Postdoctoral Fellowship in Indian Ocean World Studies at McGill University

1. Postdoctoral Fellowship in Indian Ocean World Studies

The Indian Ocean World Centre (IOWC), McGill University, welcomes applications for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Indian Ocean World Studies, starting in September 2022. This position is for one year, with possibility of renewal for a second year.

The IOWC is seeking a postdoctoral candidate to research the history of climate change, human adaptation, and strategies of resilience anywhere in the Indian Ocean World (IOW) in the period between 500 CE to 1900 CE. The IOW is broadly defined as the macro-region running from eastern Africa through the Middle East, South, Southeast, and East Asia. Candidates with a knowledge of digital humanities, GIS, and data-analysis skills, as well as languages indigenous to the IOW, will be prioritized.

The successful candidate will contribute research to the IOWC’s Appraising Risk Partnership Project (www.appraisingrisk.com). This project seeks to use an innovative combination of traditional historical methods, methods in the digital humanities (GIS; database construction and management), and natural and human sciences to incorporate historical data into current understandings of global warming and protocols to mitigate its effects in the Indian Ocean World.

Successful candidates will work with IOWC Director, Gwyn Campbell, and a vibrant IOWC community of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and affiliates. In addition to their own research, fellows will be expected contribute to IOWC activities, including (but not limited to), annual conferences, the Journal of Indian Ocean World Studies, the Indian Ocean World Centre Working Paper Series, the Indian Ocean World Podcast, the Indian Ocean World Centre Speaker Series, various outreach activities, and occasional teaching (to be discussed with the IOWC director).

For more information on the IOWC’s activities, visit www.indianoceanworldcentre.com

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, candidates must have received their PhD within the last five years or will have completed their PhD degree requirements by August 2022 in any discipline applicable to Indian Ocean World studies. A high standard of written English is expected, and editing experience is desirable. A valid work permit will be required from international postdoctoral scholars for registration.

Salary

The annual salary for this position is $37,000.00 CAD.

Applications must include:

1) a statement of interest and research proposal (maximum 2 pages), including potential archives and field work.

2) a full curriculum vitae

3) a writing sample, not to exceed 20 pages

Applicants must apply through McGill’s online portal in Workday (https://www.mcgill.ca/hr/careers). All materials must be uploaded, preferably as one document.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to send two letters of recommendation, sent directly from their referees to gwyn.campbell (at) mcgill.ca and iowc (at) mcgill.ca in a single message under the title: IOWC Postdoctoral Fellowship. For questions about the Fellowship, please contact Prof. Gwyn Campbell at gwyn.campbell (at) mcgill.ca.

All applications must be submitted in full by 1 June 2022.

About the Indian Ocean World Centre

The IOWC is a McGill University research centre that promotes the study of the history, economy, and cultures of the lands and peoples of the IOW. This macro-region witnessed the early emergence of major centres of production and a monsoon-based system of trans-oceanic trade that led by the BCE/CE changeover to the emergence of a sophisticated and durable system of long-distance exchange of commodities, monies, technology, ideas, and people. The IOW was thus home to the first “global” economy, one that dominated the macro-region until at least the mid-eighteenth century, some would argue the nineteenth century, and which is again resurgent. Today the IOW comprises 50 percent of the planet's population and is forecast to become the leading world economy by 2025.

The IOWC pursues an interdisciplinary approach inspired by French historian Fernand Braudel (1902-1985) who posited history as an ongoing interaction between human and natural forces, encompassing geography, environment, climate, and disease.

McGill is a world-renowned university located in the cosmopolitan metropolis of Montreal, Canada. Founded in 1821, McGill has 21 faculties and professional schools, which offer more than 300 programs from the undergraduate to the doctoral level. McGill attracts renowned professors and researchers from around the world and top students from more than 150 countries, creating one of the most dynamic and diverse educational environments in North America.

Annual Salary 

$37,000.00 CAD

Position Start Date

September 1, 2022

Annual Salary:

(AMURE Post-Doctoral Fellow Researcher) $34,611.00

Hours per Week:

35 (Full time)

Location:

Peterson Hall

Supervisor:

Professor

Position Start Date:

2022-05-05

Position End Date:

2023-08-31

Deadline to Apply:

2022-06-01

McGill University hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated groups to self-identify. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, accessibilityrequest.hr@mcgill.ca.