Postdoctoral researcher digital history

Department: Department of History
Regime Full-time

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The Department of History in the Faculty of Arts is looking for a full-time (100%) postdoctoral researcher in the field of Digital History

DiplomatiCon – A Connected history of Medieval Mediterranean Diplomacy: The Mamluk Sultanate, Italy and the Crown of Aragon (14th -15th  century)

The Mediterranean is often seen as a dividing border between two worlds: North and South; Christian and Muslim. This pattern has been mostly influenced and supported by nationalist historiographies, which tended to create borders and accentuate differences between areas that were originally connected. DiplomatiCon-project aims precisely to break free from this one-sided view on the history of the region and to present the first example of History of Diplomacy that truly reflects the late medieval context of interactions and exchanges between the Islamic and Christian worlds. Based on the approaches and methodologies advocated by the New Diplomatic History and Connected History, the project will focus on the three most important actors of the late medieval world — the Mamluk Sultanate of Cairo on the Islamic side and the Italian polities as well as the Crown of Aragon on the Christian side— and it will challenge the common narratives of political and cultural antagonism between the two worlds by pointing at the spheres of contact and interaction where an informal type of diplomacy could be performed. This approach will allow to reveal the whole set of actors and agents involved in the diplomatic process, as well as the huge and extended network they built throughout the entire Mediterranean sphere. Finally, it will show how this network facilitated a broad range of cultural transfers among the various participants.

DiplomatiCon is a research project funded by the EOS (Excellence of Science) programme of the F.R.S.-FNRS and the FWO-Flanders. It is a collaboration between UAntwerp (Malika Dekkiche and Iason Jongepier) and ULiège (Frédéric Bauden), with the UniMol, UniBo (Isabella Lazzarini), and the IMF – CSIC (Roser Salicrú I Lluch).

Position

• You will conduct research in the field of Digital History, especially on social networks and space of the Medieval Mediterranean region using state-of-the-art techniques.
• You will assist in the supervision and training of PhD students with Digital Humanities techniques.
• You will fulfil a limited number of teaching activities in the History Department.
• You will take part actively to the research activities and meetings of the DiplomatiCon team (yearly workshop and monthly seminars).
• You will present your research at international conferences and extend your academic network.
• You will publish scientific articles related to the research project.
• You will take part to the DiplomatiCondissemination activities, such as the blog, podcast/webinar and exhibition.

Profile

• You hold a PhD in Humanities or Geography, or equivalent, (or you will have obtained it by the time you start work).
• You must have experience in quantitative socio-spatial analysis (network analysis, GIS).
• You have experience in teaching and have pedagogical skills.
• You have interest in medieval history and paleography.
• You have a strong research profile that fits into one of the research groups of the Department of History (Centre for Urban History and Power in History: Centre for Political History).
• Your research qualities are in line with the faculty and university research policies .
• You act with attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation.
• You can speak and write fluently in English (working language for team meetings and publications).
• You are quality-oriented, conscientious, creative and cooperative.

What we offer

• We offer an open-ended contractas postdoctoral researcher (with end of contract in 2027).
• Your gross monthly salary is calculated according to the pay scale  for a principal research fellow in the Contract Research Staff category (Dutch: Bijzonder Academisch Personeel, BAP).
• You will receive ecocheques, and a bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.
• The planned start date is 1 September 2023 or as soon after as possible
• You will do most of your work at the Brantijser (History Department of Antwerp university) in a dynamic and stimulating working environment.
• Opportunity to travel to the Italian and Catalan archives during the first two years.
• Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp here .

Want to apply?

• You can apply for this vacancy through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform up to and including 25 May 2023 (by midnight Brussels time). Click on ‘apply’, complete the online application form and don’t forget to include the following document(s): (1) a motivation letter, (2) your academic CV, (3) PhD thesis, (4) copies of diplomas.
• The selection committee will review all of the applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. As soon as a decision has been made, we will inform you about the next steps in the selection procedure. Please take note of the following date 15 June 2023 (interview)
• If you have any questions about the online application form, please check the frequently asked questions  or send an email to [email protected] . If you have any questions about the job itself, please contact Prof. Dr. Malika Dekkiche, [email protected]

The University of Antwerp received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award  for its HR policy. We are a sustainable, family-friendly organisation which invests in its employees’ growth. We encourage diversity  and attach great importance to an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply.