Pending funding, Universität Hamburg invites applications for a Research Associate for the project "Contemporary Bioethics and the History of the Unborn in Islam (COBHUNI)" in accordance with § 28 (3) of Hamburg's Higher Education Act (HmbHG*). The position commences on 01.09.2015. It is remunerated at the salary level TV-L 13 and calls for 39 hours per week. The short-term nature of this contract is based upon § 2 of the Academic Short-Term Labor Contract Act (WissZeitVG). The term is fixed to 31.08.2020.
The University aims to increase the number of women in research and teaching and explicitly encourages women to apply. Equally qualified female applicants will receive preference in accordance with Hamburg’s Higher Education Act (HmbHG).
Tasks:
Duties include academic services in the project named above. Research associates can also pursue independent research and further academic qualifications.
Area(s) of Responsibility:
Knowledge about the historically changing conceptualizations of the unborn are of repeated relevance in contemporary bioethical debates (e.g. abortion, genetic research, cloning experiments). COBHUNI analyzes how the conceptualizations of pre-natal life developed throughout 1400 years of Islamic history. This aims at a better assessment of the factors which impacted on these conceptualizations at different times and possibly transformed them.
COBHUNI scrutinizes how three major factors influenced the imaginations of pre-natal life in Islamic history: Communication 1.) between religious communities, 2.) between different regions within the muslim religious community, and 3.) the rise of modern medicine. The focus of analysis are two text corpora: the Quran and prophetic sayings (hadith). Both contain passages communicating ideas of pre-natal life. In the course of time a commentary literature emerged to both, Quran and hadith compilations. This commentary literature is produced until today. In both corpora aspects of different fields of knowledge can be found: theological debates, legal discussions or medical issues. COBHUNI will analyze the mentioned passages in both text corpora. This analysis is carried out along two axes: a) a vertical axis (citation patterns within the respective genre), b) horizontal axis (citations transcending the genres). A major aspect of the project will be the adaptation and development of tools of computational linguistics for Arabic text material.
Among your responsibilities are:
Working in the ERC-project COBHUNI (Contemporary Bioethics and the History of the Unborn in Islam)
Analysis of text material from the Jewish tradition 6 th - 11 th century making statements on pre-natal life. This investigation is carried out in the analytical framework briefly sketched out above.
Requirements:
A university degree in a relevant subject plus doctorate. Very good knowledge of English. Experience in academic research on the history of Judaism in the Mediterranean 6 th to 11th centuries and knowledge of at least two accompanying source languages. Ability to work in an inter-disciplinary team.
Severely disabled applicants will receive preference over equally qualified non-disabled applicants.
For further information, please contact Thomas Eich (thomas.eich@uni-hamburg.de)
consult our website at http://www.aai.uni-hamburg.de/
Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and copies of degree certificate(s).
The application deadline is 17.06.2015 . Please send applications to: vordererorient@uni-
hamburg.de