PhD International History / International Relations – Leiden University

Leiden University College (LUC) is an international, English-language, liberal arts and sciences college based in The Hague. At the centre of its Bachelor programme, framing LUC’s educational approach, are four global challenges: Diversity, Sustainability, Peace & Justice, and Prosperity. At the end of their first year, students choose from one of six Majors to complete their degree – there are three BSc Majors (Global Public Health / Earth, Energy and Sustainability / Governance Economics and Development) and three BA Majors (Culture History and Society / World Politics / International Justice). LUC is a teaching-intensive college which prides itself in its award-winning, small-scale, quality education. The college’s academic staff are also research active and have a strong track record in successfully securing research funding for their projects.

The PhD Fellows will join the teaching team at LUC. We are looking for candidates who can fit in well as part of the Global Challenges team in the 1st Year, and also, ideally, contribute to the skills courses (for instance, Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods). LUC runs according to a block system, with four blocks of eight weeks forming a full academic year. Each PhD Fellow will be asked to take four courses a year spread out over these four blocks, beginning in the second half of AY24-25.

Next to the teaching requirement, each PhD Fellow will develop and complete a research project in either the field of International History / International Relations or International Justice. LUC, with its approach to Global Challenges and its six broad-based Majors, is an interdisciplinary educational institution. Research projects that include an interdisciplinary aspect are therefore encouraged. Supervision of the PhDs will be carried out by the Dean of LUC together with selected academic colleagues at the college whose expertise best fits each project. After 1.5 years an evaluation will take place regarding the progress of the PhD research, the teaching record, and overall progress at LUC.

The starting date for both fellowships is 15 August 2024.

The PhD fellowship is a 6-year position. It is expected that, at the very least, a full draft of the PhD manuscript is completed by the end of the six years.

Tasks and Responsibilities
The PhD fellow is expected to:

• Design and implement a PhD project, and follow appropriate training courses in relevant disciplines and/or research methods (60% of the appointment). The research may rely on a variety of qualitative, quantitative and/or experimental methodological approaches.
• Contribute to the teaching programme of LUC (40% of the appointment), with the aim of obtaining a Basic Teaching Qualification (BKO).
• Participate in staff-related activities as a member of the LUC community.
• Commit to contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.
• If necessary, the candidate is encouraged to learn Dutch to a sufficient level (B2).