The Department of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the field of Kurdish Language and History of Northern Mesopotamia.

The Postdoctoral Research Associate would work in the research team of the ERC-funded project ‘Echoes of Vanishing Voices in the Mountains: A Linguistic History of Minorities in the Near East’ (ALHOME) supervised by Professor Geoffrey Khan. The project aims to reconstruct the complex, socioreligious past of Aramaic-speaking and Kurdish-speaking communities in Western Asia through a study of the history and interrelationship of their languages.

Key activities associated with the role include:

  • Assembling and analysing data on the linguistic convergence between Neo-Aramaic and Kurdish.
  • Collaborating with Neo-Aramaic specialists in analysing these convergences and divergences.
  • Interpreting the light cast by the data on the history of the peoples of Northern Mesopotamia.
  • Make core contributions to a linguistic atlas that maps Neo-Aramaic dialects and their relationships with Iranian languages of the region.
  • Undertake new research and publish in academic papers in peer-reviewed journals.
  • Carry out project administrative tasks.
  • Participation in wider activities of the linguistics community in Cambridge, including contributions to seminars and assistance in grant-writing.

    • The successful candidate will hold a PhD in the field of Iranian Languages and Cultures with a track record in:

  • Expertise in Kurdish and Gorani dialects, as well as their classification and historical background.
  • A good knowledge of basic principles of historical and contact linguistics.
  • A good knowledge of history of people of the region.
  • Excellent written, oral communication and presentation skills.
  • Conducting administrative tasks.
  • A demonstrable commitment to team work.

    • A basic familiarity with Neo-Aramaic dialects, cultures and social history of the region would be an advantage.

    The post holder will be located at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 9DA, UK.

    Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 12 months in the first instance.

    The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

    The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.