Postdoc Researcher with Focus on the Colonial History of Credit and Securitization

University of Amsterdam; Nederland; Sur place; EUR 55 000 - 75 000; Temps partiel

Résumé du poste

The University of Amsterdam solicits a part-time (0.8 FTE), fixed-term Post-doctoral researcher in financial colonial history, specializing in credit and securitization for the COLFIN project. The role develops new strands on colonial finance and contributes to scholarly outputs within AISSR.

We seek a candidate with a track record in archival research on unequal colonial histories of finance, fluency in English or Dutch archives, and a PhD in Political Science or Global History.

Qualifications

• Track record in archival research on unequal colonial histories of finance.
• Experience with archival research in English, Dutch, Spanish or Portuguese contexts.
• Ability to work independently and in a team.

Responsabilités

• Developing new research strands on material technologies and circulation of early modern credit and securitization with a cross-national focus.
• Delivering a workplan and publication strategy aligned with global political economy debates.
• Using archival methods in collaboration with team members for research questions.
• Contributing to COLFIN activities, workshops, and data gathering.
• Presenting intermediate results at international workshops and conferences.
• Supporting the COLFIN and Transnational Configurations research groups with lectures and presentations.

Connaissances

Archival research

Academic writing

English proficiency

Team collaboration

Formation

PhD in Political Science or Global History

Description du poste

Join Us!

We are looking for a part-time (fixed-term, 0,8fte) Post-doctoral researcher with a focus on financial colonial history and an expertise in credit and securitization. The position is available for 24 months within the project COLFIN. We are looking for a team-player who will take the lead on the workpackage on credit. COLFIN analyzes the colonial durabilities in modern financial infrastructures. The aim of COLFIN is to understand and analyse how the experimental beginnings and development of financial instruments were shaped by and through colonial exploitation and appropriation. The approach of COLFIN is to focus on financial infrastructures, understood as socio-technical and historically durable ways of organizing political-economic life.

This successful candidate will research an aspect of early modern colonial histories of credit and securitization, and relate these to postcolonial political economies. They will contribute to developing COLFIN’s workpackage on colonial credit infrastructures as a rapidly evolving technique of finance and experimentation. The successful candidate has a track record in archival research on the unequal and racialized colonial histories of finance, credit and securitization. They are familiar with literatures on International political economy and postcolonialism. They have experience with archival research. Their workplan focuses preferably on the English or Dutch East India companies, South Sea Company or Royal Africa Company, Spanish or Portuguese companies, early modern banking and stock trading, or a combination of these. We particularly welcome applicants who focus on the securitization of plantations, the colonial aspects of speculative bubbles and panics, or forms of early modern financial experimentation.

What are you going to do

The postdoctoral researcher researches an aspect of early modern colonial histories of credit, contributes to the COLFIN team, and develops an agenda for scholarly output. In particular, the successful candidate will be expected to have a high level of competence and motivation to undertake the following tasks:

• Developing new research strands on the material technologies, temporal techniques and geographical circulation of early modern credit and securitization, with a transnational focus (but in relation to Dutch, English, Spanish and/or Portuguese colonialism);
• Developing and delivering a workplan and publication plan that engages with current debates in global political economies, with a focus postcolonial and infrastructural approaches;
• Using archival research methods to address the research questions methodologically, in close collaboration with other team members;
• Contributing to the COLFIN team, its activities, workshops and data gathering;
• Presenting intermediate research results at international workshops and conferences;
• Contributing to the research culture of the AISSR and the Transnational Configurations research group more broadly, for example by doing guest lectures and research presentations.

It may be possible to supplement the position with 0,2 teaching in the Political Science programme, depending on the candidate’s willingness and the department’s needs.

What do you have to offer

The successful candidate has a track record in archival research on the unequal and racialized colonial histories of finance, credit and securitization. They have experience with archival research in the English, Dutch, Spanish or Portuguese context. Ideal candidates:

• Have a completed PhD degree in Political Science or Global History with a strong emphasis on international political economy and colonialism;

• Have a track record of researching colonial histories of financial markets and relevant publications;
• Are persons with initiative, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work independently as well as in a team;
• Possess good academic writing, presentation and organisational skills, as well as creativity and perseverance;
• Are able to communicate effectively in English both orally and in writing. Experience of reading and working with English, Dutch, Spanish or Portuguese colonial archives is desired.

What else do we offer you

The Postdoctoral researcher will be appointed at the department of Political Science of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences and will conduct the research in the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR). We are offering a fixed-term, part-time contract of 30.4 hours per week (0.8 FTE) for a period of 24 months, with a probationary period of 2 months.

The salary will range from € 4,925 to € 6,682 gross per month on a full-time basis (38 hours per week), in accordance with salary scale 11, depending on relevant experience. This excludes an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities applies.

For this position location in, or relocation to, The Netherlands is mandatory. Preferable, we are looking for candidates who have recently finished their PhD.

The start date is to be discussed, but no later than April 1, 2027.

You will work here

The successful candidate will be part of the COLFIN team, which is led by Prof Marieke de Goede. The team will eventually consist of 3 postdoc researchers and 2 PhD candidates. The team will be embedded within the research group Transnational Configurations, Conflict and Governance of the AISSR. The AISSR is an inspiring, supportive and professional academic environment, spanning research across public policy, International Relations, conflict and governance. There will also be interfaculty collaboration with the Faculty of Humanities and the UvA HumanitiesLabs.

Interviews will take place on January 11, 2027.

In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be given preference over external candidates.

For questions about the vacancy, you can contact: prof. dr. Marieke de Goede: [e-mail].

Join Us!

We are looking for a part-time (fixed-term, 0,8fte) Post-doctoral researcher with a focus on financial colonial history and an expertise in credit and securitization. The position is available for 24 months within the project COLFIN. We are looking for a team-player who will take the lead on the workpackage on credit. COLFIN analyzes the colonial durabilities in modern financial infrastructures. The aim of COLFIN is to understand and analyse how the experimental beginnings and development of financial instruments were shaped by and through colonial exploitation and appropriation. The approach of COLFIN is to focus on financial infrastructures, understood as socio-technical and historically durable ways of organizing political-economic life.

This successful candidate will research an aspect of early modern colonial histories of credit and securitization, and relate these to postcolonial political economies. They will contribute to developing COLFIN’s workpackage on colonial credit infrastructures as a rapidly evolving technique of finance and experimentation. The successful candidate has a track record in archival research on the unequal and racialized colonial histories of finance, credit and securitization. They are familiar with literatures on International political economy and postcolonialism. They have experience with archival research. Their workplan focuses preferably on the English or Dutch East India companies, South Sea Company or Royal Africa Company, Spanish or Portuguese companies, early modern banking and stock trading, or a combination of these. We particularly welcome applicants who focus on the securitization of plantations, the colonial aspects of speculative bubbles and panics, or forms of early modern financial experimentation.

What are you going to do

The postdoctoral researcher researches an aspect of early modern colonial histories of credit, contributes to the COLFIN team, and develops an agenda for scholarly output. In particular, the successful candidate will be expected to have a high level of competence and motivation to undertake the following tasks:

• Developing new research strands on the material technologies, temporal techniques and geographical circulation of early modern credit and securitization, with a transnational focus (but in relation to Dutch, English, Spanish and/or Portuguese colonialism);
• Developing and delivering a workplan and publication plan that engages with current debates in global political economies, with a focus postcolonial and infrastructural approaches;
• Using archival research methods to address the research questions methodologically, in close collaboration with other team members;
• Contributing to the COLFIN team, its activities, workshops and data gathering;
• Presenting intermediate research results at international workshops and conferences;
• Contributing to the research culture of the AISSR and the Transnational Configurations research group more broadly, for example by doing guest lectures and research presentations.

It may be possible to supplement the position with 0,2 teaching in the Political Science programme, depending on the candidate’s willingness and the department’s needs.

What do you have to offer

The successful candidate has a track record in archival research on the unequal and racialized colonial histories of finance, credit and securitization. They have experience with archival research in the English, Dutch, Spanish or Portuguese context. Ideal candidates:

• Have a completed PhD degree in Political Science or Global History with a strong emphasis on international political economy and colonialism;

• Have a track record of researching colonial histories of financial markets and relevant publications;
• Are persons with initiative, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work independently as well as in a team;
• Possess good academic writing, presentation and organisational skills, as well as creativity and perseverance;
• Are able to communicate effectively in English both orally and in writing. Experience of reading and working with English, Dutch, Spanish or Portuguese colonial archives is desired.

What else do we offer you

The Postdoctoral researcher will be appointed at the department of Political Science of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences and will conduct the research in the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR). We are offering a fixed-term, part-time contract of 30.4 hours per week (0.8 FTE) for a period of 24 months, with a probationary period of 2 months.

The salary will range from € 4,925 to € 6,682 gross per month on a full-time basis (38 hours per week), in accordance with salary scale 11, depending on relevant experience. The salary excludes an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities applies.

For this position location in, or relocation to, The Netherlands is mandatory. Preferable, we are looking for candidates who have recently finished their PhD.

The start date is to be discussed, but no later than April 1, 2027.

You will work here

The successful candidate will be part of the COLFIN team, which is led by Prof Marieke de Goede. The team will eventually consist of 3 postdoc researchers and 2 PhD candidates. The team will be embedded within the research group Transnational Configurations, Conflict and Governance of the AISSR. The AISSR is an inspiring, supportive and professional academic environment, spanning research across public policy, International Relations, conflict and governance. There will also be interfaculty collaboration with the Faculty of Humanities and the UvA HumanitiesLabs.

Interviews will take place on January 11, 2027.

In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be given preference over external candidates.

For questions about the vacancy, you can contact: prof. dr. Marieke de Goede: [e-mail].