PhD Position at the Department of Medieval Studies at CEU

Deadline: 30 June 2015
Open to: applicant with a master’s degree in history, literature, theology or a related field
Scholarship: EUR 1200 per month plus EUR 1000 per year for travel and research costs

Description

The Department of Medieval Studies at Central European University invites applications for a PhD (Junior Visiting Researcher) position within the ERC Consolidator Grant entitled The Fashioning of a Sunni Orthodoxy and the Entangled Histories of Confession Building in the Ottoman Empire, 15th-17th Centuries (OTTOCONFESSION). The ERC project is particularly interested in the activities of the Franciscans (both Bosnian and otherwise) and Jesuits who engaged in missionary activities within territories under the Ottoman rule in Southeast Europe (Rumeli, the Balkans) in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Within this larger topic, a successful applicant for the position can propose to focus on a particular region and time period, as well as on the activities of a particular religious order or of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (Sacra Congregatio de Propaganda Fide). The framework of inquiry includes, but is not limited to the following:

  • The missionaries’ proselytizing strategies;
  • Written and oral genres used in religious proselytization (catechisms, hagiographies, sermons, folk poetry, etc.);
  • The trans-imperial nature of the missionaries’ networks;
  • Forms of engagement with Islam, Muslims and Ottoman religious politics.

The candidate is supposed to carry out the following tasks:

  • Complete the first-year requirements for the PhD program in Medieval Studies and advance to PhD candidacy (take the oral exams and defend the thesis prospectus by the end of the first academic year).

Pending on the successful progress to PhD candidacy:

  • Write a Ph.D. thesis within 5 years;
  • Submit research results for publication in peer-reviewed academic journals;
  • Submit research results for incorporation in a synthetic publication to be written by the principal investigator and the senior researcher;
  • Present papers at international conferences;
  • Co-organize workshops/conferences together with the principal investigator;
  • Participate in consultation sessions of the ERC CoG team.

To be eligible for scholarship applicants have to meet following requirements:

  • The applicant has a master’s degree in history, literature, theology or a related field;
  • The applicant’s CV illustrates familiarity with and experience in research into the Catholic missions in the Ottoman Empire;
  • The applicant has a good command of Latin; Italian, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, and/or Hungarian is a plus;
  • The applicant has written and spoken proficiency in English (more information about CEU’s general language requirements HERE) as well as the ability to work with secondary literature in modern European languages;
  • The applicant has ability to work independently and willingness to work in a research team, with good organizational and social skills;
  • The applicant needs to meet all CEU’s general admissions requirements (more information HERE).

Scholarship

The successful candidate will be a full-time PhD student enrolled in the Medieval Studies Department while at the same time having an employment contract with CEU (as a Junior Visiting Researcher). The successful applicant is initially contracted for a period of 12 months, with the preferred starting date of 1 September 2015. Pending on successful completion of the first-year requirements for the PhD students in Medieval Studies department (see above), the contract will be extended by another 4 years. The contract must lead to the completion of a Ph.D. thesis within five years. The gross monthly salary is EUR 1200. Additionally, the candidate will have access to EUR 1000 per year for travel and research costs.

How to apply?

The deadline for application is 30 June 2015. To apply please send your:

  • Application letter containing a research proposal concerning the topic of the PhD (no more than 1000 words);
  • Curriculum vitae;
  • Two letters of recommendation.

Please add to your application the following appendices:

  • The MA thesis;
  • Transcript of the MA degree certificate;
  • Other relevant documentation (such as evidence of ability to do research in a particular language, if applicable).

Please send all the documents to applications@ceu.edu including job code in subject line: 2015/022. Note that the procedure will include interviews. Informal inquiries can be directed to Dr. Tijana Krstic at krstic@ceu.edu.

For more information please follow the official website.

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