Last application date Jul 31, 2026 23:59
Department LW21 - Department of Languages and Cultures
Degree You hold a Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. Arabic Studies, Islamic Studies, Anthropology, Middle Eastern Studies, Gender Studies, Religious Studies, Cultural Studies or related disciplines)
Occupancy rate 100%
Vacancy type Research staff
ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY
Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.
With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.
YOUR TASKS
As part of the ERC research project HAIR on Muslim femininities in Egypt, Lebanon and the UAE and connected regions within the research centre Ghent Centre for Arabic, Islamic and Middle East Studies of the Department of Languages and Cultures/Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, your assignment consists of:
Research
- Develop and carry out an original PhD project within the scope of the ERC project
- Conduct ethnographic and digital fieldwork and analyses of Arabic literary texts
- Analyse qualitative data and source materials relevant to the HAIR research project and contribute to theoretical debates
- Prepare and process source materials for computational analysis within the project database
Academic Output
- Write a doctoral dissertation
- Submit at least 1 article for publication within a peer-reviewed journal
- Present research at international conferences
Collaboration & Participation
- Actively contribute to the ERC research team
- Participate in project meetings, workshops, and reading groups
- Contribute to the organisation of academic events
Training & Teaching
- Participate in doctoral training programmes at Ghent University
- Limited teaching may be possible (depending on department needs)
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
For the ERC research group HAIR (Center for Arabic, Islamic and Middle East Studies, Department of Languages and Cultures, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy) we are looking for a m/f/x
1 Doctoral fellow (100%) – ERC Project “HAIR” (subproject Lebanon)
YOUR JOB
The Department of Languages and Cultures at Ghent University invites applications for 1 fully funded PhD position within the ERC-funded research project:
“HAIR – Hair, Identity, Beauty, and the Self in Muslim Contexts: Emotional Landscapes and Changing Femininities Beyond the Veil”
(Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Lisa Maria Franke, Ghent Centre for Arabic, Islamic and Middle East Studies, Department of Languages and Cultures, Faculty of Arts and Philosphy, Ghent University)
Project Description
The ERC project HAIR investigates the cultural, socio-religious, political and emotional meanings of beauty and body politics in Muslim majority contexts, with a particular focus on how beauty and hair practices intersect with identity formation, beauty ideals, gender norms, and selfhood beyond the veil. Combining approaches from Arabic/Islamic studies, anthropology, gender studies, literature studies and Middle Eastern studies, the project explores how beauty and the body can function as a site of negotiation between individual agency, religious discourses, policital agendas and societal expectations. The research includes ethnographic fieldwork, literary analyses and digital methodologies across selected contexts in Egypt, Lebanon and the UAE. PhD researchers will develop their own subprojects within the broader thematic and methodological framework of the ERC project:
1 PhD subproject on Lebanon
Position Description
The PhD candidate will conduct independent doctoral research (subproject on Lebanon) under the supervision of the Principal Investigator, contributing to the intellectual development of the ERC project. They will be part of an interdisciplinary and international research team and are expected to actively engage in collaborative discussions, workshops, and project activities.
We invite proposals for doctoral research projects that fit within the wider context of the HAIR project. Such proposals can focus on any aspect of gendered body politics within the broad remit of the HAIR project, yet in all cases they should address the topic within the context of Egypt. Such proposals may include (but are not limited to) the following: the social power of generational structures, the relationship between religious discourses and political agendas, and social expectations towards embodied practices and representations, among other topics.
Job profile
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
- You hold a Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. Arabic Studies, Islamic Studies, Anthropology, Middle Eastern Studies, Gender Studies, Religious Studies, Cultural Studies or related disciplines)
- You have completed an exceptional MA dissertation on an aspect of the contemporary Middle East
- You have a strong interest in gender, embodiment, literature and Muslim societies
- You demonstrate excellent research and writing skills
- You are motivated to conduct fieldwork (including international research stays)
- You are able to work both independently and as part of a team
- You have excellent communication skills in Arabic (spoken and reading)
- You have excellent academic writing and communication skills in English
- You are a dynamic and enthusiastic team player
Assets
- Experience with ethnographic or qualitative research methods in the region
- Knowledge of other relevant regional languages and dialects
- Familiarity with gender theory, affect/emotions, critical beauty and body studies
- Experience in or connection to the Middle East and/or Muslim majority societies
- Experience in digital humanities methodologies, including online exhibition curation, digital storytelling, and database construction for research purposes
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
- We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow within a prestigious ERC project, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
- A dynamic, international, and interdisciplinary research environment
- Access to high-level academic training and supervision
- Opportunities for international mobility and networking
- Integration into a collaborative research team
- Your contract will start on 1 December 2026 at the earliest.
- The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
- All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.
INTERESTED?
How to apply
Send your application to [email protected].
Deadline for applications: July 31, 2026.
We do not accept late applications.
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by Friday, 21 August 2026. Online interviews are expected to take place in the first week of September 2026. The final decision will be communicated shortly thereafter.
Your application must include the following documents:
- your CV and a transcript of your academic record (merged into one pdf file) (max. 2 pages).
- your application letter outlining your motivation and research interests in pdf format (max. 2 pages).
- a transcript of your studies at undergraduate and MA level (if already in your possession). If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
- Research proposal: (max. 2000 words plus references a bibliography) that outlines a potential PhD project within the ERC framework (on the case study of Lebanon) and includes 1) project title, 2) a rationale and positioning of the project in relation to existing scholarship, 3) a statement of the
- research objectives of the project, and 4) research methodology and work plan.
- the name (with title, affiliation and email) of three people who have accepted to be contacted as potential referees, an overview of your study results, samples of published work (articles, chapters) in pdf.
Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.
As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Lisa Franke ([email protected]).
