Applications are invited for the position of one early stage -- or doctoral -- researcher 36 months, full time) in Diaspora Studies to work on a project situated within the area of literary studies at the Westfaelische Wilhelms-Universitaet Muenster, Germany.

Marie Curie Initial Training Network "Diasporic Constructions of Home and Belonging" (CoHaB)

All over the world, stable concepts of home and belonging have, for a variety of reasons, become the exception rather than the rule, which has led to dramatic cultural, social and political changes and challenges. The study of diaspora and migration has evolved into a burgeoning field which sets an urgent research agenda for our time. The EU-funded trans-national network CoHaB comprises acknowledged Diaspora Studies experts from the universities of Muenster, Oxford, SOAS, Stockholm, Mumbai and Northampton, as well as several non-academic partners. Committed to excellence in facilitating research for scholars in the early phases of their careers, the network is united in the conviction that interdisciplinary and transnational training as well as international and inter-sectoral co-operation are key to any productive study of diaspora. Applicants must document research interests and expertise in relevant fields, especially literary studies, law, and diaspora studies and be willing to network across academic and non-academic institutions as part of their research.

Research training within a variety of disciplinary environments, both academic and extramural, is central to the CoHaB network. Secondments to associated non-academic partners will help Marie Curie Research Fellows in Diaspora Studies to gain insight into specific diaspora-related, extramural fields of work, and also integrate the findings rising from their work experience with their academic work. Close co-operation within the network will allow researchers from various disciplinary backgrounds to join forces and develop their projects on a shared platform.

Applicants will be expected to engage in a continuing dialogue about the methodology, theory, and terminology of diaspora studies as a transdiscipline. In the context of the specific project, this entails literary/cultural studies, law, and post-colonial studies.

The project undertakes to examine, by the example of select works of contemporary post-colonial literature, representations of the impact of legal systems on migration and constructions of home and belonging in the diaspora. Drawing on legal theory and cultural studies, the focus will be on legal questions involving diasporic communities, especially processes of assimilation and integration and their representation in law and in literature. We invite applications suggesting specific corpuses for analysis.

The researcher will be employed by the WWU Muenster on a full-time basis as a PhD student, with a gross salary of 37,392 € p.a. and full social security benefits. The position also includes a monthly mobility allowance as well as ample funds to participate in training activities of the CoHaB network and in international conferences.

• have a first class Master’s degree (or equivalent) in one of the following areas: literary studies, law, postcolonial studies
• have less than four years of research experience and must not yet have been awarded a doctoral degree
• not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Germany for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment
• have previous experience (academic and/or extra-mural) in the field of diaspora studies, preferably from a legal perspective
• have an excellent command of English (spoken and written)
• satisfy the eligibility criteria for fellowships in Marie Curie Initial Training Networks

• a curriculum vitae (including information on nationality and place of residence for the past three years),
• academic record (including transcripts),
• letter of motivation,
• two letters of reference,
• a short proposal (2,000 words) for a research project

Formal evaluation of candidates will begin on February 29, 2012, and continue until the position is filled. The successful candidate is expected to join CoHaB by April 2012.

CoHaB is committed to equal opportunities and encourages applications from all sections of the international community worldwide.

(posted 28 January 2012)

Applications are invited for the position of one early stage -- or doctoral -- researcher (36 months, full time) in Diaspora Studies to work on a project situated within the area of literary and film studies at the Westfaelische Wilhelms-Universitaet Muenster, Germany.

All over the world, stable concepts of home and belonging have, for a variety of reasons, become the exception rather than the rule, which has led to dramatic cultural, social and political changes and challenges. The study of diaspora and migration has evolved into a burgeoning field which sets an urgent research agenda for our time. The EU-funded trans-national network CoHaB comprises acknowledged Diaspora Studies experts from the universities of Muenster, Oxford, SOAS, Stockholm, Mumbai and Northampton, as well as several non-academic partners. Committed to excellence in facilitating research for scholars in the early phases of their careers, the network is united in the conviction that interdisciplinary and transnational training as well as international and inter-sectoral co-operation are key to any productive study of diaspora. Applicants must document research interests and expertise in relevant fields, especially literary studies, film studies and diaspora studies and be willing to network across academic and non-academic institutions as part of their research.

Research training within a variety of disciplinary environments, both academic and extramural, is central to the CoHaB network. Secondments to associated non-academic partners will help Marie Curie Research Fellows in Diaspora Studies to gain insight into specific diaspora-related, extramural fields of work, and also integrate the findings rising from their work experience with their academic work. Close co-operation within the network will allow researchers from various disciplinary backgrounds to join forces and develop their projects on a shared platform.

Applicants will be expected to engage in a continuing dialogue about the methodology, theory, and terminology of diaspora studies as a transdiscipline. In the context of the specific project, this entails literary/cultural studies, film studies, and sociology.

This project will combine the analysis of novels, plays and poems that deal with forms of contemporary globalisation and diasporic subjects with the critical reading of theorists of globalisation and diaspora and the discussion of contemporary films. In particular, it will focus on aspects on a local level that connect diasporic individuals around the globe. Which strategies − aesthetic, narrative, theoretical − do writers, artists and other diasporic agents use to refer to the dynamic relationship between global identity and rooted subjectivity? We invite applications suggesting specific corpuses for analysis.

The researcher will be employed by the WWU Muenster on a full-time basis as a PhD student, with a gross salary of 37,392 € p.a. and full social security benefits. The position also includes a monthly mobility allowance as well as ample funds to participate in training activities of the CoHaB network and in international conferences.

• have a first class Master’s degree (or equivalent) in one of the following areas: literary studies or film studies
• have less than four years of research experience and must not yet have been awarded a doctoral degree
• not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Germany for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment
• have previous experience (academic and/or extra-mural) in the field of diaspora studies, especially from a literary or film studies perspective
• have an excellent command of English (spoken and written)
• satisfy the eligibility criteria for fellowships in Marie Curie Initial Training Networks

• a curriculum vitae (including information on nationality and place of residence for the past three years),
• academic record (including transcripts),
• letter of motivation,
• two written references,
• a short proposal (2,000 words) for a research project

Formal evaluation of candidates will begin on February 29, 2012, and continue until the position is filled. The successful candidate is expected to join CoHaB by April 2012.

CoHaB is committed to equal opportunities and encourages applications from all sections of the international community worldwide.

(posted 28 January 2012)

The Department of Studies in Drama and Pre-1800 Literature at the University of Lodz, Poland, is advertising a lectureship position in Irish Studies. 

- The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to shaping and developing the newly established Irish Studies Specialization.
- The appointee will deliver classes and lectures in the broadly defined field of Irish Studies with special emphasis placed on literature, culture and politics of contemporary Ireland.
- Additional duties will include the assessment of students’ progress, providing feedback to B.A. and M.A students who wish to carry on research within Irish Studies as well as contributing to the design of new course modules. 
- The successful candidate is expected to have completed his/her PhD in the field related to Irish Studies.
- The appointee will have a significant record of publications, conference participation and teaching experience.
- He or she is expected to carry out research in line with the Department’s field of study.

Each candidate is asked to complete an application form (to be downloaded here). The completed application forms must be returned to dr Michal Lachman <milach@poczta.wp.pl>.

(posted 16 January 2012)

The position is intended for a native speaker of English. The required qualifications for a University Lecturer are a doctoral degree in a relevant field and good teaching skills. The appointment is permanent and will be made from 1 August 2012. The salary of the post is placed on levels 5-7 of the job demands level chart for teaching and research staff in the Finnish universities' salary system (2 714.54 - 3 662.25 €/month + personal performance component max. 46.3%).

English language studies at the School of Humanities  are offered in two major subjects: English Language and Culture, and English Language and Translation. The duties of the university lecturer involve teaching courses in English language as well as English literature and culture at the basic, intermediate and advanced levels, as well as supervising academic theses in the field. The duties also involve teaching grammar and language skills courses.
In addition to the teaching duties, the tasks of the university lecturer also involve the coordination and development of the field’s education and the university lecturer is expected to participate in the field’s research, researcher training and research projects. Research into English language and culture at the School of Humanities focuses on ethnic and postcolonial literature, contemporary literature, popular literature and popular culture, as well as modern English grammar, regional and social language variation, language contacts and second language learning.

Applicants must submit a letter of application addressed to the Faculty concerned and the following documents: a certified résumé or CV; copies of the applicant’s academic degree certificates; copies of certificates relating to the applicant’s language proficiency, if not indicated in the degree certificates; a list of publications; and a portfolio of teaching merits (instructions available). Applications should be sent to University of Eastern Finland, Registry Office, P. O. Box 111, 80101 Joensuu, FINLAND, Fax. +358-13 251 2050. The closing date for applications is Tuesday 31 January 2011 3 pm (Finnish time). Official call for applications is at http://www.uef.fi/uef/avoimet-tyopaikat

- Professor Risto Turunen, Head of the School of Humanities +358-50-4329 521, <risto.turunen@uef.fi>
- and Mr Kari Korhonen, Director of Faculty Administration +358-50-4323 826, <kari.korhonen@uef.fi>.

(posted 9 January 2012)

New York University Abu Dhabi seeks to appoint two leading scholars at the level of associate or full professor in the fields of Shakespeare Studies (especially Global Shakespeare) and World Literature, with preference for scholars working in the field of Arabic Literature. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to play an integral role in fashioning an international research university oriented around the liberal arts. We are looking for a literary scholar who maintains an active agenda of research, has substantial publications, and has demonstrated commitment to undergraduate teaching. Experienced junior scholars with substantial records of publication may also be considered.

New York University has established itself as a Global Network University, a multi- site, organically connected network encompassing key global cities and idea capitals. The network has three foundational, degree-granting campuses: New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai, complemented by a network of over 15 research and study-away sites across five continents. Faculty and students will circulate within this global network in pursuit of common research interests, the promotion of cross-cultural understanding and solutions for problems, both local and global.

Entering its second year, NYU Abu Dhabi has already recruited a cohort of faculty who are at once distinguished in their research and teaching.
Our first two classes of students are drawn from around the world and surpass all traditional recruitment benchmarks, both US and global. NYU Abu Dhabi's highly selective liberal arts enterprise is complemented by an institute for advanced research, sponsoring cutting-edge projects across the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences, and Engineering.

The terms of employment are competitive and include housing and educational subsidies for children. Faculty may also spend time at NYU New York and other sites of the global network, engaging in both research and teaching opportunities. The appointment might begin as soon as September 1, 2012, or could be delayed until September 1, 2013.

Applications for tenure-track positions are due by February 1; applications received later will be reviewed until the positions are filled. To be considered, candidates should submit a cover letter, Curriculum Vitae, statements of research and teaching, all in PDF format.  Junior candidates are asked to submit sample publications and three letters of reference as well. Please visit our website http://nyuad.nyu.edu/human.resources/open.positions.html

(posted 9 January 2012)

The successful applicant must have native-speaker or near-native speaker competence in English. Besides his/her perfect command of both spoken and written English, the candidate should also have a wide experience of teaching at university level in the combined fields of English, English synchronic linguistics and its theoretical foundations, and the history of the English language. The successful applicant will, moreover, have a proven track record of research and international publications in English Linguistics. Upon appointment, the candidate will be expected to be at least fluent enough in French in order to cover certain contrastive aspects of French and English in his/her courses, as well as to be able to cope with the day-to-day interactions within a French-speaking work environment. Native English speakers entering the appointment with an intermediate level of fluency in French will be given a period of three years to perfect their command of the language.

The successful applicant for this full-time professorship will be in charge of lectures geared towards English-language majors. These lectures will cover advanced-level English, English synchronic linguistics (including its theoretical foundations), as well as the history of English and a general survey of the main stages in its diachronic development. The appointee will be expected to teach both at BA and MA levels. His/her target audience will primarily consist of students who specialise in English but are non-native speakers.

Preference will be given to applicants capable of emphasising one or more of the following areas in their courses: the theoretical foundations of English synchronic linguistics; English as a world/global language; the varieties of English; text and corpus linguistics; the contrastive linguistics of English and French. The appointee will also be expected to develop his/her research in one or more of these fields.

For further information, please contact the Head of the Department of Languages and Literatures, Prof. Dan VAN RAEMONCK (phone: 32 2 650 44 42 fax: 32 2 650 24 50 e-mail: <dan.van.raemdonck@ulb.ac.be>).

- A curriculum vitae (a standard model can be downloaded at http://www.ulb.ac.be/tools/CV-type.rtf)
- A text detailing the applicant's teaching practice and philosophy
- A text of approx. 3,500 characters outlining the applicant's future research project(s)
- A text of approx. 3,500 characters giving an overview of the applicant's most important publications to date.

Recteur de Université Libre de Bruxelles
avenue F. Roosevelt, 50
1050 Bruxelles (Belgium).

If prior to his/her appointment, the successful applicant does not already belong to the teaching or research staff of ULB, or is not working for ULB as a fellow with tenure at the "Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique" (National Research Foundation), the initial appointment will be for a limited term and will not exceed 5 (five) years maximum, with the possibility of permanent tenure being granted at the end of this period subject to review by the University Board of Administrators.

(posted 16 December 2011)

Founded in 1911, The University of Hong Kong is committed to the highest international standards of excellence in teaching and research, and has been at the international forefront of academic scholarship for many years. The University has a comprehensive range of study programmes and research disciplines spread across 10 faculties and about 100 sub-divisions of studies and learning. There are over 23,400 undergraduate and postgraduate students coming from 50 countries, and more than 1,200 members of academic and academic-related staff, many of whom are internationally renowned.

Applications are invited for appointment as Assistant Professor in English Linguistics in the School of English, tenable from September 1, 2012, on a three-year fixed-term basis, with the possibility of renewal.  An appointee with demonstrated excellence and contributions will be considered for tenure towards the end of the second three-year contract.

The School of English offers an integrated programme in English Studies, including undergraduate teaching and supervision of research students in English and American Literatures, World Literature in English, English Linguistics, World Englishes, Sociolinguistics, Critical Linguistics, and Language Acquisition. It also offers an undergraduate interdisciplinary programme in Language and Communication, which focuses on the study and use of language in multilingual contexts, particularly in Asia, as well as languages in socio-cultural contexts. Further details, including information about the School’s research profile in language and linguistics, can be found at http://www.hku.hk/english. Please note that the School is not involved in ESL teaching.

Applicants should have a Ph.D. degree in a relevant discipline and an active research record and be prepared to teach and supervise at the B.A., M.A., MPhil. and Ph.D. levels. The appointee should be able to contribute to the teaching of both the English Studies programme and the programme in Language and Communication.  Applicants' areas of specialization should include one or more of the following: History of English; any of the core areas of English Linguistics (from a usage-based perspective, including Corpus Linguistics); socio-cultural approaches to language; language and communication.

A globally competitive remuneration package commensurate with the appointee’s qualifications and experience will be offered. At current rates, salaries tax does not exceed 15% of gross income. The appointment will attract a contract-end gratuity and University contribution to a retirement benefits scheme, totalling up to 15% of basic salary, as well as leave, and medical benefits. Housing benefits will be provided as applicable.

Applicants should send an application letter, an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Assistant Registrar (Appointments), Human Resource Section, Registry, The University of Hong Kong by e-mail <r1101098@hku.hk>. Application form (341/1111) can be obtained at http://www.hku.hk/apptunit/form-ext.doc, and further particulars can be obtained at http://www.hku.hk/apptunit/. Shortlisted candidates may be invited to attend an interview.

Closes February 15, 2012. Candidates who are not contacted within 4 months of the closing date may consider their applications unsuccessful.

(posted 21 November 2011)

The Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) is the collaborative research college of the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg; it was founded in 2007 and is funded by the federal and state governments’ Excellence Initiative.

The fellowship is open to teams of one linguist and one literary scholar who collaborate on an innovative research project in the productive interface between linguistics and literature, seek to broaden relevant methodological-theoretical horizons or want to contribute in other ways to the deepening of the exchange between linguistics and literary studies. Both established scientists and junior researchers are eligible; applicants must have completed at least a doctoral degree. Applicants with an international background are especially welcome. This offer is subject to the University of Freiburg’s success in the second round of the Excellence Initiative.

Both winning applicants will be appointed as FRIAS Fellows, with all rights and responsibilities, for a time period of 4-6 months; residence in Freiburg is mandatory, and visible and regular presence at the School is expected. Professors receive a Senior Research Fellowship, and junior researchers a Junior Research Fellowship. The fellowship will be awarded according to individual agreement and - within the upper limits - according to the principle “no loss, no gain.” Under certain conditions FRIAS can finance teaching replacements at the Fellows' home universities.

The Tandem-Fellowship recipients’ project is incorporated into the interdisciplinary research context of FRIAS and the School of Language & Literature (www.frias.uni-freiburg.de); additionally, it should display a high level of scientific ingenuity. Means will be provided for organizing a conference on the tandem group’s linguistic-literary topic; subject to a positive peer review, publication of the research results in the FRIAS book series linguae & litterae (De Gruyter, Berlin/New York) is possible. The Institute offers Fellows well-equipped workplaces and personal research support; comfortable residence is provided in the Freiburg University Guesthouse.

Electronic applications, including CVs, lists of publications and a brief research proposal (junior researchers should also provide three addresses of referees), will be accepted until 15 February 2012. Please send applications to the FRIAS School of Language & Literature's Scientific Coordinator, Dr. Gesa von Essen: <gesa.von-essen@frias.uni-freiburg.de>.

The position is limited to six months. The university seeks to increase the number of participating women and strongly encourages qualified women to apply.
Download the announcement in English or in German.

(posted 11 November 2011)