The Department of Archaeology, History, Cultural Studies and Religion invites applications for a 3-year postdoctoral position in the field of Islamic history and culture, relating to the topic of Islamic text circulation and usage in the Swahili coastal region. The position is part of the research project «MPrinT@East_AFRICA. Islamic Manuscript, Print and Practice: Textual adaptation in East Africa» financed by the Norwegian Research Council.
The MPrinT project (2021-2025) will explore a core hypothesis that reforms in Islamic textual tradition and ritual practice during the 19th and 20th centuries took place within existing authority structures and led to a series of adaptations rather than breaks from tradition. To this end, the project will document, catalogue, and analyze Islamic textual material from the manuscript-to-print transition period in coastal East Africa (the Swahili coastal region). The project will also investigate how these texts have been used in ritual practice and education from ca. 1950 to the present, and how this usage has varied across locations, generations, and gender. This part of the project will be based on interviews and studies of ritual practice.
About the postdoctoral position:
- The applicant is expected to conduct independent research within the focus of the MPrinT project.
- The applicant is expected to conduct research based on the digital source material to be generated by the project and to actively participate in collecting, cataloguing, and disseminating this material in collaboration with project partners in East Africa.
- The applicant is also expected to form part of the MPrinT team in theorizing the overall objectives of the project.
The position as postdoctoral research fellow is a fixed-term appointment for three years with the primary objective of qualifying the appointee for work in top academic positions. The successful applicant shall prepare a plan for qualifying for top academic positions in cooperation with the Head of Department.
It is a requirement that the postdoctoral project is completed in the course of the period of employment.
Individuals may not be hired for more than one fixed-term period as a postdoctoral research fellow at the same institution. The successful applicant will be expected to conform to the regulations that apply to the position and must accept that their primary residence will be in Bergen for the full term of the appointment.
Qualifications and personal qualities:
- The applicant must hold a Norwegian PhD or an equivalent foreign degree in a relevant discipline (Middle East or African history, Islamic studies, Arabic language and literature or related disciplines). It is a condition of employment that the PhD has been awarded at the time of application. Applicants who do not have a Norwegian PhD will be evaluated according to the regulations of the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT).
- The applicant is expected have knowledge of Arabic language and literature.
- The applicant is expected to have experience with the creation, use and formatting of digital material for use in research.
- The applicant must be able to work independently, including in field work, in a well-structured way and have good cooperation skills.
- Field work experience is an advantage but not a precondition.
Both the academic quality of the initial project proposal and the applicant’s qualifications and skills will be considered in the assessment of the application.
In cases where applicants have approximately equivalent qualifications, motivation and the applicant’s personal eligibility will be taken into account.
We can offer:
- A good and professionally stimulating working environment.
- Salary at pay grade 61 (Code /Salary range 24) in the state salary scale, currently NOK 553 100 gross p.a. following ordinary meriting regulations. Further salary advancement will depend on seniority in the position.
- Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
- A position in an inclusive workplace (IA) enterprise.
- Good welfare benefits.
How to apply:
Applications must be sent electronically via the link on this site “APPLY FOR THIS JOB”. The applicant must use the electronic CV form.
The application must include:
- A project proposal (up to 5 pages /12.000 characters), including a brief account of the applicant’s research interests, motivation for applying for the position, and an elaboration on how postdoctoral project will fit into the MPrinT project. The proposal should also include reflections on methodology, feasibility, and access to data.
- CV
- The name and contact information for two reference persons. One of these must be the main advisor for the PhD thesis.
- A list of publications
- A short summary of the PhD thesis (up to 3 pages)
- Scanned copies of transcripts and diplomas.
- Relevant references from previous employers.
The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge. Attachments can be either in Word or pdf-format.
General information:
For further information and for a full project description, applicants may contact project leader, Professor Anne K. Bang, anne.bang@uib.no, + 47 55 58 94 30 or Head of Department Teemu Ryymin, teemu.ryymin@uib.no, +47 55 58 38 79.
The state work force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.
The best qualified candidates for the position will be invited to an interview.
The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions. Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.
Questions or queries about the electronic application process can be directed to fakadm@hf.uib.no.
Further information about our employment process can be found here.
About The University of Bergen (UiB)
The University of Bergen is a renowned educational and research institution, organised into seven faculties and approximately 54 institutes and academic centres. Campus is located in the centre of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad.
There are four departments and two centres at Faculty of Humanities. Read more about the faculty and departments.