Doctoral fellow

Last application date Jul 31, 2026 23:59

Department LW21 - Department of Languages and Cultures

Degree You hold a Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. Arabic Studies, Islamic Studies, Anthropology, Middle Eastern Studies, Gender Studies, Religious Studies, Cultural Studies or related disciplines)

Occupancy rate 100%

Vacancy type Research staff

About Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

YOUR TASKS

• Develop and carry out an original PhD project within the scope of the ERC project
• Conduct ethnographic and digital fieldwork and analyses of Arabic literary texts
• Analyse qualitative data and source materials relevant to the HAIR research project and contribute to theoretical debates
• Prepare and process source materials for computational analysis within the project database

Academic Output

• Write a doctoral dissertation
• Submit at least 1 article for publication within a peer-reviewed journal
• Present research at international conferences

Collaboration & Participation

• Actively contribute to the ERC research team
• Participate in project meetings, workshops, and reading groups
• Contribute to the organisation of academic events

Training & Teaching

• Participate in doctoral training programmes at Ghent University
• Limited teaching may be possible (depending on department needs)

What We Are Looking For

For the ERC research group HAIR (Center for Arabic, Islamic and Middle East Studies, Department of Languages and Cultures, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy) we are looking for a m/f/x

1 Doctoral fellow (100%) – ERC Project “HAIR” (subproject Lebanon)

YOUR JOB

The Department Of Languages And Cultures At Ghent University Invites Applications For 1 Fully Funded PhD Position Within The ERC-funded Research Project: “HAIR – Hair, Identity, Beauty, and the Self in Muslim Contexts: Emotional Landscapes and Changing Femininities Beyond the Veil”.

(Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Lisa Maria Franke, Ghent Centre for Arabic, Islamic and Middle East Studies, Department of Languages and Cultures, Faculty of Arts and Philosphy, Ghent University)

Project Description

The ERC Project HAIR Investigates The Cultural, Socio-religious, Political And Emotional Meanings Of Beauty And Body Politics In Muslim Majority Contexts, With a Particular Focus On How Beauty And Hair Practices Intersect With Identity Formation, Beauty Ideals, Gender Norms, And Selfhood Beyond The Veil. Combining Approaches From Arabic/Islamic Studies, Anthropology, Gender Studies, Literature Studies And Middle Eastern Studies, The Project Explores How Beauty And The Body Can Function As a Site Of Negotiation Between Individual Agency, Religious Discourses, Policital Agendas And Societal Expectations. The Research Includes Ethnographic Fieldwork, Literary Analyses And Digital Methodologies Across Selected Contexts In Egypt, Lebanon And The UAE. PhD Researchers Will Develop Their Own Subprojects Within The Broader Thematic And Methodological Framework Of The ERC Project:

1 PhD subproject on Lebanon

Position Description

The PhD candidate will conduct independent doctoral research (subproject on Lebanon) under the supervision of the Principal Investigator, contributing to the intellectual development of the ERC project. They will be part of an interdisciplinary and international research team and are expected to actively engage in collaborative discussions, workshops, and project activities.

We invite proposals for doctoral research projects that fit within the wider context of the HAIR project. Such proposals can focus on any aspect of gendered body politics within the broad remit of the HAIR project, yet in all cases they should address the topic within the context of Egypt. Such proposals may include (but are not limited to) the following: the social power of generational structures, the relationship between religious discourses and political agendas, and social expectations towards embodied practices and representations, among other topics.

Job profile

• You hold a Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. Arabic Studies, Islamic Studies, Anthropology, Middle Eastern Studies, Gender Studies, Religious Studies,