Postdoc Position (24 months) in Renaissance Intellectual History and Byzantine–Humanist Knowledge Transfer

The Department of Culture and Language invites applications for a 2year postdoc position in Renaissance intellectual history with a focus on conceptual reception rhetoric and the entangled transmission of Greek and Latin traditions.

The position is expected to begin the 1^st of January 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

About the project

The position is part of the VELUXfunded research project METHOD. A Digital Entangled Approach to European Intellectual History led by Professor Aglae Pizzone and Associate Professor Reka Forrai. The project investigates how Byzantine rhetorical and philosophical traditions shaped early modern European understandings of method focusing on the semantic material and cultural transmission of concepts across linguistic religious and political boundaries.

The postdoc will contribute to Work Package 2: Civic Discourses which examines how early modern reformersMelanchthon Sturm and Ramusengaged with conceptual vocabularies inherited from Byzantine rhetorical theory and how these vocabularies circulated in reformed and Eastern European intellectual environments. The postdoctoral fellow will contribute to contextualizing semantics developments from a socio-cultural and historical point of view exploring the entanglements between the production of Sturm Melanchthon and Ramus (including their penetration in eastern European reformed circles) and the rhetorical material (commentaries treatises etc.) coming from the Greek-speaking east

The postdoctoral researcher is expected to produce a monograph (and collaborate closely with the PIs especially in connecting conceptual developments to Byzantine materials.

Job description and requirements

The successful candidate will:

• Conduct independent research on the conceptual development of method in the works of Melanchthon Sturm and Ramus with particular attention to their rhetorical dialectical and pedagogical writings.
• Contextualize semantic developments using socio-cultural intellectual-historical and philological methods in dialogue with the results of the projects semantic network analysis.
• Collaborate with the projects digital humanist in interpreting the semantic networks emerging from the targeted texts.
• Support the investigation of how early modern figures engaged with Byzantine materials.
• Publish a monograph and contribute to joint publications workshops and dissemination activities.

Required qualifications

• A PhD in Classics Medieval or Renaissance Studies Intellectual History Byzantine Studies Latin/Greek Philology or a closely related field.
• Documented expertise in both Ancient Greek and Latin.
• Strong background in rhetorical theory or conceptual history.
• Experience working with philological historical or manuscript-based research.
• Ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary environment involving digital humanities intellectual history and philology.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Desirable supplementary qualifications

• Familiarity with Byzantine rhetorical traditions or the work/reception of Hermogenes of Tarsus and the Corpus Hermogenianum.
• Experience with Eastern European Reformation contexts (e.g. Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth early academies).
• Interest in or openness to digital humanities methodologies.
• Editorial experience.

For further information

For further information about the position contact professor Aglae Pizzone on. For general questions about employment at the University of Southern Denmark contact Vice Head of Department Anne Klara Bom at.

For questions related to CV diplomas etc. please contacthumfak-hr

Conditions of employment and Salary
The employment as postdoc is temporary. Employment stops automatically by the end of the period. An upgrade of pedagogical qualifications is not part of the position. Thus employment as postdoc cannot stand alone as a qualification for later employment as associate professor/senior researcher.

The successful applicant will be employed in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and AC (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) Cirkulære om overenskomst forAkademikere i staten2025 (the document only exists in Danish).

Persons employed in the position may based on a specific individual managerial assessment be exempted from time registration also known as a self-organizer.

Salary is determined in accordance with the applicable collective agreement and based on objective and gender-neutral criteria including the content of the position responsibilities and qualification requirements.

As an applicant you are entitled to information about the starting salary and salary range for the position. This information will be provided during the recruitment process.

SDU does not collect information on applicants previous salary.

Application
Applications should be sent electronically via the link apply online and the Faculty expects applicants to read the information How to apply before applying.

The application must include

• Detailed CVincluding personal contact information
• Certificates/Diplomas (Master and PhD degree). If the PhD hasnt been completed please attach a statement from your supervisors regarding your impending completion.
• Complete list of publications indicating which publications are most relevant for the position.
• Up to 5 of the most relevant publications. Please upload a PDF for each publication. If your publications have been co-authored please briefly describe the extent of the co-authorship or your contribution to the individual joint publication. You can do so by using thisform or you can describe the co-authorship in such a way that the committee can assess the extent of your contribution.
• A cover letter (max. 1-15 pages) outlining your fit for the project motivation and relevant experience and qualifications.

All non-Danish documents must be translated into English.

Application and all appendices must be in Danish English or one of the Scandinavian languages. Please always include a copy of original diploma/certificates. We only accept files in pdf-format no more than 10 MB per case you have more than one file per field you need to combine the pdf-files into a single file as each field handles only one file. We do not accept zip-files jpg or other image files. All pdf-files must be unlocked and allow binding and may not be password protected.

The assessment process
Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee and the applicant will receive the part of the evaluation that concerns them. The assessment report will subsequently be forwarded to the Head of Department who will assemble an appointments committee. An interview may form part of the overall assessment of the applicants qualifications.

The committee may request additional information and if so it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the necessary material.

If the application does not meet the requirements mentioned above the Faculty of Humanities may reject your application without further notice. Applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated.

Shortlisting and tests will be used in the assessment process. Please note that only a shortlisted applicant will receive an assessment.Hereyou can read more about shortlisting at SDU.

Application deadline

Application deadline is September 21st 2026 at 11.59 PM / 23.59 (CEST).

The University of Southern Denmark is committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background and strive to reflect the diversity of society in our staff

If you are not a Danish-speaking applicant please ensure that you use the English website to access the electronic application form to receive further information in English.

We recommend that as an international applicant you take the time to visit Working in Denmark where you will find information and facts about moving to working and living in Denmark as well asthe International Staff Office at SDU.

About SDU
SDUwas founded in 1966 and now has more than 27000 students almost 20% of whom are from abroad. It has more than 3800 employees and 115 different studyprogrammesin the fields of the humanities social sciences natural sciences health sciences and engineering. Its main campusis located inOdense but SDU is present also in Kolding Sønderborg Esbjerg and Copenhagen.

The University is signatory of theCoalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA). Wewish our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Working at University of Southern Denmark
TheInternational Staff Office (ISO) at SDU provides a variety of services for new employees guests and people who consider applying for a job at the University of Southern Denmark. International staff in tenured positions will be offeredDanish language trainingin connection with the employment and are expected to achieve Danish language competences at CEFR B2-level within 5 years from being appointed.

The Department of Culture and Language is located on the island of Funen at the universitys campus in Odense the third-largest city in Denmark with 185.000 inhabitants.Odenseprovides family-friendly living conditions in a historic citywith an urban feel where nature and other recreational areas are never far away. The city has excellent connections with public transportation to Aarhus and Copenhagen.