The Project in its Entirety
NURUkraine aims to reinterpret one of the most critical periods in modern Ukrainian history – the revolutionary changes of 1917-1921 – by exploring the diverse experiences of non-Ukrainian populations living in Ukraine. At that time, Ukrainian lands were a multicultural and multiethnic space. This project comprehensively investigates the political, cultural, and socio-economic agency exerted by non-Ukrainians, both nationally and transnationally, within the revolutionary context of opportunities for emancipation and challenges for survival. The project adopts both top-down and bottom-up perspectives, analysing (1) in-group transformations among non-Ukrainians, (2) their interactions with state authorities, (3) their relations with co-national kin outside Ukraine, and (4) cooperation and (5) violence between different non-Ukrainian groupings. Through this project, we aim to rethink the history of revolution, nationalism, and imperial transformation in modern Ukraine, Russia, and East-Central Europe.
For more information on the project, please refer to our website: https://nuru.univie.ac.at
Open rank research position on the topic of “The disintegration of the ‘triune nation’: Belarusians and Russians in their relationship with Ukrainians” (PhD position/ post-doc, Polish Academy of Sciences)
Job Description
You will analyse the five above-mentioned fields of inquiry with regard to Belarusians and Russians, and their interactions with Ukrainians in revolutionary Ukraine with a special focus on the ingroup transformations (1) that led to the disintegration of the idea of a “triune nation”. You, hence, investigate the triangular relationship between Belarusians, Russians, and Ukrainians, with particular attention to the entanglement among these three groupings. This is an open-rank position, and you can apply either as a PhD student or as a post-doctoral researcher.
As a PhD, you are expected to complete a PhD thesis at the Polish Academy of Sciences on a topic related to your research in the project and publish preliminary results. You will furthermore participate in the weekly meetings of the project team, discuss your findings, make them accessible in our project’s database, help to organise two conferences, and assist in the maintenance of the project website.
As a post-doc, you are expected to publish your findings in leading peer-reviewed journals and produce a draft of a second book / habilitation on a topic in the wider field of the project’s topic. You will furthermore participate in the weekly meetings of the project team, discuss your findings, make them accessible in our project’s database, support the PhD student in your team, assist in the maintenance of the project website, help to organise one conference and participate in editing the conference proceedings.
We Offer
We offer a two-year contract, renewable for another two years after an interim evaluation. The net salary for a PhD is approx. 60,000 PLN per year, corresponding to 100% (40 hours) of a full position. The net salary for a post-doc is approx. 140,000 PLN per year, corresponding to 100% (40 hours) of a full position. Starting date is 1 February 2025.
You will be affiliated with the Tadeusz Manteuffel Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Science. You are expected to reside in Warsaw as NURU is an inhouse project; research visits to the Vienna team are, however, very welcome. Funding for research missions and participation to international conferences will be provided.
You will be part of an international research team of seven scholars in an intellectually ambitious and challenging project in one of Europe’s most interesting cities.
The Polish Academy of Science is an equal opportunity employer.
Your Qualifications
As a PhD, you must hold an MA degree (or equivalent), and as a post-doc, you must hold a PhD degree. You ideally have a scholarly background in in Ukrainian or Russian history, and/or Belarusian history, and/or nationalism studies. You should demonstrate an interest in minority issues, social history, political history, history of transformation, and comparative research questions. You need a very good knowledge of English, Russian, as well as some Belarusian and Ukrainian, and you should be familiar with reference management software like e.g. Zotero or EndNote.
How to Apply
You can apply in Polish, English or German before 30 November 2024. Please send the following documents as a single PDF document (entitled: SURNAME, NURU, application 2024, Triune) to gkorolov@ihpan.edu.pl with specifying whether you qualify as a post-doc or a PhD researcher.
1) Motivation letter (max 2 pages).
2) Curriculum vitae, including a list of publications (if applicable for a PhD).
3) Name, email and telephone number of at least two referees (no recommendation letters).
4) For a PhD: An exposé of your planned PhD thesis. Please outline how your thesis relates to the objectives of NURU in general and how you will approach Belarusians and Russians in particular (approx. 1000 words, excluding bibliography).
For a post-doc: An exposé where you outline how you intend to tackle your research tasks in the project. If you plan to write a book in the wider field of the topic of the NURU project, please outline how your book project relates to the objectives of NURU in general and how you will approach Belarusians and Russians in particular (approx. 1500 words, excluding bibliography).
5) A writing sample, e.g. an article, or a significant chapter of your PhD thesis (for a post-doc) or MA thesis (for a PhD). It is not necessary that it has already been accepted for publication.
6) A certificate of your PhD degree (for a post-doc) or MA degree (for a PhD).
You will be informed of the outcome of the selection process by early December 2024. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews during the week of 16-20 December 2024 in Warsaw.