La médecine catholique en Belgique et au Congo belge

Catholic Medicine and its Others in Belgium and the Belgian Congo, 1900-1965

Call for applications

(Ref. BAP-2017-423)

Occupation : Full-time

Period : Fixed-term contract extendable

Place : Leuven

Apply no later than : July 31, 2017

For Cultural History since 1750, Leuven we are looking for a doctoral student who will investigate how, between 1900 and 1965, Catholic health care providers in Belgium and the Belgian Congo were active in the field of reproductive health. The research will be supervised by Kaat Wils and Jo Tollebeek, and will result in a doctoral dissertation.

CATHOLIC MEDICINE AND ITS OTHERS IN BELGIUM AND THE BELGIAN CONGO, 1900-1965

The Research Group Cultural History since 1750 investigates the history of knowledge and science, historiography and historical culture, and cultural infrastructure and cultural tranfers, Within the history of science and knowledge, attention is paid to the production, circulation and cultural meanings of knowledge and science in the public domain. Themes such as the formation of disciplines, scientific identities, the popularisation of science, science policy, visual culture and the role of gender and corporeality in the history of science and knowledge are explored.

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Project

The dissertation is part of a larger research project which inquires into the interaction between Western biomedicine and religion in Belgium and the Belgian Congo between 1900 and 1965. The project focuses on catholic health care providers: their scientific and religious beliefs, their professional identities and their interaction with both non-confessional, sometimes explicitly freethinking colleagues, and protestant missionaries and local healing traditions in the Congo. Two domains will be studied in detail: medical education and reproductive public health. In both cases, the interaction between metropole and colony and the role of evolving Church-State relations will be analyzed. The obtained results will add to our understanding of the ethical challenges that accompanied the rise of 20th century secular medical authority, and to our understanding of the evolving relations between catholic and professional medical identity formation and between colonial and metropolitan medicine.

Profile

You have a passion for historical research and the ambition to become an outstanding researcher.

You have strong academic abilities and you have completed (or are about to complete) a Master in History or an equivalent degree in which a historical and/or science studies perspective played a prominent role.

You can read Dutch and French fluently, and are prepared to publish in English.

You are willing to communicate on your research at conferences, on social media and through publications.

You are ready to participate in some of the teaching activities of the Research Group Cultural History since 1750 (limited teaching assignments).

You are willing to work in team and to play an active role within the research group.

Offer

We offer a four year doctoral scholarship in a young and stimulating research environment.

The initial contract covers 1 year. After positive evaluation, this can be extended with 1 year and subsequently with 2 years.

Interested?

For more information on the content of the project and the function, please contact Prof. dr. Kaat Wils, kaat.wils@kuleuven.be or dr. Joris Vandendriessche, joris.vandendriessche@kuleuven.be.

Candidates are invited to submit their application in English, Dutch or French, consisting of:

- a cv, including a detailed list of marks/grades of bachelor and master studies

- a letter of motivation stating the candidate's qualifications and reasons for interest in the position

- one writing sample, in pdf (published article, MA thesis chapter, ...)

- the contact information of two references (including information on relationship with the applicant).

Interviews with a selection of the applicants are scheduled August 17 in the afternoon. Candidates who are selected will be notified early August. At that moment, they will receive a small writing assignment which is due August 11.

You can apply for this job no later than July 31, 2017 via the  online application tool