a specialization in Global History

Leiden University is looking for a full Professor of International Studies with a specialization in Global History. The successful applicant will especially contribute to the BA / MA programmes in International Studies, and other programs and courses as required. S/he will hold an appointment at the Leiden University Institute for History. S/he will be based in The Hague and Leiden. Leiden University aims to employ more women in areas where they are underrepresented. Women are therefore especially invited to apply.

Institute for History

The Leiden Institute for History is one of the seven research institutes of the Faculty of Humanities. The Institute was ranked 19th in the 2012 QS World University Ranking, and as such number 1 outside the English speaking world. The Institute’s strong international orientation and focus on the study of European, American, Asian and African societies in a global context gives the Institute a unique character, both in Dutch academia and beyond.

International Studies

International Studies at the Faculty of Humanities is a new programme which studies the political, cultural, historical and economic developments in various parts of the world, in their mutual dependence. International Studies started in September 2012, and it attracts a wide, international student body. The programme consists of a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree and is taught in English. The BA degree is housed in The Hague; the MA programme is based in Leiden.

The Bachelor degree in International Studies combines four disciplinary approaches (history, politics, economics, and culture) with area studies and language training. It explicitly links global, regional and national trends and developments. International Studies enables students to focus on a region of their own choice (Europe, Russia and Eurasia, North America, Latin America, Africa, East Asia, South-and South-East Asia, and the Middle East), but always within a comparative global and historical context.

The programme trains students to effectively understand and communicate the complexities of today’s world, encouraging them to cultivate a truly international mind-set that is culturally aware and to develop the conceptual tools necessary to address global problems today.

The MA programme in International Studies emphasizes a critical approach to the study of international relations that engages with alternative analytical frameworks and cultural standpoints. It is designed to challenge students to critically reflect upon key concepts and theoretical frameworks in the study of international relations from historical and area studies perspectives.

The chair in International Studies with a specialization in Global History in the International Studies degrees, links the different parts of the world in their temporal and spatial contexts. It examines the connections, the differences and similarities between cultures, societies and polities. Global History investigates how regions and countries were affected by and how they impacted global developments. It offers insights into the origins and development of the issues and ideas that concern societies today, and how people construct and use these ‘histories’. Global History provides International Studies students with the contextual and historical knowledge to develop a deeper understanding of the similarities and differences between their own region of study and others, as well as to situate their own region within a larger, global environment.

The chair in International Studies with a specialization in Global History is expected to take a central and visible role in the administration and the presentation of the new degree in International Studies. He / she will contribute to the management of the programme at the BA and MA levels, to the introduction of International Studies to prospective students, and to the representation of the field to external audiences and media.

Tasks

• Original research involving primary sources within the broad framework of ‘Global History’.
• Teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, in lecture and seminar formats; primarily in International Studies BA and MA programs;
• Initiation and supervision of postgraduate research;
• Acquisition of project funding at the national, European and international level;
• Contribution to administration on various levels of academic leadership;
• Representation of the field to external audiences and media.

Functie-eisen

We seek a scholar of wide intellectual scope. Specialization in terms of region and themes is open, but given the ambitions of the research area ‘Global interactions of people, cultures and power’ and the requirements of the International Studies degree we are particularly interested in candidates with a teaching and research focus on contemporary, i.e. post-1945, global history. We expect the candidate to have a demonstrable transnational perspective and research expertise and (language) skills in at least two world-regions, one of them being Europe and/or the Atlantic.

We expect the successful candidate to have

• Excellent research qualities, visible in a PhD degree and a high-quality, internationally acces­sible re­search and publication record;
• Demonstrable commitment to high-quality teaching practice, and broad teaching scope and thesis supervision;
• Disciplinary expertise in History, openness to interdisciplinary cooperation; and the ability to integrate his/her disciplinary knowledge with regional-historical perspectives;
• Ability to acquire funding for and manage international research projects;
• Demonstrated administrative, management and leadership abilities;
• An excellent command of English. If the successful candidate is not Dutch-speaking, s/he is expected to have acquired a good command of Dutch within two years from taking up duty. The Faculty will make resources available to this end.

Arbeidsvoorwaarden

The successful candidate is eligible for a permanent, fulltime appointment, provided his or her suitability is determined on the basis of previous experience as a full professor, and provided s/he has successfully completed a tenure track. In other cases an appointment is initially for a period of five years, convertible into a permanent position pending satisfactory performance.

The gross monthly salary is € 5.003,- to € 7.285,- per month, commensurate with qualifications. This is based upon a fulltime employment and in conformity with current salary scales under the collective employment agreement (cao) for Dutch Universities.

An appointment with Leiden University includes pension build-up and other benefits; these include an annual holiday premium of 8%, an end-of-year premium of 8.3%. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break. More information about the terms of employment can be found here.

Organisatie

Leiden University

Leiden is a typical university city, hosting the oldest university in the Netherlands (1575). The University permeates the local surroundings; University premises are scattered throughout the city, and the students who live and study in Leiden give the city its relaxed yet vibrant atmosphere.

Leiden University is one of Europe’s foremost research universities. This prominent position gives our graduates a leading edge in applying for academic posts and for functions outside academia.

Additionele informatie

Queries to Prof. Wim van den Doel, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities (h.w.van.den.doel@hum.leidenuniv.nl), with cc. to Prof. André Gerrits (a.w.m.gerrits@hum.leidenuniv.nl), chair of the International Studies degree.

How to apply
Applications should be in English, and electronically be submitted in a PDF-document, named ‘Family name – given name – vacancy number’. This document should include, in this order:

• CV including education and employment history, publications, courses devised / taught (including assessments), grant and awards, and linguistic capabilities;
• A letter of motivation including a personal vision of International Studies with a specialization in Global History within the context of International Studies (2 pages max.);
• Names, positions and email addresses of three referees (no reference letters);
• A research agenda including titles and outlines of (potential) individual or team projects (2 pages max.)
• A teaching statement relevant to International Studies at BA and MA level (2 pages max..).

Please submit your application (with the vacancy number mentioned in the letter of motivation and in the subject line of the e-mail) before 15 August 2014.

The candidate will be asked to give a lecture as part of the application procedure, and may be required to participate in a management assessment.