Postdoctal Researcher: Islamic Philosophy (ALIVE project)

Employment

1.0 FTE

Gross monthly salary

€ 4,332 - € 5,929

Required background

PhD

Organizational unit

Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies

Application deadline

07 March 2024

Apply now

Would you like to carry out cutting-edge research in the history of Islamic philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies? Are you interested in exploring Arabic texts as part of a pioneering project? If yes, then we'd love to hear from you!
As a postdoctoral researcher in the ERC-funded project 'Avicenna Live: The Immediate Context of Avicenna's Intellectual Formation' (ALIVE), you will be responsible for one of its four subprojects and explore Avicenna's relationship to his own students and the ways in which his engagement with his contemporaries had a bearing on his own intellectual development. In addition you will write a monograph alongside peer-reviewed articles that push the frontier of knowledge about the immediate reception history of Avicenna's philosophy in the eastern parts of the Islamic world.
You will independently explore, read, understand, and translate editions and manuscripts of primary texts in the original languages. The goal will be to connect the ideas expressed in them acutely and critically with the philosophy of Avicenna and to situate them within the development of philosophy in the Islamic world. It is essential that you have an excellent grasp of Avicenna's main works and his thought, of the required languages (especially Arabic but ideally also Persian), and of the history of philosophy more generally (including ancient and late-ancient philosophy), have ample experience in working with Islamic manuscripts, and are able to conduct high-quality research independently.
You will be part of a newly forming research group funded by an ERC Starting Grant. You will report to the PI of ALIVE (Andreas Lammer) and work in close collaboration with the project team. What is more, ALIVE is embedded within the Center for the History of Philosophy and Science (CHPS), an internationally recognised research unit at Radboud University.

Profile

• You have a PhD in the history of Islamic philosophy (Philosophy, Arabic Studies, or Islamic Studies) and ideally have published a monograph (or have a contract for a forthcoming monograph) on Avicenna, his philosophy, and the reception thereof.
• You have worked on the philosophy of Avicenna, with a focus on his reception and his Aristotelian context, and are knowledgeable about the context of his immediate followers and students.
• You show versatility in working with Islamic manuscripts in Arabic (and ideally also Persian), and are able to read, understand, translate, and interpret classical texts at a high level.
• You have published your scholarly work in respected venues and are an active contributor in the field.
• You possess organisation sensitivity, are flexible, proactive and service-oriented, and have good social and communication skills.
• You have an excellent command of English, both orally and in writing.
• Ideally you also have credible affinities with the field of digital humanities and are interested in contributing to the development of a digital online environment.

We are

ALIVE is a new research project within the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious studies funded by a Starting Grant from the European Research Council. It seeks to explore a unique set of essential yet hitherto widely neglected source texts for the immediate context of the intellectual development of Muslim polymath Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā, d. 428/1037) and to offer a new digital approach to the study of diverse and difficult textual corpora.
Staff and students in the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies reflect on the great challenges of our time, exploring concepts, belief systems and worldviews. In this way they provide philosophical and religious context to societal debate and contribute to the analysis and solution of major societal challenges. The faculty has over 180 staff, organised in eight academic departments and four support departments. Our academics collaborate in six research centres and teach more than 1,000 students.
Our staff and students are committed to scholarship and research. The lines of communication are short and each individual student and staff member is given ample attention. We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity contributes to the quality of teaching and research. We welcome staff whose diversity in background and perspective contributes to the diversity of our faculty. As an employer, we are constantly investing in the professional development of our staff.
You can find more about our mission and vision on the 'About PTRS ' page.

Radboud University
At Radboud University, we aim to make an impact through our work. We achieve this by conducting groundbreaking research, providing high-quality education, offering excellent support, and fostering collaborations within and outside the university. In doing so, we contribute indispensably to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. To accomplish this, we need even more colleagues who, based on their expertise, are willing to search for answers. We advocate for an inclusive community and welcome employees with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. Will you also contribute to making the world a little better? You have a part to play.
 
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We offer

• It concerns an employment for 1.0 FTE.
• The gross monthly salary amounts to a minimum of €4,332 and a maximum of €5,929 based on a 38-hour working week, depending on previous education and number of years of relevant work experience (salary scale 11 ).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• It concerns a temporary employment for 3 years.
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services . Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Additional employment conditions
Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions . You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

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Would you like more information?
For questions about the position, please contact Andreas Lammer, Associate professor, at [email protected] .
Practical information and applying
You can apply until 7 March 2024, exclusively using the button below. Kindly address your application to Andreas Lammer. Please fill in the application form and attach the following documents:

• A letter of motivation.
• Your CV, including a publication list and the contact details of two references.
• A writing sample in English (e.g. a published article, doctoral dissertation, or forthcoming publication).
• Samples of your own translations of Arabic (and if possible also Persian) texts by Avicenna and/or figures in the Avicennian tradition translated into good and fluent English. These samples (max. 6 pages) should contain the original text and your translation next to it.

The first round of interviews will take place on Thursday 21 March. You would preferably begin employment as soon as possible.
We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure . It offers a rough outline of what you can expect during the application process, how we handle your personal data and how we deal with internal and external candidates. If you wish to apply for a non-scientific position with a non-EU nationality, please take notice of the following information .
Apply now Application deadline 07 March 2024

We would like to recruit our new colleague ourselves. Acquisition in response to this vacancy will not be appreciated.

Would you like more information?
Dr A.H. Lammer (Andreas)
Associate professor
[email protected]

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• Work at Radboud University (i.e. have an employment contract with Radboud University).
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• Work as a temporary employee at, or have been seconded to, Radboud University.

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Last modified: 21 February 2024
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