Additional recruitment to the Doctoral School of Languages and Literatures   beyond the limit of places

Project description:  

The project focuses on the portrayal of Manicheism in St Augustine of Hippo’s sermons and letters. Augustine was a Manichaean for several years and virtually until the end of his life he was accused of still holding some Manichean opinions in his philosophical and theological views. The project will study the Manichaean ideas present, implicitly or explicitly, in Augustine’s sermons and letters, both with regard to the awareness of Manicheism in Augustine’s audience and with regard to the way this religion influenced Augustine’s own philosophical and theological thinking (on subjects such as free will, sin, grace etc.). The two sets of writings, sermons and letters, were selected, because they share the same “performative” character. They were public ways of communication in antiquity, not theoretical writings. Sermons were delivered to various types of congregations and were situated in a liturgical context. Letters were not private, but were intended to be copied and disseminated, and their specific addressees also determined the communicative context.

             Despite the fact that both the sermons and the letters of Augustine are large sets of writings, the subject of Manicheism in them has not been studied yet and this project will attempt to do it. In order to study those two diverse groups of “performative” writings a multidisciplinary approach has to be taken. The project will consist in a close cooperation between two groups of researchers, from Belgium and from Poland. The groups will be working, respectively, on the sermons and the letters, but also regularly discussing their findings and methods, thus enriching each other in the process and allowing to create a synthetic view of the studied material. Every year the two teams will meet in person, they will also be in touch online. The teams will consist of the PI’s who are established and internationally recognized scholars and of Ph.D. students appointed in recruitment process. The team members will participate in international conferences and symposia, and an international conference will be organized at the end of the project. The findings will be published in the best international publishing venues (e.g. Studia Patristica series by Peeters, Instrumenta Patristica et Mediaevalia series by Brepols).

             The project will broaden the knowledge of Augustine’s interaction with Manichean ideas, the understanding of the development of his own thought, and the insight into the peculiar “performative” genres of sermons and letters. Thus it will make an impact on several disciplines, such as, of course, Augustinian studies, but also ancient history and literary history, religious studies, theology and philosophy.

 Principal investigator:   prof. Mateusz Stróżyński

Selection Committee 

p         prof. dr hab. Mateusz Stróżyński   – chairman

           prof. dr hab. Krystyna Bartol 

           prof. dr hab. Robert Maryks 

     prof. UAM dr hab. Marzanna Kuczyńska 

     prof. UAM dr hab. Izabela Lis-Wielgosz 

     prof. UAM dr hab. Magdalena Stuligrosz - secretary

Schedule of  the Doctoral  School enrolment procedure: 

Recruitment fee

The recruitment fee is 75 EUR.

Form of the selection procedure

One stage procedure.

Language of the selection procedure, including interviews:

Polish or English language. 

Required documents:

 1.        Candidates who have obtained the necessary education outside the territory of the Republic of Poland, shall additionally submit:

1)    a photocopy of a document which confirms their education, certified to be a true copy of the original document, i.e. a diploma with a supplement confirming completion of first cycle studies (Bachelor degree) and a diploma with a supplement confirming completion of second cycle studies (Master degree, MSc, MA) in the original language and in a certified translation into English or into Polish,

            2)    a photocopy of their passport. 

 Evaluation criteria

 1)    the grade awarded for the diploma of the second cycle studies or single cycle five year master’s studies - maximum 10 points; in the case of candidates who seek admission on the basis of superior academic achievements ("Pearls of Science") - 10 points;

 2)    evaluation of the candidate's scientific activity and scientific achievements; the candidate indicates for evaluation up to three documented scientific achievements, in accordance with the achievement criteria adopted by the selection committee for a given discipline - maximum 15 points;

 3)    evaluation of the candidate's other documented activity, based on a maximum of three achievements consistent with the achievement criteria adopted by the selection committee for a given discipline - maximum 5 points

 4)    the result of the interview, with the scope of the interview including:

 a)    the candidate's knowledge and competencies relevant to the planned research and appropriate to the indicated scientific discipline,

 b)    elements of research methodology appropriate for the discipline indicated.

 No more than 50 points can be awarded for the interview; the maximum duration of the interview is 30 minutes.

 5)    evaluation of the research project prepared and submitted for assessment to the selection committee (maximum 20 points), with particular emphasis on:

 a)    the ability to formulate the research objective and present the research problem;

 b)    research idea and the ability to propose a solution;

 c)    methodology appropriate to the discipline indicated;

          d)    knowledge of the state of research with a basic bibliography. 

Condition of admission to the Doctoral School 

Education Program

Education at the doctoral school lasts 8 semesters. Education at the Doctoral School  is offered on the basis of a framework curriculum and an individual research plan and ends with the submission of a doctoral dissertation.

The framework curriculum at the doctoral school includes a catalogue of modules of compulsory classes, elective compulsory classes and optional classes. It also:

1)    defines their schedule

2)    defines the way in which the classes are taught

3)    defines how learning outcomes are verified.

Education begins on 1st October, 2024.

Supervisors

A doctoral student works under the supervision of a supervisor or supervisors, or a supervisor and auxiliary supervisor, who will be appointed by the Deputy Rector at the request of a doctoral student (within 3 months of the start of his or her studies at the Doctoral School).

Rules of admission to doctoral schools of Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań in the academic year 2024/2025, Appendix to Resolution No. 478/2023/2024 of UAM Senate of 18th  December, 2023.