PhD position - Sustainability through knowledge and skill transfer

The Erasmus School of History, Culture, and Communication (ESHCC) at Erasmus University Rotterdam is excited to offer a challenging and innovative PhD position in bridging generations by sharing knowledge: Fostering sustainability through knowledge and skills transfer.

In the face of the current climate crisis, there is a growing need for societies to transition towards more sustainable practices and lifestyles. Central to this transition is the preservation, revival and dissemination of traditional skills and knowledge, particularly those related to crafts, maintaining, reusing, and recycling. This project will investigate the transfer and enhancement of such invaluable expert knowledge through inter-generational interactions. In an era marked by rapid technological innovation and globalization, many of the traditional skills are at risk of being lost as younger generations become increasingly disconnected from them. By exploring the dynamics of intergenerational knowledge exchange, the project will shed light on effective strategies and mechanisms for a) preserving and revitalizing traditional practices, and b) creating connections between generations based on valuing knowledge and skills in support of urgent societal sustainability transitions.

The project will adopt a qualitative case-study methodology including participant observations, interviews and potentially a participatory action research approach, extracting important learnings from a variety of cases such as bike repair, food, and fashion and textile, bridging generations and cultures. The dissertation will consist of three case-studies and will include a reflection on theoretical and societal relevance.

Job description
The successful candidate will be based at the Department of Arts and Culture Studies of the ESHCC and will carry out the following tasks:

Research (0.85 fte)

• Conducting PhD research.
• Publishing and presenting research results in the form of articles in international peer reviewed journals and papers at international conferences.
• Writing a dissertation within the appointment duration of four years.
• Taking part in seminars, workshops etc. that are organized by the Erasmus Research Institute for Media, Culture, History and Society (ERMeCHS) as well as the Department of Arts and Culture Studies.

Teaching (0.15 fte)
Performing junior teaching tasks in the BA degree programmes in the field Arts and Culture provided by ESHCC, primarily through tutorial group teaching in the International Bachelor of Arts and Culture Studies (IBACS).

Service
Contributing to small management tasks of the department.

Requirements:

To be eligible, a candidate must have:

• A (research) master’s degree or equivalent with a relevant specialization within the social sciences or humanities (such as sociology, cultural studies, media studies or related fields). A research master’s degree is preferred. Practical research experience, for instance as junior researcher, is appreciated;
• Familiarity with and keen interest in qualitative methods and or mixed-methods research methods;
• Independent thinking and critical analytical skills;
• Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary and intercultural academic communities;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English (CEFR C1) and good oral and written communication skills in Dutch is required. The ability to communicate in additional languages such as Turkish or Arabic is much appreciated;
• Motivation to carry out high level research and publish in renowned peer reviewed international journals.

Salary Benefits:

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is 1 September 2024 and you will be based at the Department of Arts and Culture Studies in Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC). This position is for 1 fte. The salary ranges from a minimum of € 2.770 to a maximum of € 3.539 gross per month Scale PhD on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. We offer a 1,5-year position which will be extended to 4 years based on performance.

Everything else we offer you, you can find below!

• Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home in consultation with your manager, 41 days of paid leave with a 40 hour contract, 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a significant discount on a subscription for our on-campus sports centre!
• Sustainable, inclusive and diverse work environment with an open culture, where you can be yourself and we pay attention to each other and to the world around us. Make the most of our bicycle budget, or join networks such as Young@EUR, FAME or QuEUR.
• Time and space for your development in the broadest sense: development days and a personal career budget, foreign exchange opportunities with most costs paid by EUR, and free access to our university library.
• Good pension with ABP that EUR contributes 2/3rds towards, discounts on various collective insurances with Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Loyalis, and Allianz, and compensation for travel, working from home and home internet use.
• Are you currently combining your job with parenthood, or do you want to do so in the future? EUR offers partially paid parental leave and fully paid additional birth leave for partners, and our campus features a daycare.
• Moving to the Netherlands for your job with EUR? Then you may be eligible for the 30%-ruling if you meet the requirements of the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax agency), and with our Dual Career Programme we will also help your partner find the right job for them.

40 hours per week

Burgemeester Oudlaan 50