Post-doctoral Researcher on Sovereignty and Aesthetics Politics - Conflict- en Ontwikkelingsstudies (29968)

→  Apply before 14/08/2026 (DD/MM/YYYY) 23:59 (Brussels Time)
→  Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
→  Department: PS05 - Conflict- en Ontwikkelingsstudies
→  Occupancy rate:100%
→  Number of positions: 1
→  Type of employment: Contract of unlimited duration with clause
→  Term of assignment: 28 months
→  Wage scale: PD1 to PD4 (doctoral degree)
→  Required diploma:PhD

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 80 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.

The Conflict Research Group (CRG) – the institutional home of this vacancy – is a multidisciplinary research unit within the Department of Conflict and Development Studies at Ghent University’s Faculty of Political and Social Sciences. The CRG constitutes a thriving and colleagial research environment with diverse academics who converge around their interest in studying micro-level dynamics of civil conflict and political violence. The group’s research is structured around four main clusters: Interventions, Contested Resources, Armed Politics and Conflict and Space.

YOUR TASKS

You will join the SovereignPerformance project, which is funded by an ERC Consolidator Grant. The project will grow into a team of five post-docs and is coordinated by Bart Klem. More details can be found on this page.

The successful candidate will contribute to the project’s second work package, which focuses on the aesthetics dimensions of the political repertoires of three entities/movements: 1) the Catalan independence movement; 2) the autonomous region in Northeast Syria known as Rojava (and Kurdistan more widely); and 3) the Sri Lankan Tamil nationalist movement.

You will:

• spend at least 70% of your assignment on academic research.
• gather data on the political and aesthetic repertoires of the three independence movements through a combination of fieldwork and online research.
• collaboratively analyse data that was gathered by project colleagues working on Catalonia, Kurdistan and the Sri Lankan Tamil society.
• attend regular in-person team discussions.
• publish academic publications on the aesthetic politics in relation to the substance focus of the overall project.
• develop public outreach on the subject matter of the project.
• present insights at academic workshops and conferences.
• help organise project-related events.
• make minor contributions to the broader activities of the department.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR 

Mandatory merits:

1. You hold a thesis-based doctorate in relevant discipline (Communication, Media and Art studies, Anthropology, Political Science, International Relations, Geography, Conflict Studies, Development Studies, and similar). (obtained max. 6 years ago. This term of 6 years is determined by the date written on the above-mentioned required diploma).
2. You have demonstrable experience doing academic research on political aesthetics and publishing this research in academic journals or books.
3. You have demonstrable knowledge about (or experience working on) societies that grapple with separatist politics.
4. You have an excellent publishing record, commensurate to your career stage.
5. You have an excellent command of written and spoken English, suitable for academic writing and oral presentations.

In addition, the following merits are a plus (but not mandatory):

1.  
   1. Experience working in (or on) Catalan, Kurdish and/or Sri Lankan Tamil society.
   2. Linguistic skills in relation to a language spoken in one of the project’s country contexts (Kurdish, Turkish, Arabic, Sinhala, Tamil, Spanish, Catalan).
   3. Experience conducting fieldwork and handling research-related political sensitivities and ethical challenges.
   4. Experience with or knowledge about the subject fields of the project, such as de facto states, separatist conflict and performative politics.
   5. Experience with graphic design, art interventions and/or art-based research methods.
   6. Experience with research dissemination through social media and non-academic channels.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer you a full-time contract of indefinite duration with a maximum term of 28 months. 
• Your contract will start on 1 October 2026 at the earliest (and we expect the contract to start on 1 February 2027 at the latest).
• Your remuneration will be determined by salary scale PD1-PD4 . Click here for more information about our salary scales (note that the base figures are subject to an index).
• 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, a bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

INTERESTED?

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late applications or applications that are not submitted through the online system.

Your application must include the following documents:

• In the field ‘CV’: your CV listing your diplomas, work experience, publications and any other relevant merits and experience (merged into one pdf file).
• In the field ‘Cover letter’: your application letter in pdf format. Please include (within the same pdf file) a one-page annex with a table that briefly lists your competencies for each of the bullet points (point 1-5 and I-VI) listed under “what we are looking for” above.
• In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of your PhD diploma. 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.
• In the field “other documents”:
  • 1) If not included already in the above: a transcript of grades (where relevant) at the Bachelor, Master and PhD level.
  • 2) Sample of your written work. Up to two peer-reviewed academic publications (articles or chapters). If you would like to share a publication that is longer than 12.000 words (like a book), please submit a chapter (or fragment of similar length). Please choose your publications based on two combined criteria: work that you consider among your best and work that relates to the topics, theories, geographical focus and/or methodologies of this project. Co-authored publications are allowed but not recommended.

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 the academic aspects of the vacancy and the project, please contact Prof. Bart Klem ([email protected]). Important: do NOT send your application by email but apply online.

We aim to notify candidates selected for an interview by early September. Online selection interviews are expected to take place in the period of 16-22 September.

Do you have a question regarding the online application process? Please read the FAQ or contact us via [email protected].