Two Postdocs beyond giving

Introduction

Philanthropic foundations increasingly shape what global justice means and how it should be implemented. This deserves scrutiny because philanthropy, beyond an act of giving, is an exercise of power. This project provides critical knowledge on how diverse foundations shape global justice and with what consequences for sustainability policies worldwide. You will be working in a team developing cutting-edge research and collaborating with renowned scholars beyond the Netherlands as well as practitioners from the philanthropy world.

Job description

The aim of Beyond Giving is to provide critical knowledge on how diverse philanthropic foundations shape global justice and with what consequences for global sustainability governance. The project examines a variety of foundations active in global sustainability governance, their interpretations of global justice, the power relations that such interpretations may reinforce or challenge, the institutionalization of such interpretations in concrete policy plans and actions, and the factors that explain variation. The selected postdoctoral researchers will strengthen the team by bringing perspectives on post-colonial contexts, non-Western approaches to justice, gender-related approaches, etc.

These postdoc vacancies are part of the project ‘Beyond Giving: Philanthropic Foundations as Agents of Justice in Global Sustainability Governance?’ funded by the Dutch Research Council. The project is led by Dr. Agni Kalfagianni.

Job requirements

• PhD in political science, political theory, social sciences, humanities or a related discipline;
• Research focus and/or interest in relevant fields (e.g. justice, governance, philanthropy, sustainability);
• Strong analytical skills;
• Ability to communicate complex information, and to interact effectively with both elite and lay participants and audiences;
• Ability and enthusiasm to work both independently and as part of a larger team;
• Willingness to travel internationally for conferences and fieldwork (if needed);
• Strong English language skills (written and verbal)
• Intellectual curiosity and motivation to address important real-world problems through rigorous and ambitious academic inquiry.

Employment conditions and benefits

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is 1 June 2025 (and at the latest September 1st 2025) and you will be based at in Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB). This position is for 1 fte. The salary is € 4.537 gross per month Scale 11.0 on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. The contract is offered for a period of 1 year and can be extended with another year.

Employer

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research, as expressed in our mission ‘Creating positive societal impact’. EUR is home to 4,100 academics and professionals and almost 33,000 students from more than 140 countries. Everything we do, we do under the credo The Erasmian Way – Making Minds Matter. We’re global citizens, connecting, entrepreneurial, open-minded, and socially involved. These Erasmian Values function as our internal compass and create EUR’s distinctive and recognizable profile. From these values, with a broad perspective and with an eye for diversity, different backgrounds and opinions, our employees work closely together to solve societal challenges from the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam. Thanks to the high quality and positive societal impact of our research and education, EUR can compete with the top European universities.

Faculty / Institute / Central service

Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB)

The Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences is home to a vast diversity of scientific disciplines: public administration, pedagogical sciences, psychology and sociology. In addition, the Erasmus University College, IHS, and two research institutes RISBO and DRIFT are linked to the faculty. This also reflects in the content of the (international) bachelor's and master's programs and in research. Our activities are always focused on people and society. At the ESSB fundamental, internationally oriented research is of paramount importance. In addition, social research for professionals, policy makers, and the society is part of our research activities. ESSB offers a stimulating research environment where major national and international research grants are received. Appealing guest researchers and ambitious PhD candidates come along to conduct their research. Our education is small-scale and works with innovative forms of education such as Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Both the Dutch and English programs are highly ranked by students and alumni. ESSB is home to over 4,000 students and more than 400 staff-members. The different disciplines are supported by the Faculty Office.

Group

Governance & Pluralism

Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (ESSB) has a team-based structure. The Department of Public Administration and Sociology (DPAS) works with four teams, of which Governance & Pluralism (GoPlu) is one. Our team has about 55 members now. We study complex, multi-value, and multilevel issues regarding a wide variety of societal challenges. GoPlu takes the pluriform nature of societal issues as a given and therefore approaches these multi-value issues from various social groups, lifestyles, and identities. We investigate how these complex societal issues can be dealt with by various modes of governance, like public-private partnerships, public sector collaborations, community-based initiatives, triple helix partnerships, and the like. The work of our team is highly valued by (inter)national peers, civil society, policymakers, and governments, expressed by their visibility in design, impact and academic research projects and programs.

Department

Department of Public Administration and Sociology (DPAS)

DPAS encompasses the disciplines Public Administration and Sociology: two related scientific fields each with a unique profile. Public Administration studies governance capacity and policy interventions. It focuses on institutional power to organize and intervene in the relations between different social, political and economic actors. Public Administration in Rotterdam goes far beyond the public realm to also pay attention to public-private cooperation and the networks of organizations. Sociology investigates the social structures of societies and the way these evolve. Sociologists in Rotterdam focus, inter alia, on processes of globalization and individualization, and the effects of these processes on international social relations, the labor market and family relations. Social issues that are studied under this banner include migration, flexibilization and solidarity. The perspectives of Public Administration and Sociology complement each other. Together they guarantee a highly relevant and scientific approach to topical administrative and social issues. The bachelor- and master programs of DPAS are built on this profile and develop students into scientifically schooled professionals.