1 Postdoctoral Research position in the Cultural History of China (Sinology) in Netherlands | University of Amsterdam - Amsterdam Centre of Cultural Heritage and Identity (ACHI)

The Amsterdam Centre of Cultural Heritage and Identity (ACHI) of the Faculty of Humanities are looking for a postdoctoral researcher in the Cultural History of China (Sinology) as part of the project The Chinese Impact: Images and Ideas of China in the Dutch Golden Age (NWO-Vidi). This project explores the mutual perceptions that resulted from the cultural exchange between China and the Low Countries (Northern and Southern Netherlands) in the seventeenth century.

Project description

During the first period of intensive contacts between China and Europe, Dutch traders were the main importers of Chinese goods. Their network complemented the Catholic mission in China which was seminal to the exchange of knowledge. Amsterdam and Antwerp became central nodes in the flow of images and information. In China, prints from the Low Countries were the most widely disseminated European art form; furthermore, porcelain was frequently made after Dutch designs. This postdoctoral project addresses the Chinese viewpoint in the cultural confrontation. The analysis ranges from early reports on the foreign “redhaired devils”, to the Chinese reaction to Dutch trading efforts and the scientific ambitions of Catholic missionaries in Beijing. The research focuses on written documents and may also extend to works of art.

Requirements

• A fully completed PhD in Sinology or a pertinent field;
• the applicant has an excellent reading competence in modern and classical Chinese; and an excellent command of English in reading, writing, and speaking;
• affinity with comparative research into historical relations between Europe and Asia is an additional plus.

Conditions of employment

The appointment, 26,6 hours per week, is for a period of three years at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Amsterdam, beginning after 1 September 2014. The appointment is initially for a period of one year; contingent on satisfactory performance it will be extended by a maximum of two additional years. The gross monthly salary (on a full-time basis) will range between €3,259 and €3,491, based on 38 hours per week, in accordance with the Collective Employment Agreement of the Dutch Universities.