Job listing: Children and Youth Studies

The International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) is a leading academic centre for development studies, and a University Institute of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR). It is one of the oldest institutes in this field, having been established in 1952 by Dutch universities and the Netherlands Ministry of Education as a postgraduate institute for education, research and capacity building. The institute offers a 15.5-month MA in Development studies with various specializations, post-graduate Diploma courses and a PhD in Development Studies. Studies come from over 50-60 countries, and teaching and research programs are conducted in English.
The Staff Group Rural Development, Environment and Population Studies has a vacancy for an academic position in the field of:
Children and Youth Studies
The Staff Group is engaged in teaching, research, advisory work and institutional capacity building on rural and human development, with a focus on child and youth studies, poverty, agricultural and rural development, socio-economic security and population studies. Teaching and research by academic staff is marked by a commitment to the central role of equitable, broad-based and sustainable development. This is combined with an explicit engagement with a political economy framework of analysis of power relations and processes of global change that reinforce rather than reduce poverty and socio-economic insecurity. The group is also actively engaged in methodology teaching at both MA and PhD levels.
Tasks and responsibilities involve the following:
Contribution to research-driven teaching the relevant teaching programs of the Staff Group and more generally within ISS/EUR
Production of high quality research output at international standards
Supervision of MA and PhD students
Preparation (individually or jointly with other staff) of externally funded research grant proposals and project proposals for external advisory work/capacity building activities, in particular together with academic and civil society organizations in the Global South.
Contribution to academic management both within the Staff Group and the ISS.
Profile:
We are looking for a candidate who will bring innovative and cutting edge research and teaching capacity to the Staff Group in the area of childhood and youth studies in developing and/or transition countries, in a changing global context. The MA specialization of Children and Youth Studies (CYS) is rapidly growing in numbers of students, together with the successful Diploma program on Children, Youth and Development, while there various large research projects ongoing and a growing number of PhD students. This makes the CYS into one of the most thriving, dynamic and fastest growing fields at ISS. Apart from teaching contributions to the above mentioned programs, the candidate could also possibly contribute to the Population, Poverty and Social Development (PPSD) and Poverty Studies (POV) specializations of the MA program.
Children and youth studies is a specialization within the broader field of international development studies for which ISS has an outstanding reputation. Teaching and research on the changing conditions and experiences of young people are firmly located in the broader (international, national and regional) social, economic and political contexts that are familiar ground of international development studies. The field is also inherently interdisciplinary and combines perspective from political economy, sociology, social history, anthropology and political philosophy. The teaching and research areas in which the successful candidate is expected to contribute can include one or more of the following areas: the changing social construction of childhood and youth; child rights based approaches; children and conflict; children and poverty; youth cultures in a context of globalization; youth migration and employment; schooling and society.
Requirements:
A completed PhD in one of the social sciences (in exceptional cases a near-completed PhD)
Evidence of publication capacity, including both a strong publication track record and clear research and publication plans
Teaching experience, preferably at post-graduate level
Proven evidence of the ability to attract external finance for research and other projects
Ability to work in an inter-disciplinary team
Experience with Field-based research methods/gender-based analysis is welcomed.
While open to all regional specializations, one of the following regional specializations; Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Indonesia, will be considered as a welcome addition.
Appointment:
ISS/EUR will offer an initial three year appointment, with the possibility of extension (and tenure), depending on the financial and staffing situation. While an appointment is envisaged at (Senior) Lecturer level, appointment at Associate Professor level can be considered, but only in the case of a more senior and exceptional candidate.
Employment conditions:
In accordance with those applied at the Erasmus University Rotterdam and indicated in the Collective Labour Agreement (CAO NU) of the Dutch universities. Salary being dependent on the candidate’s experience ranges from ˆ 3195 to ˆ 4970 gross per month (CAO NU scale 11/12) under full-time contract. In addition, ISS pays an 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year payment which is for 2010: 8.3 %.
Applications:
Applications, accompanied by a detailed Curriculum Vitae and the names of three Referees, should reach ISS before 30 May 2010, addressed to the Personnel Office (Ms. Leonie de Wilde), International Institute of Social Studies, P.O. Box 29776, 2502LT, The Hague, The Netherlands, preferably send in electronic form directed to personnel@iss.nl.
Women and candidates who originate from developing countries are encouraged to apply. Short-listed candidates will be requested to supply samples of published output and at that stage their referees will be contacted.
Interviews with shortlisted candidates will take place from 23-25 June 2010.
Additional information concerning this vacancy may be obtained from Dr. L. Herrera (Herrera@iss.nl, tel: +31704260664) or Professor M. Spoor (spoor@iss.nl, tel.: +31704260559).