Ref PAR 2023/840
The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 56 000 students and 6 600 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract scientists and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.
The School of Global Studies (SGS) is an innovative university environment for research and education on globalization and global issues. We seek applicants who wish to work in a dynamic, international, and interdisciplinary setting. The department’s educational and research activities include the following subjects: Environmental Social Science, Global Studies, Global Development Studies, Global Gender Studies, Human Ecology, Human Rights, International Relations, Peace and Development Studies, and Social Anthropology.
We are now announcing a position as a full-time postdoctoral researcher for two years. The position is part of an interdisciplinary research project funded by the Swedish Research Council. The project – A new interdisciplinary framework for studying the relationship between climate change and migration – is led by associate professor Anders Burman.
The project
This research project aims to develop a new analytical framework for understanding the relationship between climate change and migration. By creating an innovative and genuinely interdisciplinary research group from the natural and social sciences, this project will produce new knowledge to answer one of the big questions of our time: How does climate change affect global migration, and how does climate change interact with other factors, such as poverty, livelihood, governance and lack of equity and gender equality, when people decide to migrate?
The research project has selected three mountain regions where climate change is particularly felt and affects the livelihoods of the rural population: the Andes (Peru), the Ethiopian highlands (Ethiopia) and the Himalayas (Nepal and Bhutan). Mountain regions are particularly interesting case studies for this research as melting glaciers, water shortage and changing weather patterns are already a reality in these regions today and something people have to adapt to. A relatively unexplored strategy for adaptation is migration. Few studies have been done to find out how big a role climate change really plays in people’s decisions to migrate. Even fewer studies have been done to determine how climate change interacts with other factors in relation to migration.
The project group currently consists of 14 junior and senior researchers from both social and natural sciences. You will be an important addition to the group and work with research in all three regions.
Duties
The tasks mainly consist of research in the project, both individually and as part of the research group. The duties may also include some teaching (max. 20% of full time). The postdoctoral fellow will be an integral part of the research group and work with the collection, processing, systematization, modelling and analysis of data, primarily quantitative data. This includes demographic analysis and quantitative analysis of migration patterns in the three regions, in close collaboration with the project’s climate scientists, to jointly develop a new analytical model to understand the relationship between climate change and migration. The work also includes individual and joint publication in international journals, as well as presentations of research results at international and national conferences and seminars. You will be employed at the School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg, but the work also includes field trips and shorter research stays at participating institutions. A suitable disciplinary background for the position is, for example, sociology, political science, development studies, political ecology, international relations, social anthropology, environmental social science or migration studies, with experience in quantitative analysis and demographic research.
Eligibility
Eligible to be employed as a postdoctoral fellow is someone who has a Swedish doctorate or has a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctorate. This eligibility requirement must be met at the latest at the time when the employment decision is made. This means that applicants who plan to defend their PhD thesis shortly after the application deadline can apply for the position.
In the first instance, those who have completed their doctoral degree no more than three years before the end of the application period and who have not previously been employed as a postdoctoral fellow for more than one year in the same or related subject areas at the University of Gothenburg should be considered for the position. Even those who have completed their doctoral degree previously can be considered if there are special reasons (e.g., leave due to illness, military service or other service in the total defence, positions of trust in trade unions and student organisations, or parental leave or other similar circumstances).
Qualifications and assessment criteria
Applicants must have a PhD in a relevant social science subject, for example sociology, political science, development studies, political ecology, international relations, social anthropology, migration studies or environmental social science. Applicants must have good knowledge of quantitative methods and demographic analysis. Applicants must have very good skills in communicating in spoken and written English.
Furthermore, the application is assessed according to (a) the applicant’s empirical and theoretical knowledge of migration studies, (b) demonstrated interest in and experience of interdisciplinary research, (c) demonstrated scientific interest in environmental or climate issues (d) interest and ability to work independently and in a research group, (e) ability to communicate research results, including to public actors and civil society, (f) relevant language skills for working with data from the three regions.
The work requires the collaborative skills. Weight will thus also be given to personal characteristics.
Employment
Type of employment: Fixed term for two years full time (100%).
Location: School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg
First day of employment: Per agreement
Application
You apply for employment via Gothenburg University’s recruitment portal by clicking on the “Apply” button. As an applicant, you are responsible for ensuring that the application is complete in accordance with the advertisement and that it is received by the university by the application deadline.
The application must contain:
- A personal letter (max. 2 A4) with justification as to why you are applying for the position
- CV including list of publications
- Two personal references (name, contact details and your relationship to the references)
- Copy of degree certificate (PhD)
- Doctoral thesis in PDF format.
For further information:
Anders Burman, project leader: anders.burman@globalstudies.gu.se
Read more about the project here: https://www.gu.se/en/research/climig-a-new-interdisciplinary-framework-for-studying-the-relation-between-climate-change-and-migration
Unions
Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg: https://www.gu.se/en/about-the-university/work-at-the-university-of-gothenburg/how-to-apply
Closing date: August 31, 2023
The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.
Salaries are set individually at the University.
In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden’s regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.
In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.
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