Brokering China’s Extraversion: An Ethnographic Analysis of Transnational Arbitration (BROKEX)

Job description

A Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1352) is available at the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages, University of Oslo.

The Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship is funded by the European Research Council (ERC). The candidate will work on a case study under the ERC Starting Grant project “Brokering China’s Extraversion: An Ethnographic Analysis of Transnational Arbitration (BROKEX)”. The principal investigator for the project is Dr. Heidi Østbø Haugen.

BROKEX will generate knowledge about how Chinese global engagements deepen across sectors and geographic regions. The project examines how brokers mediate in transnational fields. The PI and three postdoctoral researchers will carry out ethnographic case studies that yield complementary information on brokering across geographic scales: 1) Connecting low-cost Chinese manufacturing with African markets (PI); 2) Integrating Chinese academic research with global scientific communities; 3) Attracting new foreign investments to China to underpin industrial upgrading (position filled); 4) Transnational architecture production. A PhD student will work on a self-identified case study. The data collection will take place in the Pearl River Delta, South China. We will build on the empirical findings and literature to develop brokerage theory in the social sciences. Ethnographic case studies combined with critical theorization will generate new knowledge about processes beneath the “rise of China”. For more information, please refer to the project description.

The postdoctoral fellow filling the announced position will be in charge of case study 4: Transnational architecture production".

The postdoctoral research project will constitute a significant component of the overall project, and the parameters of data collection and analysis are therefore largely determined by the overall project design. In addition to conducting fieldwork for the case, the postdoctoral fellow is expected to contribute to the analysis of the larger project, publish independently, and, together with other project team members, present research papers at international workshops and conferences, contribute to popular dissemination of the research results, and undertake administrative tasks related to the project.

The position is available for a period of 3 years. The postdoctoral fellow will work full-time on the project during this period.

The postdoctoral period includes ten months of fieldwork in Guangdong Province. For the remainder of the employment period, the fellow is expected to live in Oslo and take active part in the research environment at the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages.

Qualification requirements

• PhD or equivalent academic qualifications with a specialization within the social sciences or humanities in areas relevant to the project;
• Ability to collect and analyze data in Chinese (Mandarin and/or Cantonese);
• Excellent English writing skills and good English oral communications skills;
• Demonstrated experience with qualitative research methods;
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position.

The doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation before the closing date. Appointment is dependent on the public defense of the doctoral thesis being approved.

In the evaluation of the applications, emphasis will be placed on:

• The scientific merit and relevance of the research statement.
• Ability to carry out the designated responsibilities and deliver results in a timely manner within BROKEX;
• Familiarity with relevant theories and empirical contexts;
• Analytical skills;
• Experience with academic publishing;
• Good co-operative skills, and the ability to successfully join in academic collaboration within and across disciplines.

We offer

• Salary NOK 515 200 – 597 400 per annum depending on qualifications
• A professionally stimulating working environment
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Attractive welfare benefits

The starting date is 17 June 2019 or as soon as possible thereafter.

How to apply

Applicants must submit the following attachments with the electronic application form:

• Application letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and motivation for the position;
• Curriculum Vitae with grades listed (with a list of education, positions, teaching experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activities);
• List of publications;
• A research statement in English of approximately 3,000 words. The statement should address the following questions:

(1) Why does the project BROKEX and the case study appeal to you?

(2) How will you draw upon your disciplinary and theoretical background and previous research experience when working on the project?

(3) What will be the details of your methodological approach, and how will you deal with practical and ethical challenges that may arise during the fieldwork?

• Scanned copies of relevant diplomas and certificates (applicants with education from a foreign university must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system);
• Up to five writing samples (eg. academic articles, conference papers, chapters from the doctoral thesis), totaling a maximum of 150 pages.
• Contact information for two academic references (no letters of recommendation).

All documents apart from the diplomas and certificates must be in English or a Scandinavian language and uploaded in pdf format.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “Apply for this job”.

The short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview.

Formal regulations

See also Regulations concerning Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships.

Following the Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) § 25, Chapter 2, information about the applicant may be used in the public list of applicants even if the applicant opts out from the entry in the public application list.

The University of Oslo has an Acquisition of Rights Agreement for the purpose of securing rights to intellectual property created by its employees, including research results.

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

Contact information

• For questions about the position: Dr. Heidi Østbø Haugen
• For questions on how to apply: HR-Officer Steffen Remvik

Apply for this job