Description of the Chair of the Americas (Chaire des Amériques) :

The University of RENNES 2 (Université de Rennes 2, France) has recently opened a Chair of the Americas (a  Chaire des “Amériques”  founded during the fall semester 2004-2005). The chair is part of the Institute of the Americas ( Institut des Amériques-Rennes) created in 2003 by a group of academics from various institutions of higher learning in the city of Rennes (France): the Institut d’études politiques (the Political Science Department), the Universities of Rennes 1, Rennes 2 and Agrocampus, through their foreign language departments and their social sciences and literature departments). The purpose was to conduct research on inter-American relations.

The IDA-Rennes is the Rennes branch of the national IDA or Institute of the Americas created by the Institut des Hautes Etudes en Amérique Latine (the Institute for Higher Learning specializing in Latin American Studies), located at the Université de Paris III1. It was extended to the North American continent (the USA, Canada,and Mexico)

IDA-Rennes is composed of

• A chair of the Americas (Chaire des Amériques) open to Professors and researcher fellows in the field of the Americas (for periods of 1 to 3 months, in residence at Rennes)
• An interdisciplinary seminar on the Americas (from Alaska to Patagonia)
• Symposia on the Americas
• The Institute pools its resources for greater effectiveness.

Philosophy :

Dans ce contexte, la Chaire des Amériques  accueille The  Chair of the Americas  is open

• for periods of 1 to 3 months, in residence at Rennes,
• to mature foreign academics and / or research fellows interested in the Americas,
• whose publications are well-known in the fields of research explored by the IDA partner teams. :
• Methodology and theoretical approaches range from such anthropology,
• political science,
• sociology,
• the law,
• to cultural studies...

Purpose :

IDA-Rennes seeks to strengthen the institutional and organic ties between research centers, to promote exchanges between mature students, and academics or research fellows from Rennes and from “American” colleges and research centers by making it easier for academicsand researchers to spend a few months abroad and by favouring cross fertilization between institutions of higher learning on the American continent and in Europe, in order to pool valuable knowledge on the Americas.

The chair is aimed primarily at researchers and / or academics currently working in American universities or research centers that already have established working partnerships with Rennes (the Americas including North America as well as Latin America or the Caribbean).

The applicants will receive a salary equivalent to the one paid to a visiting Maitre de Conférences (Associate Professor). They will be housed in University accommodation and their travel expenses will be paid for ( on a flat rate basis).

The period chosen must be within the limits of the academic calendar :  semester 1 from October to January, semester 2 from February to June1.

Mission :

The visiting scholar/professor will be expected to lecture, give conferences, and participate in research seminars with one or several research centers that are partners of the Institute.

He/she may be asked to participate in the activities of IDA at the national level.

He/she will be encouraged to participate in the Master’s program (classes and / or seminars connected with the postgraduate students in the Master “Les Amériques”).

He / she will define the activities for the visiting scholarship with the scientific committee of the Chair.

Mastery of French, if not absolutely required is advisable.

Application form :

How to get an application form ?

• The form will be sent to prospective applicants (request to be e-mailed to chaire-des-ameriques@uhb.fr)
• It can be downloaded from the below website. :
  http://www.ida-rennes.org

It must be sent back (3 copies) via mail or as an attachment no later than May 30 2007.

Requested documents are :

• A vitae (a résumé)
• A scientific project that underlines the contribution to the academic or research activities of IDA-Rennes
• The short term or long term prospect of cooperation in terms of exchanges of faculty, or students, or the possible networking or cross fertilization in terms of common research projects.