Postdoctoral researcher in interdisciplinary education

Welcome to Maastricht University!
The world is changing rapidly, and we’re changing with it. With us, you’ll make a difference: whether you’re exploring the future, the present, or the past as a researcher, inspiring students in the classroom, or helping to shape everything that makes our education and research possible.

Postdoctoral researcher (0.6 research + 0.2 teaching) – Effectiveness of Interdisciplinary Education

•    Our goal: To gain insight into the actual effectiveness of interdisciplinary education within bachelor’s programs in Maastricht.
•    Your colleagues: An interdisciplinary project team with representatives from five bachelor’s programs at UM and Zuyd University of Applied Sciences.
What is the added value of interdisciplinary education? That is the central question of this two-year research project, funded by the Netherlands Initiative for Education (NRO). A growing number of educational institutions are investing in interdisciplinary education, but little is known about its actual impact on skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. In this project, conducted by the Society Studies department at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASoS), you will investigate how interdisciplinary education contributes to student development—from the perspectives of students, lecturers, and alumni.
You will coordinate the project independently, working closely with representatives from the five participating programs: Global Studies, Digital Society, and University College Maastricht (UM), and Interdisciplinary Arts and European Studies (Zuyd). The programs will serve as field labs for data collection through surveys, interviews, and focus groups. You will share your findings both within and outside the academy, including through scholarly publications, workshops, blogs, and practice-oriented reports.
In addition to research, you will also contribute to education at FASoS. You will teach quantitative methods and global citizenship skills, and supervise students with their theses.
Are you curious about the impact of interdisciplinary education? We’d love to meet you.
What you bring
: We’re not interested in ticking boxes, but in who you are and what you bring to the table. Do you recognize yourself in this?

• Researcher with methodological expertise – You have experience with both quantitative and qualitative research methods. This is evident in your dissertation or scientific publications.
• (Almost) completed your PhD – You have completed a PhD or are in the final phase of your PhD trajectory in educational science, pedagogy, educational psychology, sociology or a similar field.
• Research Coordinator – You have experience coordinating research and collecting primary data in an educational context. This includes surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
• Initial teaching experience – You have experience teaching at the university level, preferably in courses on quantitative methods. A university basic teaching qualification (BKO) is a plus.
• Organized and independent – You can independently plan and carry out a complex research project.
• Collaborative and communicative – You enjoy collaborating with colleagues from different institutions and know how to build and maintain a strong network. You will strengthen the network of researchers in the field of interdisciplinary education in the Netherlands and build productive collaborations between the five participating bachelor’s programs.
• Interdisciplinary and internationally oriented – You feel at home in an international academic environment where multiple disciplines come together.
• Language skills – You communicate excellently in English. Dutch is a plus.

What does UM offer?
As  a Postdoctoarcher in Iral Resenterdisciplinary Education  at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences,  you’ll be working at the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. We also offer:

• Excellent employment conditions. The position is classified in scale 11 according to the UFO Researcher profile, with a corresponding salary scale based on experience ranging from €4,728.00 to €6,433.00 gross per month (based on a full-time, 38-hour per week contract). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 24 months with a scope of 0.6 – 0.8 FTE.
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is paramount. We offer flexible working hours and the option to work partly from home, if the nature of your position allows. You’ll receive a monthly home-working and internet allowance for this. If you join us full-time, you’re entitled to 29 vacation days and four additional public holidays annually: Carnival Monday, Carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you use the option to accrue compensatory hours, you’ll receive an additional 12 days. You can also customize your employment conditions using a collective labor agreement (CLA) choice model.
• Maastricht University offers a variety of other excellent secondary employment benefits, including a good pension plan with ABP, and as a UM employee, you can participate in company fitness and take advantage of the extensive sports program we also offer our students.
• Last but certainly not least, the space and facilities to develop yourself: personally and professionally. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and support various broadly supported initiatives such as “recognition and appreciation.”

Maastricht University’s employment conditions are largely laid down in the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities. Local provisions specific to Maastricht University also apply. For more information, click here .

Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?
At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. That of our students, because we give them a solid, broad foundation for the rest of their lives. And that of all of us, through our research into solutions for issues worldwide. With our six faculties, we provide a comprehensive range of education and research.

In our teaching, we use Problem-Based Learning (PBL). This means that our students work in small groups to find solutions to problems and issues on their own. They discuss together, draw conclusions, formulate an answer, and present it to the entire group. In this way, they acquire important skills for their entire career.

UM currently has more than 22,300 students and over 5,000 staff members from all over the world. This creates an inspiring and vibrant international community.

Does this international environment with a focus on science appeal to you? And do you want to contribute in an academic or staff position? Then you are more than welcome to make your unique contribution! Because as a young European University of Maastricht, we offer perspectives that we translate to your talent. You are valuable to our university and society, and we inspire you to grow together with pride and joy.

For more information about UM, click here .

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences,
FASoS, is a close-knit community of approximately 250 staff members and 2,100 students. During breaks and meetings, you’ll find us at our favorite coffee spot, Bandito Espresso. Communication lines within the faculty are short

, and colleagues are always ready to help each other. FASoS has a very international student population, and a large proportion of our staff come from abroad. Our faculty offers four bachelor’s programs, eight master’s programs, and two research master’s programs. All our programs are interdisciplinary in nature. Our research institute studies societies and cultures as they have developed in the modern and contemporary era. We employ a radically interdisciplinary approach. We analyze the interconnections between Europeanization, globalization, scientific and technological development, political change, and cultural innovation. In addition to teaching and research, our colleagues enjoy expressing themselves creatively, such as making podcasts and writing poetry and fiction.

Working at FASoS means working in a challenging yet informal environment. We believe in developing your own career path and are always ready to help you get the most out of your job. More information about FASoS can be found on our website: FASoS

Department
The postdoctoral researcher will be part of the Department of Society Studies at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASoS). This department brings together researchers with expertise in the interdisciplinary fields of Science, Technology and Society Studies (STS) and research on globalization, transnationalism, and development. Interested? Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Joris Boonen at joris.boonen@maastrichtuniversity.nl for more information.

Interested in applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new Postdoctoral Researcher in Interdisciplinary Education? Apply now, no later than August 22, 2025, for this position. Please upload your CV (including a list of publications), cover letter, and contact details of two referees.

The first round of interviews will preferably take place in mid-September. The second round of interviews will preferably take place in the last week of September 2025.

We will preferably welcome the new postdoc from 1 November 2025. 

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and maintaining a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM. We aim to achieve this through inclusive policies and innovative projects in collaboration with students and staff. We encourage you to apply for this position.