Positions available

[Jonathan Silk]

dear Colleagues,

Although the positions described in the project below are not in Indian
Studies (I myself will take care of the Indian side of things in this
project), they might be of interest to some colleagues and/or students whom
you know. I would consider it a great favor if you would circulate the
information on these openings as broadly as possible.

With appreciation, Jonathan

Faculty of Humanities, Institute for Area Studies, Buddhism and Social
Justice: Doctrine, Ideology and Discrimination in Tension*3x Ph.D and 1x
Post-Doc



Buddhism and Social Justice: Doctrine, Ideology  and Discrimination in
Tension



* The Leiden Institute for Area Studies (LIAS) is responsible for
researchers who are active in the fields of relations with East, South and
Central and Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The Institute is divided
into a School for Asian Studies and a School for Middle Eastern Studies. A
multidisciplinary approach which comprises both the modern and the
traditional periods is typical for the teaching and research within this
Institute, whereby the knowledge of the source language is essential. The
research of the approximately 75 staff members (including 20 professors)
brings together the study of such subjects as history, law, economy,
literature, religion and philology of the areas mentioned, both in the
present day and in ancient times.

Starting September 2010 the Leiden Institute for Area Studies has three full
time (38 hrs) vacancies, available as 4 year PhD positions, and starting
2011 one 3 year Post-Doctoral fellowship, in the VICI project "Buddhism and
Social Justice: Doctrine, Ideology  and Discrimination in Tension," headed
by Prof dr. Jonathan A. Silk.
Project description Buddhism is widely perceived to be, and Buddhist sources
themselves promote the tradition as, a philosophy of liberation. Yet, as
perhaps everywhere, Buddhist societies, both ancient and modern, not only
evidence, but indeed seem to promote, social inequalities. The project
‘Buddhism and Social Justice’ explores the inner tensions in Buddhist
cultures between inherited core values and social realities, with specific
foci on questions of labor (e.g., slavery and forced labor, serfdom) and
social status (e.g., caste and discrimination).

The project consists of five studies: a core investigation of slavery and
caste in India, and studies on slavery in Korea, burakumin (‘outcastes’) in
Japan, ‘serfdom’ and monastic economy in Tibet, and ethnicity and Buddhism
in Sri Lanka. These are approached through text-historical, historical and a
socio-anthropological methods. The synergy between the projects lies in the
question of how Buddhist ways of thinking and acting inform and structure
historically Buddhist Asian societies, and how, correspondingly, Buddhist
ideologies and dogmas were transformed in historical contexts. This study
seeks therefore to uncover the links between the ancient and the modern and
the theoretical and the real-world, thereby leading both to a deeper
appreciation of how religious systems function in societies in general, and
to a more nuanced appreciation of the dynamics of historically Buddhist
societies in general, particularly with respect to questions of social
justice. As such, the work is situated not only within the realms of
Buddhist Studies and Asian History, but also at the juncture of Religious
Studies, Political Science and Anthropology, as it engages issues of Church
and Society, Slavery Studies, and the study of Race, Ethnicity and Caste.

*The available positions are as follows:



* *Post-doc: * Slavery in Korean Buddhism*.

vacancy number: 10-048*

*PhD 1: * *Burkumin* (‘outcastes’) in Japanese Buddhism.
*vacancy number: 10-048a* *PhD 2: * ‘Serfdom’ and Tibetan Monastic Economy.
*
vacancy number: 10-048b* *PhD 3: * Ethnicity and Buddhism in Sri Lanka*.

vacancy number: 10-048c



* Please see the full project description at
http://www.hum.leiden.edu/lias/research/sas/vici-project-silk.html
Applicants for a PhD position, Task and Requirements:         *Task:*

   - The writing of a PhD dissertation;


   - publishing research results in the form of (an) article(s) and/or
   books;
   - presenting papers at (international) conferences, including the final
   conference of the project;
   - participation in local research meetings and PhD teaching;
   - organizing roundtable meetings and conferences in the framework of the
   research project.



   *Requirements:*


   -

   an MA, M.Phil or equivalent degree in a relevant field;
   -

   research knowledge of the language(s) necessary for the project;
   - fluency in English (spoken and written) and competence in other
   relevant modern languages;
   - ability to work independently.

Post-Doctoral Fellowship applicants should  have a demonstrably excellent
academic track record in Buddhist Studies, and hold a PhD in Buddhist
Studies or a related field, or its equivalent. They should have an excellent
command of English and be prepared to present their research results in
English. Applicants will teach a small number of courses on topics within
their area of specialization, and assist in guiding the PhD students.
Conditions
of employment The position of the Postdoctoral fellow is temporary, max.
three years with a full-time appointment (38 hours per week).
The position of PhD-fellow (‘promovendus’) is temporary, max. four years
with a full-time appointment, and with an initial 18-month trial period.

The salary is determined in accordance with the current scales as set out in
the collective labor agreement for the Dutch universities (CAO):
Postdoctoral fellow: min. € 2.379, max. € 4.374
PhD fellow: min. € 2.042 - max. € 2.612 More informationFor more information
about the two positions please contact Prof. dr. J.A Silk,
tel. +31-71-5272510, email j.a.silk at hum.leidenuniv.nl. See the full project
description at
http://www.hum.leiden.edu/lias/research/sas/vici-project-silk.html Application
*PhD  candidates please send your application (in English), including:*

   - a cover letter stating your motivation for this position,
   - a CV
   - copies of your academic transcripts (or Dutch cijferlijst),
   - a writing sample (such as your MA thesis), and
   - two references.

*Post-doc candidates please send your application (in English), including:*

   - a cover letter stating your motivation for this position,
   - a CV,
   - copies of your academic transcripts,
   - a printed copy of your PhD thesis and other relevant publications, and
   - three references.


Please send your application indicating the application number to the
address below before the  *23 april 2010 *

vacature at hum.leidenuniv.nl




-- 
J. Silk
Instituut Kern / Universiteit Leiden
Postbus 9515
2300 RA Leiden
Netherlands