Postdoctoral researcher VIOLENCEWORK (Ghent, 9000) bei Universiteit Gent

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.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

VIOLENCE WORK is an in-depth exploration of everyday violence in former Belgian Central Africa—Burundi, Congo, and Rwanda (19th-20th C). Though colonial violence has been studied widely, few have explored how everyday violence enabled colonialism and allowed it to persist (notable exceptions e.g. Moyd 2014; Muschaleck 2019). This project combines hitherto neglected source materials and a novel conceptual entry point—violence work(ers)—to foreground the everyday violent practices crucial to creating and maintaining the colonial state. The project’s core claim, is that violence work (a concept lend from critical police studies, see Seigel 2018) was not performed exclusively by formal violence workers—the men in uniform—but rather by a range of actors (colonizer and colonized) in- and outside the state. Everyday violence work includes not only direct acts of physical violence (e.g., whipping) but also other forms of punishment, such as incarceration and coercion through the threat of violence, as well as subtler forms of aggression forcing compliance (e.g., harassment) and the ways these different levels of violence reinforced each other. The aim is to open up new questions about the centrality of violence in theorizing, creating, and maintaining colonialism and the colonial state. 

The postdoctoral project focuses on mobile violence workers—specifically Congolese soldiers of the Force Publique stationed in Rwanda and Burundi, and members of the Police Territoriale, a force established in 1949 to reduce reliance on the Force Publique. This will be the first dedicated academic study of these two groups in Rwanda and Burundi. The postdoc will combine institutional history in colonial archives with a focus on the lived experiences and agency of these violence workers, drawing on interviews, biographical data, disciplinary records, and martial court proceedings. The project also extends into the post-independence period, offering insights into how colonial violence practices continued to shape political dynamics after 1962.

The post-doctoral researcher will be integrated in the VIOLENCEWORK team. This team includes three PhD-students who each have work on a micro-history of everyday colonial violence in either Rwanda, Burundi or South-Kivu (DRCongo), an advisory board of experts for each case study, and a PI who has extensive experience with both archival research on the three countries as well as fieldwork experience in Rwanda and DRCongo.The research group Global and Regional Histories further also harbours several colleagues working on either social and/or African history. 

YOUR TASKS

• You will contribute to the outputs of VIOLENCEWORK, most notably by (co-)authoring publications; co-organizing workshops, conferences and lecture series; and presenting your results at international workshops and conferences.
• You will assist the PI in managing the research group and mentoring the PhD students in the project.
• You will assist the team with administrative and organizational support.
• You will actively contribute to the activities of the research group Global and Regional Histories and of the History Department at UGent in general.
• You will, where appropriate, share research data and collaborate with other team members.
• At least 80% of your assignment will be spent on academic research.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• You hold a thesis based doctorate in History, African Studies, or a closely related field
• You are highly motivated to work on your case study and to be an active member of an international research team.
• You already have research experience on colonial history and/or the history of sub-Saharan Africa (preferrably in Central Africa).
• You are capable of producing high-quality written work in English and potentially also in French, which is already visible in a strong track record of high-quality publications.
• You have excellent reading skills in English and French.
• You have very good communication skills.
• You are willing to do part of your research in Burundi, Rwanda and/or Kinshasa.
• Knowledge of Kirundi, Kinyarwanda, Lingala and/or Swahili are an asset, but no prerequisite.
• Preferably, you have documented international experience in academia.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer you a contract of definite duration for the period of 1 year for 80%. The contract can be renewed based on a good evaluation.
• You will be allocated office space and a laptop, and receive funding for archival research and fieldwork, and for attending workshops and conferences.
• You will join one of the largest history departments in the Benelux with a strong focus on African history, extant in three professorships and as many ERC projects.
• You will be a member of a cutting edge research group with international scholars funded by the prestigious European Research Council.
• You will also be part of the interdisciplinary research group Global and Regional Histories hosted by the History Department.
• You will receive a wide range of career development opportunities through the UGent Postdoc Talent Management Program, including participation in training and mentoring programmes and membership in the UGent Postdoc community.
• Your contract will start on 1/11/2025 at the earliest.
• Your remuneration will be determined by salary scale PD1 to PD4.  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?

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 and a transcript of your academic record (merged into one pdf file)
• In the field ‘Cover letter’: your application letter in pdf format
• In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of the required degree (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.
• In the field “other documents”: two writing samples – as publication or manuscript – of what you consider to be your best work (PhD thesis, article, book chapter, etc.).

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. Gillian Mathys ([email protected]). Important: do NOT send your application by email, but apply online.

Do you have a question regarding the online application process? Please read the FAQ or contact us via [email protected] or +32 9 264 34 36.