Job description

Applications are invited for a position as Postdoctoral Fellow at ARENA Centre for European Studies at the University of Oslo. The appointment as postdoctoral fellow is for 39 months, including 25 per cent duty work (see details under “responsibilities”). The position is available from 1 January 2020 – 31 March 2023.

ARENA is a highly renowned centre for research on the transformation of Europe, in particular on the processes of political change. It aims at theoretically founded and innovative research. ARENA offers a stimulating intellectual environment for cooperation and scholarly debate and has a staff of well-qualified and committed scholars. The centre and its research projects have received excellent evaluations. The working language at ARENA is English.

More about the position

The fellowship is part of the project “EU Differentiation, Dominance and Democracy (EU3D)” which is an international research project funded by the EU’s Horizon

2020 programme (2019 – 2023). EU3D has 10 European partner universities and is coordinated by Professor John Erik Fossum at ARENA.

All modern political systems are differentiated; the EU is however distinctly so. The problem is that the EU that emerged from the financial and refugee crises is associated with less democracy and more dominance. EU3D sets out to specify the conditions under which differentiation is politically acceptable, institutionally sustainable, and democratically legitimate. Equally important, EU3D specifies the conditions under which it is not, in other words when conditions of dominance prevail. EU3D understands dominance as arbitrary rule, and dominance can be an unintended consequence of action.

The postdoctoral fellowship is announced as part of the project’s research areas with particular, albeit not exclusive, focus on Public opinions, debates and reforms (WP4). Systematic assessments of possible counter-vailing forces to patterns and processes of domination associated with democracy and legitimate governance, will be undertaken. WP4 adopts a largely ‘bottom-up’ approach by focusing on popular reactions and perceptions, media actors and parliaments. The point is to examine the extent to which and the conditions under which there may be a ‘democratic bouncing back’ from the crises, that is, whether it is possible to overcome differentiation-caused dominance. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to WP4’s work on media assessments and parliamentary reforms, and to address these themes in cooperation with EU3D researchers.

The successful candidate will also contribute to the wider work of EU3D, including joint publications, conference and workshop participation, and help make an impact on the scholarly and public debate on the puzzles of differentiation, dominance and democracy.

The postdoctoral fellowship includes 25 per cent duty work, where the successful candidate is expected to support the EU3D coordination team with a set of project-related tasks, including:

• Dissemination of research results
• Editorial work on the project blog “Future of Europe”
• Co-organization of academic and public events
• Reporting to the European Commission
• Possibly teach and supervise MA or PhD students

Qualification

Candidates must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian PhD degree in political science or relevant discipline within the social sciences. The candidate’s PhD dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the application closing date. Appointment as postdoctoral fellow is dependent on the successful completion of the candidate’s PhD degree.

Documented expertise in EU studies is required, preferably with a focus on political systems and institutions, governance and democracy, or public debates, opinions and reform. Knowledge of research methods relevant for this project is required.

Considerable weight will be accorded to the ability to conduct independent research, scientific excellence, critical and creative thinking as well as the ability to be a genuine team player.

Experience of teaching and active participation in the international research community, such as workshops, seminars and academic conferences is seen as a merit.

Experience or interest in disseminating research results across multiple platforms is also seen as a merit.

Applicants must have excellent written and oral proficiency in English. Residence in Norway is expected.

Personal skills

• Good collaborative and communications skills
• Able to work both in a team and independently, using own initiative
• Efficient, capable of handling multiple tasks simultaneously

We offer

• A gross salary of NOK 523 200 – 583 900 per annum depending on level of competence and/or length of service (position code 1352)
• A stimulating professional work environment
• Good pension benefits under the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund scheme
• Attractive welfare benefits
• Relocation support from the international staff mobility office (ISMO)
• Opportunity to attend Norwegian language classes
• Oslo offers a family-friendly environment with rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities: https://www.uio.no/english/about/jobs/ismo/while-in-oslo/enjoying-oslo/
• Norwegian work life is known for gender equality and work life balance: https://www.uio.no/english/about/jobs/ismo/join-uio/

How to apply

• Application letter with a statement of interest (maximum 2 pages)
• CV including education, academic employment, project experience and other qualifying activity
• Academic transcripts (university degrees only)
• Copy of PhD diploma or documentation of thesis submission
• Academic publications (up to 2, may include PhD dissertation). Please note that there is no separate prompt for uploading such documents in the application portal. These must therefore be uploaded as separate “Attachments”.
• A complete list of publications
• Names and contact details of two references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number).

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “Apply for this job”. The application and all supporting documents must be in English (copies of academic transcripts in a Scandinavian language will also be accepted).

Formal regulations

Please refer to the guidelines concerning appointment to postdoctoral and research posts at the University of Oslo. Interviews will be part of the appointment process.

The University of Oslo has an Acquisition of Rights Agreement for all employees for the purpose of securing intellectual and property rights to research results etc.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

According to Section 25 of the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act, information about the applicant can be published even though the applicant has requested not to be included in the public list of applicants.

Contact information

• EU3D Project Manager Geir Kværk
• EU3D Scientific Coordinator John Erik Fossum

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