PhD Student - Department of Educational Studies

Last application date Oct 18, 2024 00:00

Department PP06 - Department of Educational Studies

Contract Limited duration

Degree Master's in Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication Sciences, Art Sciences, or equivalent

Occupancy rate 100%

Vacancy type Research staff

Job description

As a PhD fellow, you will contribute to the research project: "Curating to Activate on the Museum Stage," with the aim of obtaining a PhD in Educational Sciences. The doctoral research will be embedded in a newly established research line on the evolving social and educational role of (science) museums:

“This study explores the shift from the museum's role as an (educational) institution that mediates knowledge to one that facilitates meaning-making. The focus is particularly on science museums, where objects have traditionally been presented within a framework of knowledge creation through scientific processes. It asks: how can a science museum become a place of active contemplation without compromising its mission to promote critical citizenship and emancipate visitors through scientific literacy? How can that shift redefine the mission of the institution? What are the implications of such a framing for multiperspectivism and for engaging with diverse publics?

Curating in this study is approached as a performance, focusing on the transformation of the object from a passive knowledge carrier into an "actant"—an active agent that stimulates thought in the visitor—and the museum as a dynamic stage that sparks intellectual engagement.

The Ghent University Museum (GUM) serves both as a case study as well as an experimental platform for this research. This research will contribute to a broader understanding of the role of museums and curators in facilitating meaningful interactions between objects and visitors, and as such will reconsider and revisit the notion of public mediation in museums at the intersection of art and science."

In consultation with the recruited PhD fellow, the doctoral research can focus on a specific area within this broader framework. This focus could be on the museum as a space for meaning-making, rather than purely knowledge-sharing; on curating as a performance and the object as an ‘actor’; on the implications for multiperspectivism and audience mediation, or a combination of these perspectives.

The research will be conducted (partly) in and from the GUM and will be supervised by Prof. Dr. Kris Rutten, Prof. Dr. Marjan Doom, and Prof. Dr. Ann Buysse.

Job profile

• You hold a Master's degree in Educational Sciences, Psychology, Art Sciences, Communication Sciences, or an equivalent qualification.
• You are ambitious to pursue a PhD.
• You can work independently as well as in a team.
• You are willing to embed your research in an international context.
• You are prepared to work in an interdisciplinary research environment.
• You have good writing and speaking skills in English.

Our offer:

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• Your contract will start on December 1, 2024 at the earliest.
• The opportunity to earn a PhD.
• Close supervision by experienced and driven researchers.
• A pleasant team of fellow PhD students, postdocs, and faculty members.
• Opportunities for training relevant to the research project.
• Participation in (inter)national scientific conferences.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by the Department of Personnel and Organization based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits (in Dutch).

How to apply

Please send your CV and motivation letter to Kris.Rutten@UGent.be.

You are required to submit the following documents: your CV and motivation letter (combined into 1 PDF file of max. 10 MB) and a copy of the required diploma (if already in your possession).

UGent promotes equal opportunities and diversity and encourages everyone to apply.