Department

Faculty of Arts

Organisation

University of Groningen

Job description

This postdoc is primarily a research position (although postdocs are expected to spend a maximum of 20% of their appointment on education). The candidate will:

- collect historical, contemporary and analytical maps of the landscapes (including the settlement patterns, their use and their dynamics over time) of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe
- analyze these maps in terms of the information they contain, the purpose for which they were made, their origin and (cultural) setting, etc.
- process these maps in order to integrate them in a digital map application, for which the Historical Map Archive (Tokyo Jisou Maps) is the principal example. The app should run on mobile phones and provide its users information on the landscape and the historical setting of the places they visit
- provide assistance during the development and test phases of the app.

Apart from that, the candidate:

- shares the concept underlying the work of the Section of History and Theory of Architecture and Urbanism, and sees knowledge of the past as crucial for the evolution of architecture and urbanism today
- has in-depth knowledge of the architectural and urban history of Europe from the Middle Ages until the present time
- knows the professional vocabulary of architecture and urbanism in English and Dutch, and knows the ways architecture and urbanism is represented (different types of drawings, maps, etc.), and has the skill to teach these issues (theoretically as well as on site)
- knows how to link architectural and urban history to landscape history and art history, and is willing to teach classes in these sections
- has the capacity to connect architectural and urban history to current practices (including, but not limited to, those of cultural heritage professionals, monument preservation offices, architectural firms, municipal planning offices, management professionals working in spatial planning and related fields)
- is willing to work with professionals from other Departments and Faculties, notably the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies (which shares the responsibility for a joint minor program), the participants in the Expertise Center Architecture, Urbanism and Health: the Faculty of Spatial Sciences, and the University Medical Center of Groningen, and the Expertise Center Landscape History
- knows, within this context, how to continue work in his/her own distinctive field
- is prepared and qualified to contribute to the educational activities of the Section.

Organization
The Faculty of Arts is a large, dynamic faculty in the heart of the city of Groningen. It has more than 5,000 students and 700 staff members, who are working at the frontiers of knowledge every day. The Faculty offers a wide range of degree programs: 16 Bachelor's programs and over 40 Master's tracks. Our research, which is internationally widely acclaimed, covers the following fields: Archaeology, Cultural Studies, History, International Relations, Journalism, Language and Literary Studies, and Linguistics.

In combination with the chair groups of landscape history and art history, the chair group architectural and urban history forms the Department of History of Art, Architecture and Landscape, which is part of a Cluster that also accommodates the Departments of Arts, Culture and Media, and Media studies. The Department uniquely combines the history of the visual arts, urbanism, architectural history and landscapes, and examines the relationships between these domains. Within this setting, the Section of History and Theory of Architecture and Urbanism positions a classical, object-based approach as the basis for addressing contemporary issues, notably in cultural heritage and issues related to the health impacts of architecture, urbanism and public health; the chair group hosts the Expertise Center Architecture, Urbanism and Health, a joint venture of the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Spatial Sciences, and the University Medical Center of Groningen. The Section hosts the Abe Bonnema Chair on that has as its mission ‘a thorough analysis (…) regarding the position and spatial potential of the regional urban centres and their surrounding countryside outside of the polycentric conurbation of the Randstad, with a specific emphasis on Friesland and Groningen (…), focusing on design and research for spatial redevelopment and revitalisation strategies of these rural-urban territories.’ The chair is a joint venture of Groningen University and Delft University of Technoly; Prof. dr. Zef Hemel is the first to hold this position.

The Section History and Theory of Architecture and Urbanism is hiring a postdoc who will be affiliated with the Abe Bonnemachair.

Requirements

- PhD in the field of architectural and urban history and theory, the spatial sciences, geography, or historical cartography, or currently in the final stages of finishing a PhD (defense within half a year from now)
- strong research profile and publication record appropriate to career stage
- willingness to apply for relevant grants
- some experience with administrative duties and/or departmental service and/or professional service is welcomed
- excellent command of Dutch and English.

Conditions of employment

Contract length: 24 months.

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

- a starting salary depending on qualifications and work experience between € 2,960 and € 3,974 (salary scale 10.0 to 10.7) for a full-time position
- in addition, the university offers an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus
- a temporary full-time appointment for a period of 24 months.

Starting date preferably 1 September 2023 or as soon as possible.

Job Application

Applications should include the following:

- cover letter
- full CV, including a list of publications and presentations, as well as a list of courses taught
- a brief research statement (no more than 2 pages) and a sample of written work (5,000 to 10,000 words)
- teaching evaluations
- the names and contact details of three academic references (who will be contacted regarding the candidates who are longlisted).

You may apply for this position until 2 July 11:59pm / before 3 July 2023 Dutch local time (CET) by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website).

Please combine all materials into one file and upload your file as a letter of motivation.

The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage: https://www.rug.nl/[…]/
Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/nl/sollicitatiecode and European Commission's European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code

We provide career services for partners of new faculty members moving to Groningen.

Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated.

Additional information

For additional information, please contact:

Prof. Zef Hemel
j.j.m.hemel@rug.nl

In your application, please always include the job opening ID V23.0399

Digital application form