Nadia Fadil

KU Leuven’s Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies is offering a three-year postdoctoral position at 0.75 FTE on Interreligious Dialogue, Power and Global Discourses . The project asks how interreligious dialogue (IRD) became a global response to religious diversity, conflict, and social cohesion, and how religious, secular, and colonial assumptions continue to shape it. The successful candidate will lead the research package on the global genealogies and discourses of interreligious dialogue. The role involves building and analyzing an international corpus of policy documents, ecclesiastical texts, and statements from international religious organizations, especially in relation to the post-9/11 security shift and debates around violence, extremism, citizenship, and social cohesion. The research uses Discourse-Historical Analysis, qualitative methods, and NVivo, and will contribute to publications in international peer-reviewed journals. The postdoctoral researcher will also play a key role in the project’s comparative synthesis, helping develop a power-sensitive theoretical framework that links discursive research with ethnographic studies in Flanders and Morocco. The position is embedded in an interdisciplinary environment spanning theology, anthropology, and religious studies, with close collaboration with Prof. Marianne Moyaert and Prof. Nadia Fadil. Applicants should hold, or be near completion of, a PhD in religious studies, theology, social sciences, or social and cultural anthropology with a focus on religion, or a related discipline. Experience in qualitative research is expected; expertise in discourse analysis, ethnography, and tools such as NVivo is a strong asset. The post is aimed at researchers with a strong international publication profile, independent project leadership skills, and an interest in critical approaches to religion, secularism, coloniality, and power. The appointment includes competitive compensation according to KU Leuven scales and a research budget for conferences, workshops, and training. Applications must be submitted via the online system by 2026-10-16. Required materials are a cover letter (max. two pages), CV, and two writing samples.

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.

KU Leuven is advertising two PhD researcher positions and one postdoctoral position in a new project on interreligious dialogue , led by Nadia Fadil together with Marianne Moyaert . The project examines how interreligious dialogue (IRD) develops historically, how it is discursively framed, and how it is implemented locally across Western Europe (Belgium) and North Africa (Morocco) . PhD Project 1 focuses on inter-religious dialogue in the classroom in Flemish schools. It studies how IDL, now a mandatory part of the Flemish religious education curriculum, is experienced and shaped in practice. The research uses qualitative and ethnographic methods to explore pedagogical, institutional, and normative challenges, as well as power relations, hegemony, privilege, and the broader social-historical context of dialogic learning. PhD Project 2 is an anthropological and ethnographic study of interreligious dialogue in Morocco . It investigates how dialogue is shaped by power, history, and governance, and questions dominant European and Christian assumptions about religious diversity and coexistence. Fieldwork in Southern Morocco will examine Jewish-Muslim encounters, religious diversity, and practices of coexistence in schools, heritage sites, and community initiatives. This work package includes co-supervision by Farid El Asri . Postdoctoral Project examines interreligious dialogue, power, and global discourses . It analyzes how international organizations, Christian churches, and global Islamic organizations have framed IRD, especially since the post-9/11 security shift, in relation to religious diversity, violence, extremism, citizenship, and social cohesion. The project asks how these discourses converge, diverge, or conflict, and whether they reproduce, transform, or challenge colonial, Christian, and secular normative frameworks. Eligibility highlights: the post does not list detailed formal requirements, but the PhD roles clearly call for strong qualitative/ethnographic research capacity, and the Morocco project requires fieldwork-oriented anthropological skills. The postdoctoral role is suited to researchers with expertise in discourse analysis, religion, anthropology, or related social-science approaches. Deadline: 16 October 2026. Interested candidates should use the relevant project link for the position they want and follow the application instructions on the linked pages.

KU Leuven is offering a PhD position in Interreligious Dialogue in the Classroom: A Qualitative Study , situated across the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies and the Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology . The project is part of a wider comparative research initiative, Interreligious Dialogue between Promise and Power: A Comparative Study of Belgium/Flanders and Morocco , led by Prof. Marianne Moyaert and Prof. Nadia Fadil. The doctoral researcher will study how interreligious dialogic learning (IDL) is implemented in Flemish philosophy of life education. The project focuses on the classroom as a site where religious diversity, power, normativity, inclusion, exclusion, privilege, and social context shape educational encounters. Using qualitative and ethnographic methods such as participant observation, interviews, and document analysis, the PhD will examine how teachers and students experience dialogic practices, and how norms and expectations are negotiated, internalized, contested, or resisted. This is an interdisciplinary project connecting religious studies, theology, anthropology, and educational sciences . The successful candidate will contribute to theoretical development, publish scholarly articles, present at conferences, and work toward a doctoral dissertation. The project also includes engagement with education professionals and broader societal stakeholders, making it relevant both academically and socially. Applicants should have, or be close to completing, a relevant research master’s or academic master’s degree in theology and religion, educational sciences, social sciences, anthropology, or another aligned discipline. A Master’s in World Religions combined with a non-theological academic master’s degree is also accepted. Before starting, the candidate must be admitted to the doctoral program at KU Leuven’s Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies. Strong interest in qualitative research is essential; ethnographic experience is an asset. Fluency in Dutch is required for fieldwork, and good English is needed for academic writing and international collaboration. The appointment is for one year full time , with the possibility of renewal for up to four years after positive evaluation. KU Leuven offers a competitive doctoral salary and a research budget for conferences, workshops, and training. The position is ideally set to begin on 1 February 2027 . For questions, prospective applicants may contact Prof. Dr. Marianne Moyaert ( [email protected] ) or Prof. Dr. Nadia Fadil ( [email protected] ). Applications must be submitted through the KU Leuven job portal before the deadline.