Postdoc position

NUPI is seeking a candidate for a two-year postdoc position.

Norwegian Institute of International Affairs

The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) is a leading research and information community for international political and economic affairs and for affairs of particular interest to Norwegian foreign policy.
NUPI also has a responsibility to inform the general public of international affairs. The institute is a public administrative body subordinate to the Ministry of Education and Research, and numbers some 60 employees. Our offices are located in Oslo city centre.

We are seeking a candidate who has conducted research on armed actors, fragile states and conflict and who holds a PhD in related areas. The candidate will be part of the Research Group on Peace, Conflict and Development, and the research project FRAGVENT, funded by the Research Council of Norway (NORGLOBAL).

We expect the successful candidate to contribute to ongoing fieldwork in Mali, Libya, Niger and Mauritania (fieldwork locations will depend on the security situation). The person will be based at NUPI in Oslo, Norway.

About the project

What forms of authority underpin, enable, and extend violent entrepreneurs in fragile states, and how do the combined effects of fragile states, conflict, and climate impact this? The Sahel region of Africa encompasses some the poorest and most fragile states in the world, and the combined effects of fragility, conflict and climate chance pose severe challenges to development. Understanding the conditions of fragility, and what can be done to help stabilize the states of the Sahel region and increase their resilience to further climate change effects is therefore a precondition for responding to some of the most important challenges to development and human security today, not only locally, but also regionally and globally. Based on case studies from Mali, Libya, Niger and Mauritania, FRAGVENT will contribute with knowledge needed to help tackle these challenges.

FRAGVENT will investigate how state capacity has been eroded, and how this has opened-up new spaces through which insurgents can seek local integration and gain legitimacy. The armed actors, whom we call violent entrepreneurs, are in the forefront of this development and will be studied in detail. These violent entrepreneurs possess some degree of political agenda, which is acted out in tandem with different types of income-generating activities. They rule by force and violence, but they also distribute resources, provide some level of order, and offer protection for (at least parts of) the population in the areas they control. Through detailed case studies of local populations affected by such violent entrepreneurs, FRAGVENT will contribute new knowledge about how these actors operates.

Qualifications for the positions

• PhD in political science, sociology, anthropology or other relevant disciplines
• Publication record in peer-reviewed journals
• Experience from research collaboration in the South
• Experience with and willingness to conduct field work in conflict-affected areas.
• Good communication, teamwork and networking skills
• Fluency in English; ability to read and speak French an advantage
• Self-reliant and creative

We offer:

• An exciting opportunity to combine academic excellence with policy influence
• The chance to be part of the leading research institute on international affairs
• Salary based on qualifications, reflecting NUPI's pay scale

How to apply

The application deadline is 1 September 2019. Application address (citing ‘Post Doc. FRAGVENT’ in the subject field). We accept only applications via JobbNorge.

Please submit the following:

• Application letter outlining your main research agenda and its match with that of the FRAGVENT project (maximum of 2 pages)
• CV
• Three references, including phone numbers and e-mail addresses
• List and copies of up to 5 relevant academic publications

In addition to an interview, potential candidates may be asked to demonstrate academic and communication skills through an open lecture.

Questions regarding the positions can be directed to:

• Project Leader Morten Bøås (mbo@nupi.no) or
  
• Head of the Research Group Kari Osland (ko@nupi.no)

Generally

NUPI aims, to the greatest degree possible, to have a staff that reflects societal diversity. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, regardless of gender, cultural background, age, disability or previous periods of leave from the workforce. NUPI will accommodate specific needs relating to disability for new hires and as needed during the interview process.

Apply for position