PhD Position: Anthropological Study on Interreligious Dialogue in Morocco
KU Leuven is recruiting a doctoral researcher for a fully funded PhD project on anthropological research into interreligious dialogue in Morocco.
The project is based in the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology and the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, and is part of the larger comparative project
Interreligious Dialogue between Promise and Power: A Comparative Study of Belgium/Flanders and Morocco
. The position combines anthropology, theology, religious studies, and education in an interdisciplinary team of two PhD researchers and one postdoc.
The research focuses on ethnographic and qualitative study of interreligious dialogue, Jewish-Muslim heritage, religious diversity, and education in Southern Morocco. The successful candidate will examine how coexistence is experienced and negotiated in schools, heritage sites, pilgrimage contexts, and community initiatives, with particular attention to Islamic ethical traditions, shared Amazigh heritage, and contemporary efforts to promote pluralism and dialogue.
Supervision is provided by Prof. Nadia Fadil and Prof. Marianne Moyaert at KU Leuven, with external supervision from Professor Farid El Asri of the Université Internationale de Rabat. The researcher will be affiliated with the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology and also with the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, while conducting extended fieldwork in Morocco.
The post offers a fully funded full-time PhD scholarship for one year, renewable up to four years after positive evaluation at the first doctoral committee meeting in month 9. A competitive salary follows KU Leuven regulations, and a research budget is available for conferences, training, and fieldwork.
Eligibility highlights include a master’s degree in Anthropology, Middle Eastern Studies, Islamic Studies, Religious Studies, Qualitative Sociology, or a related discipline; strong qualitative and ethnographic research experience; familiarity with the Moroccan context; excellent English; and competence in French and/or Moroccan Arabic (Darija) or Standard Arabic. Knowledge of Amazigh (Tashelhit) is an advantage.
Applications require a motivation letter, CV, and writing sample. The deadline is 2026-10-16.
