Assistant Professor – Spirituality and Society

6 Apr 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU)

Research Field

Cultural studies
Language sciences

Researcher Profile

Leading Researcher (R4)
Established Researcher (R3)

Country

Netherlands

Application Deadline

20 Apr 2024 - 21:59 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Permanent

Job Status

Not Applicable

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

The Chair of Hindu Spirituality and Society (Hindu Seminary) at the Faculty of Religion and Theology at Vrije University Amsterdam seeks a highly motivated and dedicated Assistant Professor to teach and conduct empirical research on the impact of spirituality in society with a focus on Hindu spiritual organizations. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the understanding of how spirituality influences various societal key metrics.

Spirituality plays a significant role in shaping various aspects of society, and this position aims to teach, research and promote the empirical dimensions of its impact. This Assistant Professor will be responsible for conducting both quantitative and qualitative research, gathering and analyzing both primary as well as secondary data on societal key metrics, and contributing to the broader understanding of spiritual organizations' (includes Hindu temples) role in contemporary society.

The output from this position will be utilized to strengthen the Hindu spiritual care practice and to address the needs of the Hindu community in the Netherlands through programs, courses, masterclasses and other communication channels. Furthermore we envision strengthening the position of spirituality as a discipline contributing to various aspects of societyDescribe briefly (within 3-4 lines) what the position entails. What will the new employee do in this job and what will be his/her responsibilities? DO NOT use bullet lists! Do not use this section to mention the same things that will appear under duties (below).

Your duties

• teaching in relevant academic programs and existing courses such as Spirituality and Sustainability; Yoga, Business & Leadership; and other courses in Hindu spirituality and society
• design and teach master classes, workshops on emerging interdisciplinary themes at the intersection with spirituality and religion
• supervision of BA/MA/PhD thesis research
• conduct empirical research on the impact of Hindu spirituality on societal key metrics, including sustainability, ethics, health and well-being, social cohesion
• gather and analyze data from various sources to identify trends and patterns related to Hindu spirituality's influence on society
• develop and implement research methodologies, including surveys, interviews to gather relevant data.
• collaborate with other researchers and experts in the field
• produce scientific output, including articles published in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at conferences and seminars
• in collaboration, organize and manage research dissemination through magazine, symposium(s), conference(s)
• acquiring didactic skills by giving lectures courses, with the aim of obtaining the BKO-certificate

Requirements
Specific Requirements

• a completed Ph.D. degree in a relevant field such as Religion and Theology, Social Sciences, Behavioural Sciences or any of the related discipline(s).
• good experience in designing and teaching courses at bachelor, post-graduate, master levels.
• proven experience in terms of high quality output in spirituality research (publications, grants, independent projects, past or current positions in the research ecosystem) or themes related to spirituality such as organizational spirituality, religion.
• knowledge and understanding of spirituality, its epistemic dimensions, and its impact on society.
• proficiency in quantitative and qualitative research methods, including statistics and data analysis of secondary datasets.
• proficiency in research tools, techniques and software: R, SPSS, AMOS, Atlas TI/ NVIVO; Bibliometric tools (such as Vosviewer, Bibliometrix); and scoping review techniques
• affinity towards Hindu spirituality and respectful engagement with Hindu way of living.
• ability to operate in a pluralistic and multi-religious context and contribute to interreligious dialogue.
• strong organizational and communication skills including multiple languages for effective communication and research dissemination.

As a University, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

Additional Information
Benefits

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. The Chair of Hindu Spirituality and Society at the Faculty of Religion and Theology offers a stimulating and supportive research environment, access to extensive resources, and opportunities for academic and professional growth. The assistant professor will be part of the department Beliefs & Practices at the Faculty of Religion and Theology.

At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

• a salary of minimum € 4.332,00 (Scale 11) and maximum € 6.737,00 (Scale 12) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Lecturer / Asisstant Professor 1, Lecturer / Asisstant Professor 1. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• a position for at least 0.5 FTE. Your employment contract will initially last 1 year.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• good paid parental leave scheme
• a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge

Additional comments

Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application: a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and two academic references.

Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process.

Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.

Website for additional job details

https://www.academictransfer.com/339943/

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Country

Netherlands

City

Amsterdam

Postal Code

1081HV

Street

De Boelelaan 1105

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.academictransfer.com/en/339943/assistant-professor-spirituality-and…

Contact

City

Amsterdam

Website

http://www.vu.nl/

Street

De Boelelaan 1105

Postal Code

1081 HV

STATUS: EXPIRED