A.G. Leventis Chair in Byzantine Studies Vacancy Ref: : 032006 Closing Date : 05-Jan-2015 Contact Person : Ellie Dora Contact Number : 0131 651 1213 Contact Email : [email protected] Applications are invited for the A. G. Leventis Chair of Byzantine Studies. This is a newly established Chair made possible by generous funding from the A. G. Leventis Foundation. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing the profile of Byzantine Studies at Edinburgh, within the context of the University’s existing strengths in Hellenic Studies, Late Antiquity and Mediaeval Studies. Applications are invited from candidates who have an outstanding international reputation and demonstrable leadership potential in the fields of Byzantine language and literature, history or cultural history (including visual and material culture). The post will be full time and open-ended and based in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology, and the successful candidate will be required to demonstrate potential synergies with the research and teaching foci of that School. Ideally the successful candidate will be free to take up the post in September 2015 or as soon as possible thereafter. Salary: On the professorial scale Closing Date: Monday 5th January 2015 at 5pm (GMT) 1. Job Details Job description The A.G Leventis Chair of Byzantine Studies The inaugural A. G. Leventis Professor of Byzantine Studies will be a scholar of international reputation and proven potential for leadership in the area of Byzantine Studies. The University seeks a scholar whose expertise will complement and enhance its existing strengths in Classical Greek culture, in the study of late antiquity, medieval studies and in Byzantine archaeology. The successful applicant will galvanize the strengths of all those whose interests impinge upon the Byzantine world and will join with the existing Chairs of Classics, Ancient History, Classical Archaeology, and Greek Art and Archaeology, together with the biennial visiting A. G. Leventis Chair in Greek, in confirming Edinburgh’s place as a leading international centre for Hellenic Studies. The Chair is open to candidates from a range of disciplinary backgrounds in Byzantine Studies, including language, literature, history, and culture. Applications from scholars with expertise in Byzantine art and material culture are also welcome, provided that they can also demonstrate the linguistic, literary or historical focus that the School requires. The successful candidate will be expected to develop teaching and research in Byzantine Studies by attracting external research income, developing synergies with colleagues not only in Archaeology, Classics and History, but also in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Centres for Mediaeval and Renaissance Studies and Islamic and Middle-Eastern Studies and in other Schools. The School of History, Classics, and Archaeology has recently introduced a Master’s programme in Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Studies which draws on teaching strengths from across the School (8 staff) and from across the College including Divinity, History of Art and Islamic Studies. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute substantially to the development of this MSc programme. Byzantine Studies in Edinburgh Edinburgh is an institution with an established pedigree and significant resources in Byzantine Studies. Though it is tempting to trace Byzantine studies at Edinburgh University back to John Stuart Blackie (1809-95), this honour properly belongs to David Talbot Rice, who was appointed to the Watson Gordon Chair of Fine Art in 1934 and held it until his death in 1972. He did much to popularise the study of Byzantine art history, which has overshadowed his significant contribution to Byzantine archaeology. He took part in the excavations of the Great Palace at Istanbul, and wrote the first book on Byzantine ceramics but his enduring achievement was the restoration of the fabric and the frescoes of the church of Haghia Sophia outside Trabzon. The teaching of Byzantine history on a regular basis began in 1966 with the arrival in the History Department of Donald Nicol. Succeeding him on his appointment to the Koraes Chair in Modern and Byzantine Greek at King’s College London in 1970 was Michael Angold, who continued until his retirement in 2005. The scope of the teaching of Byzantine history widened to include Byzantine Italy with the appointment in 1980 of Tom Brown. In 2007 James Crow was appointed to the chair of classical archaeology. The way the centre of gravity of Byzantine studies at Edinburgh has moved across the disciplines from Fine Art to History to Archaeology reflects not only the many sides of the subject, but also the flexibility and adaptability of Edinburgh University. Between them Edinburgh University Library and the National Library of Scotland have very substantial resources for teaching and research in all periods of Byzantine studies. Edinburgh University has twice been host to the Spring Symposium in Byzantine studies: in 1982 and again in 2008. 2. Key Contacts/Relationships The A. G. Leventis Professor of Byzantine Studies will be a member of the School of History, Classics and Archaeology (SHCA) and will form key relationships with the School’s academic and administrative staff, especially with the Head of School and with key colleagues in Archaeology, Classics and Mediaeval History. There will also be significant relationships beyond SHCA with: • the Principal • the Head of College • Schools and research centres in CHSS • Relevant organisations external to the University. 3. Main Responsibilities Key areas of responsibility are to: 1. Provide strategic leadership in teaching, research, knowledge exchange and community engagement, developing a shared vision for Byzantine Studies at Edinburgh. 2. Attract significant research income as a means of developing the profile of Byzantine Studies at Edinburgh. 3. Attract well-qualified graduate students in Byzantine Studies 4. Develop programmes and initiatives in Byzantine culture in association with colleagues in cognate disciplines. 5. Fulfil an ambassadorial role for Byzantine Studies at Edinburgh, facilitating, establishing and maintaining productive relationships with external organisations, to maximise any available opportunities. 4. Knowledge, Skills and Experience Needed for the Job Knowledge Essential - An internationally recognised personal research record - A broad and detailed knowledge of Byzantine Greek culture Desirable - Detailed knowledge of Byzantine literary and historical sources Skills and personal attributes Essential - Excellent interpersonal skills - Excellent research, teaching and general communication skills - Experience and capability to act as a role model in relation to research, teaching and leadership - Ability to lead teams and work within teams with a collegial attitude, respect and sensitivity toward students and other staff members - Ability to think ambitiously and creatively about both teaching and research - Evidence of being proactive, enthusiastic and highly motivated in developing and delivering new research initiatives - Outstanding leadership skills, including a proven record of leading, motivating, influencing, persuading and developing the performance of colleagues - Capacity to develop, articulate and promulgate a broad vision for Byzantine Studies at Edinburgh - Ability to work confidently and effectively with a undergraduate and postgraduate students - Demonstrable critical, informed and scholarly capacity to engage with a range of teaching methods and media Desirable - Ability to engage a wide range of audiences through research, outreach and knowledge exchange Education and training Essential - Doctorate in Byzantine Studies, Classics, History or cognate subject Experience and achievement Essential - Experience as an academic leader in the field of Byzantine Studies. - A sustained track-record of internationally excellent research and publication in Byzantine Studies - A sustained track-record of outstanding teaching in Byzantine language, literature, history or culture - Significant experience as a mentor of younger researchers and graduate students Desirable - Evidence of contribution to the discipline of Byzantine Studies at national/international levels Informal enquires about the post may be addressed to Prof Ian Ralston, Head of School [email protected] Application Procedure All applicants should apply online by clicking the apply link at the bottom of this page. The application process is quick and easy to follow, and you will receive email confirmation of safe receipt of your application. The online system allows you to submit a CV and other attachments. You will be notified by email whether you have been shortlisted for interview or not. The closing date is 5pm (GMT) on Monday 5th January 2015. Eligibility to Work In accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 the University of Edinburgh, as an employer, has a legal responsibility to prevent illegal working and therefore must check that all employees are entitled to work in the United Kingdom (UK). To do so, the University of Edinburgh requires to see original documents evidencing right to work in the UK before commencement of employment and this is normally carried out at interview. Details will be provided in any letter of invitation to interview. For further information on eligibility to work please visit our eligibility to work website If you are not currently eligible to work in the UK, it may be possible for the University of Edinburgh to sponsor you to obtain a Tier 2 (General) visa to enable you to take up the appointment should you be successful at interview. For applicants interested in sponsorship information is available on our Working in the UK website However, if you have previously been sponsored by an employer within the UK but your leave has expired or lapsed and you are no longer in the UK, according to UK Border Agency rules you cannot apply for sponsorship under any category of Tier 2 for a period of 12 months after the date your visa expired and/or you left the UK. Conditions of Employment Pension Scheme This role is grade UE10 and therefore the post holder is automatically included in membership of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), subject to the USS membership criteria, unless they indicate that they choose not to join the Scheme. For further information please visit our Pensions website. Salary The role is grade UE10 and attracts an annual salary on the professorial scale. Salary is paid monthly by direct transfer to your Bank or Building Society account, normally on the 28th of the month. Salaries for part-time staff are calculated on the full-time scales, pro-rata to the Standard Working Week. The University reserves the right to vary the candidate information or make no appointment at all. Neither in part, nor in whole does this information form part of any contract between the University and any individual. The School of History, Classics and Archaeology From its foundation in 1583, the University of Edinburgh has maintained a distinguished tradition of higher learning and academic excellence. Today the University is one of Britains leading research institutions with an international reputation for scholarship and achievement; and access to research libraries of world importance. The School of History, Classics and Archaeology is located within the College of the Humanities and Social Science, founded in August 2002. It is co-located in a completely refurbished A listed building designed by the distinguished Scottish architect, Sir Robert Rowand Anderson in the nineteenth century, with state of the art facilities for staff and students. The School combines the expertise of the subject areas of History, Classics and Archaeology along with the Centre for the Study of Modern Conflict the Scottish Centre for Diaspora Studies and the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. Though each subject area has its own areas of special concern, there are many activities and interests in common and important synergies between areas. There is a full programme of seminars and conferences, and close links are also maintained with subject areas in other Schools. We are one of the largest, most distinguished and most highly ranked centres for the study of the human past in Europe, with over 120 teaching, research and administrative staff. Teaching is provided to around 1500 undergraduate and over 250 postgraduate students drawn from some 40 countries. Around 600 of our students are from outside the UK, reflecting the Schools high international reputation. The range of choice in our programmes is remarkably diverse while at the same time the structure allows for study in depth of particular areas, themes and periods. The subject areas have an outstanding international reputation for research and enjoy a very lively research culture. College of Humanities and Social Science (ed.ac.uk/humanities-soc-sci) The College of Humanities and Social Science is the largest and most diverse of the three Colleges in the University. Led by Vice-Principal Professor Dorothy Miell, it has 12,600 undergraduates, 4,500 taught postgraduates, 2,000 research students and more than 3,100 academic and support staff. The College incorporates 11 Schools (Business; Divinity; Economics; Edinburgh College of Art; Education; Health in Social Science; History, Classics and Archaeology; Law; Literatures, Languages and Cultures; Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences; and Social and Political Science), the Institute for Academic Development, the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities and the Office of Lifelong Learning. The College is located on multiple sites across Edinburgh, with the majority of Schools and College Offices based in the central George Square area. The College, which is recognised as one of the worlds leading centres for the arts, humanities and social sciences research and teaching, has been investing strongly in recent years. Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008 The College operates at the highest levels of international quality across a very wide range of disciplines in the creative arts, humanities and social sciences. The College has been ranked by Times Higher Education/Thomson Reuters among the worlds leading centres for research and teaching in the arts, humanities and social sciences, and had circa 60% of its research assessed as world-leading (4*) and internationally excellent (3*) in RAE2008. The University of Edinburgh For more than four centuries, our people and their achievements have rewritten history time and again. They’ve explored space, revolutionised surgery, published era-defining books, paved the way for life-saving medical breakthroughs and introduced to the world many inventions, discoveries and ideas from penicillin to Dolly the sheep. We have believed that anything is possible. We still do. The latest Research Assessment Exercise highlighted our place at the forefront of international research. This adds to our international reputation for the quality of our teaching and our student experience excellence. As a member of staff you will be part of one of the worlds leading universities, with 22 Schools spread over 3 Colleges that offer more than 500 undergraduate and 160 postgraduate courses to over 30,000 students each year. Professional services are critical to this success as well as our world-class teaching, research and student facilities. In fact, we are one of the top employers in Edinburgh, with over 11,700 people spread across a wide range of academic and supporting roles. The University is proud of its success with online teaching initiatives, with 1905 students currently studying its online distance learning postgraduate programmes, and a total to date of over 940,000 enrolments for Edinburgh MOOCs. As a world-changing, world-leading university we are an exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work. We give you support, nurture your talent, develop and reward success and integrate academic, professional and personal career goals, as well as give your career the benefit of a great and distinguished reputation. The University of Edinburgh holds a Bronze Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance the representation of women in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. We are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions actively promoting LGBT equality. The University has a range of initiatives to support a family friendly working environment. See our University Initiatives website The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.
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