PhD candidate "Language & Migration in Limburg"

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PhD Candidate “Language & Migration in Limburg”

Our goal: To gain insight into the linguistic and language-cultural diversity of Limburg, and how it changes in relation to societal developments such as labour migration, economic restructuring, workplace automation, Euregional integration, and/or evolving discourses about the past.

Your colleagues: An interdisciplinary research team at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASoS), working at the intersection of language and migration.

The Dutch province of Limburg and its surrounding border area has a rich linguistic and language-cultural landscape. This four-year PhD project examines how language practices shape –and are shaped by– historical and contemporary societal developments and power dynamics.

You will have the freedom to develop your own research focus within this broader framework. Possible directions include the language-cultural practices or the sociolinguistic biographies of (former) labour migrants from Morocco, Poland, or Turkey; a historical or contemporary linguistic-ethnographic case study of a specific company, community, or institution; or an investigation of sociolinguistic change in relation to workplace automation or Euregional integration.

Your research will involve qualitative methods such as ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, oral histories, and document analysis. In addition, you will be encouraged to design an “action research” intervention that links academic work with public engagement—such as organising a conference, co-creating an exhibition, or hosting a workshop series.

You will be supervised by Dr Daan Hovens and Dr Lauren Wagner. Ten percent of your appointment will be dedicated to teaching activities at FASoS. This position is part of the national SSH Sector Plan under the theme “Languages and Cultures”.

What you bring

We are not looking for checkboxes—we are looking for people. Do you recognise yourself in the following?

Interdisciplinary mindset – You hold a Master’s degree in a relevant humanities or social science field (e.g. anthropology, area studies, Dutch studies, European studies, history, journalism, linguistics, or migration studies).

Qualitative research experience – You are familiar with qualitative research methods such as interviews, participant observation, and discourse analysis.

Linguistic versatility – You are fluent in both Dutch and English. If you are not yet familiar with Limburgish, you are willing to take a language course in your first year.

Cultural sensitivity – You have an open, respectful approach to working with different people.

Language skills as a strength – Knowledge of minority or border-regional languages such as Arabic, Cantonese, Kurdish, Polish, Tarifit, Turkish, French, or German is considered an advantage.

What we offer
As a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded according to UFO profile PhD, with corresponding salary from €2901,00 in the first year and €3707,00 gross per month in the fourth year (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1,0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 3 years will follow. 
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model. 
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students. 
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'. 
   

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?

At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM. 

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences FASoS is a close-knit community of approximately 250 staff members and 2100 students. During breaks and before meetings, you can often find us at our favourite local coffee spot Bandito Espresso.  
 

Communication lines within our faculty are short and colleagues are always ready to assist each other. FASoS consists of a highly international student population and a significant part of our staff comes from abroad. Our faculty offers four bachelor programs and eight masters programs and two research master programs that are all characterized by their interdisciplinary approach.
 

Our research institute studies societies and cultures as they have developed in the modern and contemporary periods. We adopt a radically interdisciplinary approach, analysing the interconnections between Europeanization, globalization, scientific and technological advancement, political change, and cultural innovation. 
 

In addition to teaching and research, our colleagues enjoy expressing themselves creatively. They create podcasts, write poetry as well as fiction. 
 

Working at FASoS means working in a challenging yet informal environment. We believe in crafting your own career path and are always ready to help you in making the most of your job. For more information about FASoS, you can visit our website FASoS
 

Department
You will be a member of the Department of Literature and Art, where you will meet colleagues with expertise in a variety of fields, including literature, art history, film, music, and theatre studies, and a shared interest in the relation between cultural expressions and societal (power) dynamics.

Curious?
Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Daan Hovens at d.hovens@maastrichtuniversity.nl for more information. 

Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new PhD Candidate? Apply now, no later than 30 September 2025, for this position.

Please upload the following:

• Your CV; 
• A motivation letter;
• A grade list;
• The contact information of 2 referees;
• An original, single-authored sample of your writing (such as an MA thesis);
• A research plan for the PhD project. The research plan is a brief (no more than 1 page) description of the PhD project you wish to pursue. This should indicate theoretical domains, topics and issues, as well as methodological intentions. It does not need to be in essay format; outlines, bullet points, or diagrams are welcome. Please use your own words (not GenAI), as we would like to get to know you and your thoughts.

The first interviews preferably take place in October or November 2026. The preferred starting dat is 1 January 2026. 

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.