UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS
DEPARTMENT OF CLASSICS AND PHILOSOPHY

Special Scientists (Postdoctoral fellowships)
Title: Special Scientists
No. of Position(s): Two (2)
Category: 1 year contract (subject to renewal up to 4 years)
Location: University of Cyprus, Nicosia

The ERC Starting Grant project GROUPMINDS of the Department of Classics and Philosophy, University of Cyprus (UCY), announces two full-time postdoctoral research positions (140 hrs/month). The research programme GROUPMINDS, acronym for “Group Minds in Ancient Narrative”, is funded by the European Union in the frame of the ERC (European Research Council) Starting Grants (GA no. 101115022). The project is coordinated by its Principal Investigator, Assistant Professor, Dr Chrysanthos S. Chrysanthou.

The project’s overall objective is to build a bridge between narrative theory and the phenomenological experience of cognition as socially extended and distributed among a set of individuals, in order to give new answers as to the fundamental question of narrative’s function in humans’ understanding of the social world. Ancient literature offers precious material for such an approach. The research hypothesis is that Greek and Latin narratives thematise processes of group cognition in ways hitherto undetected, and that a detailed analysis of these processes offers new insights over the way narrative cognitively affects both reading experience and real-life experience of intersubjectivity. In order to be able to test this hypothesis, the project adopts an interdisciplinary methodology that brings together structuralist narratology, cognitive narrative studies, and research on social cognition in philosophy, psychology, and the cognitive sciences. It envisages the following objectives: (1) to analyse the techniques by which group minds and intermentality are narrativised, and thus offer the first narratology of collectives; (2) to investigate the cognitive responses which are evoked in the audiences during story reading; and (3) to illuminate the ways and extent that thinking about collective narrative minds feeds into thinking about human minds, cognitive interaction, and intersubjectivity in the real (contemporary) world.

QUALIFICATIONS
The candidates are expected to be highly-motivated individuals with proven capability to work in a multidisciplinary research environment, eager to be actively engaged in the demanding activities of this large-scale, European-funded research project and collaborate efficiently with the Principal Investigator and the other researchers of GROUPMINDS. The applicants should hold their PhD degree in Classics or Ancient Philosophy. Background in cognitive classics, narratology, and literary theory will be considered as an advantage, but emphasis will be given in scientific excellence and capacity of innovative research.

Essential requirements include:
1. PhD/DPhil in classics or ancient philosophy and related fields
2. Excellent knowledge of ancient Greek and Latin
3. Excellent knowledge of the English language both verbal and written
4. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Optional, but will be considered as an advantage, any of the following:
1. Expertise or strong interest in ancient philosophy
2. First-author publications at international peer-reviewed venues
3. Experience and success in project-based external funding

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
We are looking for two engaged individuals with expertise or strong interest in ancient philosophy to examine the philosophical conceptualisations of certain intersubjective phenomena (e.g. friendship, likemindedness or concord, oikeiōsis, and sympatheia) in the ancient Graeco-Roman world. How and to what extent are these phenomena dependent on a special kind of reciprocal or transpersonal cognition? The successful candidates will contribute towards a new understanding of the notion of intersubjectivity historically both on the interpersonal level of interaction between two or more embodied agents and on the phenomenological level of “mutual incorporation”. Furthermore, the successful candidates are expected to present the results of their research in academic publications and gatherings.

EMPLOYMENT TERMS
Special Scientist positions are offered on a 12-month contract basis with the possibility for extension up to 4 years, based on successful progress. Employment should begin as soon as possible and no later than September 2024. The monthly gross salary for full time employment (140 hrs/month) is equal to €2500 to €2950 (according to qualifications and previous experience). From this amount employee contributions to the various Government Funds will be deducted. The position allows for an additional grant of up to €2000/year for travel or other research expenses. The position does not include a 13th salary bonus.

HOW TO APPLY
Interested candidates should submit by Friday, 17th November 2023 the following items as a single PDF file, via e-mail to chrysanthou.s.chrysanthos@ucy.ac.cy with subject title “GROUPMINDS POSTDOC PHILOSOPHY APPLICATION”:
(1) Letter of motivation (maximum 1 page with a minimum of 10pt font size), indicating preferable starting date.
(2) CV indicating the applicant’s education and employment history (if any).
(3) List of publications (if any).
(4) 1 Sample of Work (it can be either a published article/chapter or part of unpublished PhD thesis, maximum 10000 words including references and bibliography).
(5) Research proposal (maximum 2 pages with a minimum of 11pt font size, conforming to the details given above in “duties and responsibilities”).
(6) Contact details of at least two referees.
(7) Copies of degrees and transcripts.

THE PROCESS
The best three candidates that satisfy the required qualifications will be interviewed by a 3- member Committee. Candidates shall be informed of the result of their application by the relevant entity.

The University of Cyprus shall collect and process your personal data according to the provisions of the General Regulation on Personal Data 2016/679 (EU).

The University of Cyprus (UCY) is committed to promoting inclusivity, diversity, and equality, as well as the elimination of all forms of discrimination in order to provide a fair, safe, and pleasant environment for the entire university community, where students and staff members will feel supported both in their professional and personal development, within and beyond their multiple identities. To this end, UCY seeks to create the necessary conditions that will encourage and respect diversity and ensure dignity both in the workplace and society at large. Moreover, UCY has adopted specific policies to promote equal opportunities, as well as respect and understanding of diversity, while it is committed to promoting and maintaining a working, teaching, and learning environment, free from any form of discrimination, whether direct or indirect.
For more information please contact: Dr Chrysanthos S. Chrysanthou (Assistant Professor of Ancient Greek Literature, chrysanthou.s.chrysanthos@ucy.ac.cy)