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PhD: Research on Romanian Labour Mobilities and (in)Jusitice inPeripherised Places in Germany
Faculty/Services: Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Educational level: Master
Function type: PhD position
Closing date: 8 februari 2023
Vacancy number: 11108
Are you looking for a challenging job in a dynamic setting on one of the most debated social issues – labour mobility in Europe? Are you interested in writing a PhD thesis that pushes the frontier of labour mobility research and produces insights into building more convivial societies? The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Governance and Inclusive Development team is looking for a PhD researcher for the Volkswagen Foundation funded research project ‘VISION: Envisioning Convivial Europe' (2022-2026).
The Governance and Inclusive Development (GID) team at the University of Amsterdam scrutinizes development dynamics at various geographical, jurisdictional and temporal scales, realizing that these are situated in different but interconnected multi-level processes. GID analyses and rethinks dominant development paradigms, and engages with international, national and local development practices, policies and debates to identify viable and socially just alternatives. The team focuses on the strategic issues of multi- level (glocal) governance and inclusive development. The reason for doing this is that the drivers of change and development processes emerge and interact at all scale levels in unpredictable ways.
What are you going to do
You will be working as a full-time PhD researcher for 3.5 years on the ‘VISION: Envisioning Convivial Europe' project ( https: // visionproject.net/ ). By collecting the experiences and stories of local residents and labour migrants, VISION aims to contribute to a more welcoming, sustainable and just Europe. With a translocal perspective, your PhD research will contribute to collecting data on and analysing the life conditions in ‘shrinking' places or ‘inner-peripheries' in Germany (Brandenburg) and Romania. Your research will examine how these places and communities are connected to each other through the transnational mobile labour regime. Your PhD research will serve as one of the foundations for the final project phase when we envision convivial social relations and convivial spaces within Europe as pathways to achieving a more inclusive, sustainable and just European society.
You will be embedded in a team of interdisciplinary researchers (senior scholars, a post-doc, another PhD candidate focusing on Polish mobile labour, as well as master and bachelor students) based at DeZIM (Deutsches Zentrum für Integrations- und Migrationsforschung e.V. in Berlin), Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg and Utrecht University. You will also be linked to an international network of social actors (policymakers, practitioners, NGOs, citizenship initiatives etc.), among others, members of the project's advisory board.
VISION draws on and advances complementary perspectives in geography, sociology, (visual) anthropology and gender studies. It is a mixed-method research that entails multi-sited fieldwork research, mobile and visual ethnography methods (esp. filmmaking). Placing the concept of conviviality at its core, VISION privileges knowledge of people in the ‘inner-peripheries', which has been rendered invisible. Not only do we seek to understand the living conditions of inhabitants and mobile workers in our case-study regions, we will also co-create knowledge and solutions with them.
Being a PhD researcher on the VISION project, your tasks will include:
What do you have to offer
We are looking for a colleague who is committed to addressing the issues of socio-spatial injustices in Europe; someone open-minded, analytical and critical - to be able to question assumptions and contribute to debates; someone curious and creative in looking for solutions and imagining more just and sustainable futures; someone diligent, flexible and able to deal with uncertainties; someone who is an independent researcher and a team player.
Your experience and profile:
What can we offer you
The position concerns temporary employment of 38 hours per week for a maximum term of 3.5 years. The initial employment is for one year. Following a positive assessment and barring altered circumstances, this term will be extended by a maximum of 2.5 years, which should result in the conferral of a doctorate degree. We will put together a curriculum which will also include the opportunity to attend training courses and both national and international events. You will also be tasked with teaching Bachelor's students.
For this position the University Job Classification profile ‘Promovendus' applies.
Your salary will be €2,541 gross per month in the first year and will increase to €3,247 in the final year, based on full-time employment and in keeping with the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities. We additionally offer an extensive package of secondary benefits, including 8% holiday allowance and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.
The UvA offers excellent possibilities for further professional development and education.
What else do we offer
About us
The University of Amsterdam is the largest university in the Netherlands, with the broadest spectrum of degree programmes. It is an intellectual hub with 39,000 students, 6,000 employees and 3,000 doctoral students who are all committed to a culture of inquiring minds.
About the faculty
A challenging work environment with a variety of duties and ample scope for individual initiative and development within an inspiring organization. The social and behavioral sciences play a leading role in addressing the major societal challenges faced by the world, the Netherlands and Amsterdam, now and in the future.
Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.
Questions
Do you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact:
Job application
Do you recognize yourself in the job profile? Then we look forward to receiving your application by 8 February 2023. You may apply online by using the link below.
Applications, in a single PDF file, should include:
The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritise diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.
No agencies please.
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