The European Research Council (ERC) project Textual Microcosms: A New Approach in Translation Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the direction of Prof. Ronit Ricci is offering up to 2 Post-Doctoral fellowships beginning in the 2021-2022 academic year (starting date: October 1, 2021). Scholars who have received their Ph.D. after October 1st 2016 or will submit their Ph.D. no later than October 1st 2021 are eligible to apply.
The successful candidates will spend one academic year in Jerusalem (with a possibility of extension to two or more years). They will take part in a group enterprise of studying interlinear translation as practiced between the 16th-20th centuries in the Indonesian-Malay World (encompassing present-day Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, southern Thailand, the southern Philippines, and diasporic communities in South Africa and Sri Lanka). This project employs the interlinear translation as a theoretical and methodological framework to study religious, intellectual, linguistic and artistic elements of a culture as they intersect, connect, and diverge on the page. It is a framework that invites exploring these interconnections from global, regional and local perspectives by “reading between the lines” of such translations, both concretely and metaphorically.
The project is interdisciplinary in nature and includes approaches from the fields of history, religious studies, literature, art history and philology. Fellows will receive a monthly stipend of up to 9,000 ILS and will be given offices at the Hebrew University (Mount Scopus campus). They will participate in the project's seminar, conferences, workshops, creation of an online database and other activities and are expected to produce project-related article(s) and/or a monograph. Fellows must be present in the office 3 full days a week and devote 100% of their time to the project and their research.
The required criteria for submitting candidacy for the fellowships are:
Proven academic excellence.
Knowledge of at least two relevant research languages at a level that allows reading interlinear translations (for example: Malay, Arabic, Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese, etc.).
Sound knowledge of the history and literary culture(s) of the Indonesian-Malay World.
Experience working with manuscripts is an advantage, as is prior experience reading interlinear translations.
Interested individuals are requested to send the following documents as an electronic version (in one file):
Cover letter (2-3 pages in total) describing your academic experience and motivation for participating in the project. The letter should also include a description of your planned research program (up to 500 words).
Curriculum vitae (including language proficiency)
Transcript of grades (graduate study level)
Abstract of the PhD dissertation
Letters of evaluation of the PhD dissertation (if available)
Two letters of recommendation. Please have recommendations sent directly to ronit.ricci@mail.huji.ac.il
A writing sample: PhD chapter or a paper that has been accepted for publication (no more than 30 pages)
Please send the requested materials electronically in one file by April 30, 2021 to Ronit Ricci ronit.ricci@mail.huji.ac.il
If you have any questions or require additional information please contact Ronit Ricci by email.