Postdoctoral position in the Ocean Infrastructure Group, Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen

The Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), invites candidates for a postdoctoral position in the Ocean Infrastructure Group from 15 January 2023.

The position is for 24 months.

Introduction

This two year (24 months) post-doctoral position is based in the Department of Political Science. The successful candidate will join the Ocean Infrastructure research group, which is a joint endeavor with the HIFMB Oldenburg (Prof. Kimberly Peters). The core objective of the international group is to address contemporary global ocean governance challenges (freedom of navigation, subsea cable protection, marine accidents) through the framework of infrastructures as developed in debates in international relations, geography, anthropology or Science and Technology.

Duties and Responsibilities

The successful candidate is expected to carry out theory driven research on the environmental consequences of shipping, such as marine accidents or oil spills, and governance and regulatory responses. This could include empirical research on marine safety institutions (e.g. European Maritime Safety Agency), vulnerable states and regions (e.g. Mauritius) or the shipping industry. The researcher will also contribute to jointly developing the concept and theory of global infrastructures. The successful candidate will spend 60% of her/his time working on directly project related research and minor administrative tasks, such as the organization of events, 25% of the time will be allocated for independent research. The position carries a small teaching commitment (15%) contributing to master supervision and teaching in international relations and political science. Candidates will receive mentoring and skills training, including in grant writing, to enable them to reach their career ambitions. The candidate will be supervised jointly by Professor Christian Bueger and Professor Kimberly Peters.

Your Competencies and Opportunities

We expect the successful candidate to start no later than on the 15th of January 2023. The position requires relocation to Copenhagen, and requires the following competencies:  

• Completed PhD in International Relations, Environmental Studies, Geography, Anthropology or Science and Technology Studies, or related fields.
• Proven interest in the oceans, and basic familiarity with some elements of ocean governance (e.g. UNCLOS, marine safety, shipping industry).
• Documented interest in contemporary theory, including, but not limited to, practice theory, field theory, assemblage theory, Actor-Network theory or related approaches.
• Basic knowledge of the contemporary debate on infrastructures, or willingness to acquire knowledge of the debate in short time.
• Proven skills and experience in empirical research, including in interviewing experts, technical staff or diplomats, field work, archive research or in handling large data sets.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills, and capability to turn around texts in short time
• Interest and experience in translating knowledge to non-academic audiences (e.g. through blogs, media work or presentations at non-academic conferences).
• Logistical and organizational skills, e.g. in organizing conference panels and workshops, or handling social media accounts.
• Willingness and flexibility to travel, including to overseas locations (e.g. Azores, Maldives, Mauritius).
• Language skills other than English are an advantage (e.g. French, Creole, Portuguese).

Strategy of the Faculty of the Social Sciences
The Department of Political Science is part of the Faculty of the Social Sciences. The Faculty is a successful academic community that strives to put knowledge into action by:

• Engaging partners in the co-creation of knowledge, learning and social change.
• Empowering our students to become reflective and responsible citizens who have the vision, the knowledge and the competences to change society for the better.
• Energising global, European and Danish communities of knowledge by innovating research methodologies and by research findings with impact

For more information on the Faculty strategy, please check: https://samf.ku.dk/fakultetet/strategi/  (Danish) or https://socialsciences.ku.dk/faculty/strategy/  (English)

Terms of Employment

The recruitment process
Further information on the recruitment process at University of Copenhagen can be found here:  https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

An Equal Opportunity Workplace
The University of Copenhagen is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc. For more on the diverse working place environment at the University and the University’s participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Researrch, see https://employment.ku.dk/working-at-ucph/eu-charter-for-researchers/

International applicant?
The University of Copenhagen offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including support before and during your relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about these services as well as information on entering and working in Denmark here: https://ism.ku.dk/

Contact information
Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, e-mail: [email protected], please refer to ID number: 211-1082/22-2I.

Additional information about the position can be obtained from professor Christian Bueger, e-mail: [email protected]

How to apply
Submit a complete application at our online portal. Click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of the page to apply. The documents must be in Adobe PDF or Word. 

Your application must be written in English and include the following documents:

• Motivated application
• Curriculum vitae
• Diploma (PhD, master and bachelor)
• Other relevant material (if any)

The closing date for applications is 1 October 2022 at 23:59 [CET]

Applications or enclosures received thereafter will not be considered.

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.