Scientific Assistant - 50%

(ref. BAP-2021-656)

Laatst aangepast : 23/08/2021

The CELSA Project COHERE at KU Leuven, with partners Johan Skytte Institute for Political Studies at the University of Tartu and the Department of Security Studies at Charles University in Prague is hiring a part time scientific assistant (50%) for a period of two years (October 2021 – October 2023). Project The CELSA project “Contested Heritage. A multilevel analysis of the securitization of heritage and its challenges for EU and UN actorness (COHERE)” is an interdisciplinary project which aims to evaluate the discourse and actions undertaken by the European Union and the United Nations when faced with serious challenges for heritage diplomacy. In recent years, countries of Eastern and Central Europe have been confronted with new forms of heritage policies. European and international organizations tend to focus on the opportunities of heritage diplomacy for this region, yet in times of (violent) conflict, states and organizations turn heritage into an object of security through discursive actions. This is currently the case in Eastern Europe, where Ukrainian and Russian parties contest and claim heritage by disseminating security narratives. It is also the case in Central Europe and the Baltic states, where Russian memory politics are contested by local political communities. Several diplomatic incidents centered around monuments unveiled conflicting perceptions of historical debt in Central and Eastern European countries. Increasingly, states resort to actions of securitization that target common history and shared heritage. What are the challenges for the European Union and the United Nations as actors of heritage diplomacy in such cases of conflict? The COHERE consortium in Leuven, Tartu and Prague aims to create a methodological framework to analyze EU and UN actorness in cases of conflicting heritage claims. We will look at cases like decommunization laws in Ukraine that target unwanted heritage, and the use of diplomatic policy tools to reinforce memory politics in Estonia and the Czech Republic. These cases offer an opportunity to test the link between EU and UN discourses and actorness.

Responsibilities

•    You will be part of an international group of researchers at the history department of the Faculty of Arts (KU Leuven) and the broader interdisciplinary research community at KU Leuven.
•    You will be responsible for the follow up of the KU Leuven part of the project, which focuses on the decommunization cases. This will entail collecting data through archive research and interviews, and NVivo analysis.
•    You will contribute to the dissemination of the research insights and results through the organization of a workshop, the collaboration on a special issue, conference presentations and the publication of academic articles.
•    You will work as a member of the team towards other project applications linked to the project.
•    You will be responsible for the communication of the project, both as a liaison between KU Leuven and the partner universities as well as on social media, where you will give regular updates of the project’s activities and progress.

Profile

•    You have an excellent academic record and a Master's degree in History, European Studies, International Relations, International Law or Heritage Studies.
•    You have strong interest in academic research, with a focus on contemporary East European history, international relations, and/or heritage studies and a proven knowledge of international relations theory.
•    You have excellent organizational and communication skills. You value public outreach and you are willing to communicate broadly about the project (via popularizing articles, social media, …)
•    You have good presentation skills, and can present the COHERE research at international conferences
•    You have excellent language proficiency in English. Proficiency in Russian or Ukrainian is a plus.
•    You are a team player, and will actively seek connections with the senior team members by supporting them in the planned editorial work and by organizing the planned COHERE workshops.

Offer

•    We offer a 50% position as a scientific assistant for two years.
•    Master students who graduate in September are encouraged to apply.
•    The planned start date is 1 October 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter.
•    You will be working in a stimulating international work environment as part of the Research Group Modernity and Society at the Faculty of Arts, in close cooperation with the co-promotors at the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies and the Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation.

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Lien Verpoest, tel.: +32 16 32 49 61, mail: [email protected].

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