University Lecturer in Art and Material Culture of South and Southeast Asia

Job Description

University Lecturer in Art and Material Culture of South and Southeast Asia

Job requisition Id

16701

Job type

Academic staff

Contract hours min

38

Contract hours max

40

Location

Leiden

Applying is possible until

31 October 2026

Apply now

Teaser Text

Leiden University invites applications for a University Lecturer in Art and Material Culture of South and Southeast Asia to begin August 2027. This position is situated in the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies (LIAS), which is committed to the integration of disciplinary and regional/historical perspectives, based on a solid foundation of linguistic and cultural knowledge. We understand South and Southeast Asia to comprise the Himalayan-Tibetan highlands, the South Asian subcontinent and associated islands, and the mainland and archipelagic zones of Southeast Asia.

What you will do

• Original research, involving primary sources and/or fieldwork as appropriate.

• Teaching, curriculum development and thesis supervision at undergraduate and graduate levels in programmes including the BA South and Southeast Asian Studies, the BA International Studies, and the MA Asian Studies.

• Supervision of PhD research.

• A commitment to acquisition of research funding from national and international funding bodies.

• Representation of the field to external audiences and media.

• Administrative duties, commensurate with career stage.

Where you will work

Since its founding in 1575, Leiden University has built an international reputation for excellence in education and research. With over 800 staff members, the Faculty of Humanities offers 26 bachelor's and 27 master's programs to more than 7,200 students at locations in the historic city center of Leiden and in The Hague.

The Leiden Institute for Area Studies (LIAS) comprises the School of Asian Studies, the School of Middle Eastern Studies, and the School of Religious Studies. The institute is committed to a contemporary approach to Area Studies, integrating disciplinary and regional-historical perspectives with a strong foundation in advanced language proficiency. LIAS faculty members bring expertise in a wide range of fields, including Anthropology, Archaeology, Art History, Buddhist Studies, Film Studies, History, International Relations, Language Pedagogy, Law, Linguistics, Literary Studies, Material Culture Studies, Performing Arts, Philology, Philosophy, Political Economy, Religious Studies, Sociology, and Visual Culture Studies.

What you bring

We are looking for a colleague who is engaged in the study of the shared classical cultures of the region in their material form. This includes the interconnectedness of literary and visual cultures, especially those associated with Buddhism and Hinduism, in relation to iconography, architecture, archaeology and cultural heritage. The candidate should have a firm grounding in the study of pre-modern traditions in a longue durée perspective. The ideal candidate meets the following criteria:

• A PhD degree in a field related to art and material culture of South and Southeast Asia with in situ research experience. Candidates near completion of the degree will be considered.

• A compelling research agenda that promises original and significant work in the field.

• A record of research funding acquisition, commensurate with career stage.

• A publication record that is commensurate with career stage.

• The ability to work together with colleagues across the full breadth of Humanities and Social Sciences.

• Command of at least one classical language relevant to the field.

• An affinity with area studies, and the ability to work from interdisciplinary, transnational, and comparative perspectives.

• A commitment to engage with the rich collections of the museums and libraries in and around Leiden both in relation to teaching and outreach.

• A commitment to high-quality teaching practice, and wide teaching scope in terms of content, which may include general courses in South and Southeast Asian Studies.

• A commitment to high-quality supervision practice at the BA, MA, and PhD levels. The ability to supervise written work on a wide range of topics at the BA and MA levels.

• Administrative abilities, commensurate with career stage.

• A strong affinity with and capacity for teamwork in an intercultural and multi-ethnic work environment.

• An excellent command of English. The majority of the MA programmes at Leiden University are taught in English, and staff members who have a better command of English than of Dutch may teach in English in BA programmes as well.

• If the successful applicant does not speak Dutch, they are expected to acquire a good command of Dutch within two years of the appointment. LIAS will make resources available to this end.

What we offer

• An employment contract for the duration of one year with a view to permanent employment. This contract falls under the CLA of Dutch Universities;

• A salary between €4728 - €6433 gross per month, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours) (Scale 11);

• A holiday allowance (8%), an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), and an attractive pension scheme at ABP;

• Full reimbursement of public transport commuting costs for home-to-work travel;

• Flexible working hours: as a standard, you are entitled to a minimum of 29 leave days on the basis of a full-time working week of 38 hours.

• Lots of options when it comes to secondary employment conditions. Within our terms of employment individual choices model, you can exchange leave days and/or salary for benefits such as an advantageous sports subscription and bicycle scheme;

• If your work allows it, hybrid working is possible within the Netherlands;

• A home-working allowance (day and internet allowance) and attention for good workplaces.

For more information about employment conditions, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at/job-application-procedure-and-employment-conditions

Want to apply or find out more?

Applications must be received no later than 31 October 2026. Applications should be in English and include the following:

• A letter of motivation, including a personal vision for the study of Art and Material Culture of South and Southeast Asia.

• A CV including education and employment history, publications, language skills, invited talks and presentations, and courses taught.

• A research agenda with clear potential for applications to funding bodies such as NWO and ERC (max. 2 pages).

• A statement of teaching philosophy (max. 1 page).

• One sample syllabus for an introductory BA-level lecture course on Art and Material Culture of South and Southeast Asia and one sample syllabus for an MA-level seminar course on a topic of the applicant’s choosing.

• Names, positions, and contact details of three referees (letters are not requested at this stage).

Interviews with shortlisted candidates are tentatively scheduled for December 2026.

If you would like more information about what the job entails, please contact Prof.dr. Nira Wickramasinghe, Programme Chair South and Southeast Asian Studies, at n.k.wickramasinghe@hum.leidenuniv.nl. You can apply until 31 October 2026; You will receive a response to your application no later than two weeks after the vacancy closing date.

To help us get to know each other better, we follow a number of steps in the application procedure. For more information, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at/job-application-procedure-and-employment-conditions

• In choosing between candidates, in case of equal suitability, preference will be given to internal candidates.

• You live and are officially registered as resident in The Netherlands or are willing to relocate upon starting the position.

• A pre-employment screening (references, diplomas, certificate of good conduct (VOG)) may be part of the selection procedure.

• We ensure that our lecturers have a good level of English competency. Lecturers who teach subjects in English have a minimum level of C1 for their English proficiency. We also believe it is important for international staff to have a good level of Dutch: they are expected to have at least C1 level of Dutch proficiency. Other staff who have the prospect of a permanent position are expected to have at least a passive understanding of Dutch.

• Leiden University expects faculty members to obtain the Basic Teaching Qualification (BKO). If the new employee does not yet hold this qualification or its equivalent, they must be willing to obtain it within two years.

• Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated. If you nevertheless choose to send us CVs, no rights can be derived from this. #LI-Hybrid

Apply now

Information at a Glance

Faculty / Unit

Faculty of Humanities

Contact with (Name + position)

Prof.dr. Nira Wickramasinghe, Programme Chair South and Southeast Asian Studies

Contact Email address

n.k.wickramasinghe@hum.leidenuniv.nl