Teaching students what cultural forms can do
Our teaching demonstrates how past and present cultural forms – from literature and contemporary art to urban spaces and social movements – can offer insight into the philosophical questions and social challenges of our time. We train students to become experts in engaging with different cultural forms in theoretically informed ways so that they can develop new ways of understanding and addressing, for example, the climate crisis, political polarization, and the afterlives of colonialism. You will contribute to this goal by teaching courses in our BA and MA programs. These courses have already been developed, but you will collaborate on improving and renewing them in terms of content, assignments and didactic forms. Your tasks will also include supervising BA and MA theses and taking on administrative roles such as sitting on Program Committees or Examination Boards.
This is what you will be doing
You will work closely with others (co-teachers and/or program coordinators) to develop and teach modules in the broad interdisciplinary field of literary and cultural analysis. You will actively reflect on your teaching and make adjustments when you notice that something is not working or students indicate this in their feedback. You are able and willing to teach on cultural objects/phenomena and theories beyond your own research focus and teaching experience. You are committed to fostering an inclusive classroom. You understand that courses (including electives) do not stand alone but are part of the larger curriculum of a programme and you take this into account when designing syllabi. You are also able and willing to think – with the rest of the Literary and Cultural Analysis team – about how programs need to evolve over time in response to changes in society (including AI), in government education policy, in university or faculty policies and in the needs and skills base of successive generations of students.
Your tasks will include:
- (co-)teaching courses in the BA Literary and Cultural Analysis, MA Comparative Cultural Analysis and research-MA Cultural Analysis (for more information, see: UvA Studiegids 2026-2027);
- supervising bachelor, master and research-master theses;
- contributing to the improvement of courses (in terms of their didactics, content and assessment);
- performing administrative duties.
This is what we ask of you
Required:
- completed PhD in Literary Studies, Cultural Analysis or a related field in the Humanities or Social Sciences;
- experience teaching at BA and MA level;
- experience with thesis supervision;
- experience with administrative role(s);
- affinity with the content and didactics of the BA Literary and Cultural Analysis, MA Comparative Cultural Analysis and research-MA Cultural Analysis;
- demonstrable engagement with post/decolonial studies in teaching and/or research;
- a University Teaching Qualification (UTQ). If you have not attained a UTQ you are required to start the UTQ track upon commencement of your employment contract;
- excellent command of English.
Preferred:
- experience in delivering lectures, leading seminars, and supervising theses;
- (passive) command of Dutch;
- affinity with using ICT in academic education;
- ability to work with a high degree of independence;
- reliable team player.
This is what we offer you
We offer a temporary contract for a period of one year, with a probationary period of two months, preferably starting from 1 September 2026
Depending on relevant experience, the salary at the start of the employment is between €4,728 and €6,433 gross per month based on full-time employment for a 38-hour working week.
- In addition, you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year allowance. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities is applicable;
- opportunity to attain the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ);
- excellent possibilities for further professional development and education;
- an enthusiastic, supportive and professional academic team;
- an inspiring academic and international work environment in the heart of Amsterdam.
This is where you will be working
You will join the Literary and Cultural Analysis (LCA) team: https://www.uva.nl/en/discipline/literary-studies/literary-studies.html. We are a team of around 25 people, dedicated to fostering a supportive environment for students and staff. In our teaching, we reflect on how works of literature, art, and (popular) culture can help to understand and address contemporary questions and developments. We draw from and develop theories rooted in experience (gender and queer studies, disability studies, affect and memory studies), environment (environmental humanities) and world (post- and decolonial studies, infrastructure studies, media archaeology). Our methods rely on interdisciplinary analysis (bringing together cultural studies, comparative literature and continental philosophy). We train students in hands-on critical engagement – through concept-driven close readings – with concrete cultural objects from Global Norths and Global Souths: visual art; films; poems; novels; fashion; television series; art installations; social media; and performances; but also culturally significant phenomena such as social movements and environmental or technological transformations. We are looking for someone who shares these commitments.
We are looking for a lecturer (Docent 3) with expertise in literary and cultural analysis, an interdisciplinary field in the humanities. We are specifically interested in someone whose background includes engagement with post/decolonial studies. This 1-year position encompasses teaching courses and supervising theses across BA and MA programs, and fulfilling administrative roles. All teaching will be in English.
Teaching students what cultural forms can do
Our teaching demonstrates how past and present cultural forms – from literature and contemporary art to urban spaces and social movements – can offer insight into the philosophical questions and social challenges of our time. We train students to become experts in engaging with different cultural forms in theoretically informed ways so that they can develop new ways of understanding and addressing, for example, the climate crisis, political polarization, and the afterlives of colonialism. You will contribute to this goal by teaching courses in our BA and MA programs. These courses have already been developed, but you will collaborate on improving and renewing them in terms of content, assignments and didactic forms. Your tasks will also include supervising BA and MA theses and taking on administrative roles such as sitting on Program Committees or Examination Boards.
This is what you will be doing
You will work closely with others (co-teachers and/or program coordinators) to develop and teach modules in the broad interdisciplinary field of literary and cultural analysis. You will actively reflect on your teaching and make adjustments when you notice that something is not working or students indicate this in their feedback. You are able and willing to teach on cultural objects/phenomena and theories beyond your own research focus and teaching experience. You are committed to fostering an inclusive classroom. You understand that courses (including electives) do not stand alone but are part of the larger curriculum of a programme and you take this into account when designing syllabi. You are also able and willing to think – with the rest of the Literary and Cultural Analysis team – about how programs need to evolve over time in response to changes in society (including AI), in government education policy, in university or faculty policies and in the needs and skills base of successive generations of students.
Your tasks will include:
- (co-)teaching courses in the BA Literary and Cultural Analysis, MA Comparative Cultural Analysis and research-MA Cultural Analysis (for more information, see: UvA Studiegids 2026-2027);
- supervising bachelor, master and research-master theses;
- contributing to the improvement of courses (in terms of their didactics, content and assessment);
- performing administrative duties.
This is what we ask of you
Required:
- completed PhD in Literary Studies, Cultural Analysis or a related field in the Humanities or Social Sciences;
- experience teaching at BA and MA level;
- experience with thesis supervision;
- experience with administrative role(s);
- affinity with the content and didactics of the BA Literary and Cultural Analysis, MA Comparative Cultural Analysis and research-MA Cultural Analysis;
- demonstrable engagement with post/decolonial studies in teaching and/or research;
- a University Teaching Qualification (UTQ). If you have not attained a UTQ you are required to start the UTQ track upon commencement of your employment contract;
- excellent command of English.
Preferred:
- experience in delivering lectures, leading seminars, and supervising theses;
- (passive) command of Dutch;
- affinity with using ICT in academic education;
- ability to work with a high degree of independence;
- reliable team player.
This is what we offer you
We offer a temporary contract for a period of one year, with a probationary period of two months, preferably starting from 1 September 2026
Depending on relevant experience, the salary at the start of the employment is between €4,728 and €6,433 gross per month based on full-time employment for a 38-hour working week.
- In addition, you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year allowance. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities is applicable;
- opportunity to attain the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ);
- excellent possibilities for further professional development and education;
- an enthusiastic, supportive and professional academic team;
- an inspiring academic and international work environment in the heart of Amsterdam.
This is where you will be working
You will join the Literary and Cultural Analysis (LCA) team: https://www.uva.nl/en/discipline/literary-studies/literary-studies.html. We are a team of around 25 people, dedicated to fostering a supportive environment for students and staff. In our teaching, we reflect on how works of literature, art, and (popular) culture can help to understand and address contemporary questions and developments. We draw from and develop theories rooted in experience (gender and queer studies, disability studies, affect and memory studies), environment (environmental humanities) and world (post- and decolonial studies, infrastructure studies, media archaeology). Our methods rely on interdisciplinary analysis (bringing together cultural studies, comparative literature and continental philosophy). We train students in hands-on critical engagement – through concept-driven close readings – with concrete cultural objects from Global Norths and Global Souths: visual art; films; poems; novels; fashion; television series; art installations; social media; and performances; but also culturally significant phenomena such as social movements and environmental or technological transformations. We are looking for someone who shares these commitments.
For questions about the position, you can contact:
Esther Peeren – e.peeren@uva.nl, Professor of Cultural Analysis / Department Chair Literary Studies and Linguistics.
Application
If you recognize yourself in the profile and are interested in the position, we look forward to receiving your application. Please send your cover letter and CV as a single PDF file.
The vacancy closes on 24-6-2026. The first round of interviews will take place on 2 or 3 July.
