The Faculty of Humanities Leiden University and the Roosevelt Institute for American Studies (RIAS) are pleased to announce a vacancy for a
Professor by special appointment (bijzonder hoogleraar) for the chair “Transatlantic Environmental History,” 1 day per week (0.2 fte)
Vacancy number: 22-756 13191
Since its founding in the 1960s and 1970s, environmental history—broadly defined as the study of human interaction with the natural world over time—has become one of the most innovative and important subdisciplines within the historical academic community. Environmental history has indeed broadened historical inquiries into a wide range of themes by revealing how human interactions with the natural world have affected, undergirded, and been influenced by global events. Recent studies of environmental history have for example deepened historians’ understandings of a wide variety of themes that include (but are not limited to) human rights, warfare, state and nation formation, international relations, economic development, social (in)equalities, asymmetrical dependencies, world systems analysis, and culture.
Transatlantic environmental history has become ever more pressing in recent years, as historians deepen their inquiries into the social, cultural, economic, and political ties that have linked the Atlantic world in facing common challenges related to climate change, water management, nuclear waste, etc.
The RIAS is committed to further developing academic and public understandings of transatlantic cooperation and challenges related to environmental themes writ large, especially those most pressing to American and Dutch society in the modern era. At present the RIAS is developing a new research profile in environmental history centered around the theme of “sustainable freedom,” which links the past and present of collective environmental issues to human rights.
More information about the new research profile can be found here.
Key Responsibilities
• To conduct scholarly research in the field of Transatlantic Environmental History
• To initiate, stimulate, and supervise doctoral research.
• To bring the field to the attention of a wider audience, in the Netherlands and abroad, by means of lectures and publications in conventional and new media.
• To help organize academic and public activities (including conferences, lectures, and symposia) in the field of Transatlantic Environmental History at the Roosevelt Institute for American Studies in Middelburg.
• To participate in a relevant research programme at the Institute for History.
• Administrative duties.
Selection Criteria
• You hold a PhD degree in a relevant field.
• You have a solid international research portfolio and reputation in Transatlantic Environmental History.
• You have experience in supervising PhD research.
• You are able to attract research funding.
• You are proficient in English and preferably also in Dutch.
• You have affinity with and capacity for teamwork, collegiality and social leadership in an intercultural work environment.
Diversity and Inclusion
Leiden University’s Institute for History embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized backgrounds to apply.
Terms and conditions
The chair is installed at Leiden University at the Institute for History for a period of five years for one day per week (0,2 fte). The professor by special appointment will not be employed by the University; the CAO NU is not applicable. Therefore, it is necessary that the professor to be appointed is already employed elsewhere. The RIAS finances the chair and the location for the professors’ activities is Middelburg.
For the remuneration of the professor, a connection is sought as much as possible with the scaling amounts of an Associate Professor 2 CAO NU. As an indication: a minimum of € 5.506,- and a maximum of € 7.362,- gross for 38 hours.
The starting date is 1 September 2023 or sooner if possible.
Further Information
Enquiries may be directed to the Director of RIAS, prof. dr. Damian Pargas, via e-mail: d.a.pargas@hum.leidenuniv.nl.
Applications
Please submit your applications for the combined professorship before 20 January 2023 via the recruitment system of University Leiden by clicking on the blue button on that page. In your application – in the form of a single PDF file – please include the following items in the following order:
• Application letter, including a vision of the working field of the chair (max. 2 pages)
• CV, including education, positions filled, employers, publication list, courses designed and given, research projects, grants and prizes, etc.
• Names and contact details of three referees (no reference letters at this stage)
The selection procedure may include a trial lecture. The interviews for invited candidates are expected to take place in February and March 2023.
For more information about the Faculty of Humanities and the RIAS, please click here for the full document.