Lisa Maria Franke

Ghent University is advertising a full-time postdoctoral researcher position in the Department of Languages and Cultures (LW21) within the ERC-funded project HAIR: Hair, Identity, Beauty, and the Self in Muslim Contexts: Emotional Landscapes and Changing Femininities Beyond the Veil . The subproject focuses on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is embedded in a wider comparative project on Muslim femininities across Egypt, Lebanon, and the UAE. The successful candidate will develop and lead an original postdoctoral research strand on gendered body politics in the UAE, with scope to investigate topics such as beauty practices, hair, identity, generational dynamics, religious discourse, political agendas, embodied representation, influencer cultures, and curated cultural spaces. The project combines Arabic/Islamic studies, anthropology, gender studies, literary studies, and Middle Eastern studies, and includes ethnographic fieldwork, analysis of Arabic literary texts, digital methodologies, and work with visual and material culture. The postdoctoral researcher will be expected to produce high-level academic output, including a monograph, contributions to edited volumes, at least one peer-reviewed journal article, and conference presentations. A strong public humanities and curatorial dimension is also central to the role, including the conceptualisation and development of exhibitions and innovative visual or digital dissemination formats in collaboration with museums and cultural institutions. The post is based at Ghent University, a large research-intensive university in Belgium with a strong international and interdisciplinary environment. The appointment is for a postdoctoral researcher at doctoral level, with a required PhD obtained no more than six years ago in a relevant field such as Arabic Studies, Islamic Studies, Anthropology, Gender Studies, Religious Studies, Cultural Studies, or closely related disciplines. Applicants should have strong research credentials, excellent English and Arabic skills, and experience or interest in ethnographic/qualitative methods; experience in curation, exhibitions, visual storytelling, digital humanities, or Gulf/Middle East contexts is an asset. The role is 100% occupancy, with a contract of indefinite duration with clause and an initial term of one year, extendable after positive evaluation. Salary is on the PD1 scale, and a postdoc fellowship may be offered for eligible international mobility appointments. The deadline for applications is 31 July 2026 at 23:59 Brussels time. Applications must be submitted online only, with a CV and study results, cover letter, diploma or transcript, a research proposal of up to 2000 words plus references, referee details, samples of published work, and a portfolio if relevant.