Postdoctoral Position in Critical Social Science Literacy for Transdisciplinary Transformative Change Initiatives, University of Zurich Department of Geography

Zurich, Switzerland

Position Title: Postdoctoral Position in Critical Social Science Literacy for Transdisciplinary Transformative Change Initiatives

Organization: University of Zurich‘s Department of Geography

Location: Zurich, Switzerland

Organization Overview: Globalization, climate change and mobile information societies are at the heart of research and teaching of Geographers at the University of Zurich. Following the slogan “One Earth – Many Worlds” they engage with topics of public relevance, be it in Switzerland, in Los Angeles, in remote mountainous regions, in rural areas of the global south, or in cyberspace. Close cooperation with private and public organizations ensures that their findings have real societal benefits.

Position Overview: They are looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher for two years to contribute to their Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) funded project “Translating transformations: Improving transdisciplinary transformative change initiatives by promoting critical social science literacy.” The successful candidate will be part of the Space, Nature and Society group (SNS), led by Prof. Dr. Norman Backhaus, in the Department of Geography (GIUZ) at the University of Zürich (UZH). The candidate’s immediate supervisor will be Dr. Sierra Deutsch.

Duties: 

  • Leading the ex-post analysis of the transdisciplinary processes and achievements of two Swiss programs (University Research Priority Program on Global Change and Biodiversity and ValPar.CH -Values of the ecological infrastructure in Swiss parks)
  • Development of academic and non-academic publications from ex-post analysis findings
  • Active participation in the development of Critical Social Science (CSS) literacy strategies and tools, based on ex-post analysis findings, and iterative testing and refinement of these strategies and tools
  • Organization and design of project workshops
  • Teaching in courses of the Department of Geography
  • Student supervision and administrative work
  • Assistance with communications and logistics as needed

Qualifications:

  • PhD in political ecology, sociology, human geography, anthropology, or other relevant social science disciplines engaged in critical social theory
  • Demonstrated understanding of critical social theory and its empirical applications
  • Excellent knowledge in the fields of transdisciplinary research and transformative change
  • Strong interest in and demonstrated experience with collaborative work, including with non-academic partners
  • Demonstrated experience with qualitative research methods and analysis; experience with simple quantitative methods is an asset
  • Demonstrated excellent organizational skills
  • Excellent proficiency in written and spoken English; proficiency in German and/or French is an asset

Start Date: September 1

Application Deadline: May 31

How to Apply: Please use the online application to view the full job description as well as how to apply.

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