The Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (FAMES) at the University of Cambridge seeks to appoint a four-year fixed term Postdoctoral Research Associate in Modern Arabic Studies. The post is designed for an outstanding early career scholar with a promising academic profile who is committed to innovative and impactful research and teaching. The post will commence on 1 September 2026 and end on 31 August 2030.
We welcome applications from early career scholars whose work engages critically with the social, intellectual, environmental and technological developments shaping the Arab world in the modern period and contributes to emerging areas of modern Arabic studies. We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in environmental humanities, digital and visual culture, and gender studies.
The successful candidate will engage in original research and publish in their specialism. They will contribute to teaching and supervision in modern Arabic history and culture and play an active role in the faculty's research community. They will be mentored by the Sultan Qaboos Professor of Modern Arabic Studies, Tina Phillips, and work with the modern Arabic studies team to develop new directions in the study of the contemporary Arab world. The balance between research and teaching will evolve over the course of the Fellowship in line with the postholder's research programme and faculty priorities.
The successful candidate will hold a PhD within the field of modern Arabic studies. They will be able to demonstrate an upward research trajectory and have experience teaching in higher education. They will have excellent command of Arabic and be able to work collaboratively in academic teams.
To be considered eligible for the post, all candidates must have submitted their doctoral thesis for viva voce examination not more than four years prior to the application closing date. Hence those who formally submitted their doctoral thesis for viva voce examination before March 2022 are not eligible unless they have since had a career break. Please note that Arabic language teaching and Arabic linguistics, translation and pedagogy do not fall within the remit of this post.
For your application to be considered please ensure that you upload the following documents to your online application:
- A Curriculum Vitae, including a list of publications