PhD Candidate ‘Multilingual Books as Cultural Brokers in the Sixteenth Century’

at  Universiteit Utrecht

As part of an interdisciplinary PhD programme, the Institute for Cultural Inquiry (ICON) is hiring a PhD Candidate for the research project ‘Empowering Individuals, Opening Cities: Multilingual Books as Cultural Brokers in the Sixteenth Century’. This opportunity is funded by the administrative agreement between the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) and the Dutch universities.

ABOUT US

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.
The Faculty of Humanities has around 7,000 students and 1,100 staff members. It comprises four knowledge domains: Philosophy and Religious Studies, History and Art History, Media and Culture Studies, and Languages, Literature and Communication. With its research and education in these fields, the Faculty aims to contribute to a better understanding of the Netherlands and Europe in a rapidly changing social and cultural context. The enthusiastic and committed colleagues and the excellent amenities in the historical city centre of Utrecht, where the faculty is located, contribute to an inspiring working environment.
The department of Languages, Literature, and Communication has a staff with a variety of backgrounds, skills, and views. As a department, we are committed to support our staff and their development and we foster various forms of interdisciplinary collaboration and team-based teaching and research. In our department, we study a wide range of languages and literatures. We welcome colleagues who can further strengthen the diversity of perspectives and backgrounds in our department.
As a PhD candidate, you will be part of a dedicated research environment, which is part of the ICON research group in the department of Languages, Literature and Communication (TLC). The project connects to the sector plan themes Talen en culturen and Erfgoed en identiteit, as it investigates the important intersections between material (printed books as physical objects) and immaterial (languages and texts) cultural heritage, and the contribution of multilingual printing to the creation of multicultural city identity. The project is also embedded in the UU strategic themes Institutions for Open Societies and Dynamics of Youth, teasing out the significance of knowledge of languages in the sixteenth century in order to navigate a multilingual society, to gain access to institutions such as universities, public schools and city halls, and to develop participatory citizenship. The primary supervisor Professor Arnoud Visser is involved in various research projects on textual culture in the Renaissance. The project leader and co-supervisor Dr Rozanne Versendaal has experience in research and teaching on the dynamics between text and the multilingual printed book in the Late Medieval and Early Modern period. Co-supervisor Dr Natalia Petrovskaia is a specialist in the study of interlingual textual transmission in the Middle Ages. The research team is completed by Professor Haidee Kotze, who works on the modern implications of multilingualism and translation in educational contexts, and who supports this project in advisory capacity.

• conducting a research project on the research topic mentioned above;
• completing a dissertation within four years;
• developing a publication record, which also includes public outreach (to be discussed with the other members of the research team);
• presenting your research at (inter)national conferences (to be discussed with the other members of the research team);
• contributing to organising impact activities around the project, such as public lectures and workshops for the general public (to be discussed with the other members of the research team);
• by mutual agreement: teaching within the Bachelor programme in French language and culture, Celtic languages and culture and/or other Bachelor’s degree programmes in TLC