Postdoctoral Researcher (f/m/d)

Date: 2 Oct 2024

Department: Department of International Relations

Full-time/Part-time:  Full-time

Location: Vienna, AT, 1100

Application Deadline: 23:59 CET on November 30, 2024.

The Open Society Hub for the Politics of the Anthropocene (OHPA), a research project based at the Department of International Relations of Central European University (CEU) in Vienna (The position is also available for Budapest-based individuals), invites applications for three one-year-long postdoctoral research positions. The Fellowships are full-time and residential, starting from March 1, 2025, for a period of 12 months.  

Focusing on political rather than ecological aspects of the Anthropocene, OHPA monitors the crucial interface between the nature and societies amid their radical transformation. This broad focus encompasses political turbulences and military conflicts of the decarbonization era; oil curse and other pathologies of the world order; popular awareness of the climate crisis and of the mitigation measures; green activism and party politics; critical studies of greenwashing and climate denialism; contrasts and interconnectedness of the  green transition processes in the global South and the global North.  

OHPA collaborates with the Open Society University Network, a global ecosystem of educational institutions, curricular innovations and research agendas. We are partners with SciencesPo (Paris), CEBRAP (Sao Paolo), and CEU Democracy Institute (Budapest), among others. An outcome of the OHPA work will be a series of open-access book-length publications with the CEU Press.  

We are looking for three Post-doctoral Researcher (PDRs) with different but complementary research interests who are eager to combine their individual projects with the work in the wider project team.  

Duties and Responsibilities

The 1st PDR will lead the work stream specializing in critical studies of decarbonization, climate disinformation, and their roles in international conflicts. The 2nd PDR will be responsible for the work stream focusing on post-conflict environmental reconstruction processes, projects and practices. The 3d PDR will lead the research on the curricular and other educational innovations connected to climate crisis and decarbonization. We will consider other areas of research focus and applicants’ expertise, relevant to the overall thematic formulation of the OHPA. 

Working under the supervision of the OHPA Director, each PDR will be responsible for their separate streams of activities, which will include research, organization of workshops and an international conference, publishing in a collective volume and other activities developed collaboratively.  

Qualifications

The candidates must hold a PhD (within 5 years from the completion) in international relations, political science, history, public policy, environmental studies, or other relevant fields of social sciences. Excellent writing and editorial skills in English are required. A proven record of expert engagement beyond academic setting, interdisciplinary and intercultural work, network-building experience, ability to multitask in a diverse and challenging environment will be assets.  

We expect regular presence at the CEU campus; proactive participation in organizing academic events; regular communication within CEU and other partner networks; and cooperative work on the book-length collective texts. 

What CEU Offers

These full-time positions secure participation in a cutting-edge interdisciplinary project, provide access to a stellar academic network, and help to build an outstanding publishing record. Combining a competitive package of benefits with an excellent infrastructure of CEU in Vienna and in Budapest, these positions give rare opportunities for academic and public engagement and growth to outstanding early-career researchers. The individual Fellowship package includes a gross salary of up to 54,644 EUR (for the 12 months of the Fellowship, defined based on the candidate’s experience and placement), and research and academic travel fund.  

We welcome international applications, in particular from scholars working in and on the global South and other less studied areas, and we encourage applications from threatened scholars1, whose unique expertise will be considered with special interest.  

How to Apply

Please submit your application comprised of:

• a letter of motivation, 
• a current CV,  
• a detailed list of publications,
• a sample of your academic writing,  
• names of two references,  
• a research proposal (up to 2,000 words)  

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed during December 2024 and January 2025, final selections will be made by the end of January 2025. 

Application deadline: 23:59 CET on November 30, 2024.

Please address your questions to the Project Coordinator: Akos Kocsany  <KocsanyA@ceu.edu>.   

CEU is an equal opportunity employer and values geographical and gender diversity, thus encouraging applications from women and/or other underrepresented groups. Since CEU strives to increase the share of women in professorial positions, given equal qualifications, preference will be given to female applicants. CEU recognizes that personal and family circumstances shape the trajectory of one’s career and working patterns. As such, and in line with CEU’s promotion of Equal Opportunities, we encourage applicants to detail periods of leave, part-time work or other such situations in their applications so that the Search Committee is able to assess an applicant’s academic record fairly in the context of their circumstances. Any declaration of personal and family circumstances is voluntary and will be handled confidentially and only considered in so far as it impacts on the academic career of an applicant.

About CEU

One of the world’s most international universities, a unique founding mission positions Central European University as both an acclaimed center for the study of economic, historical, social and political challenges, and a source of support for building open and democratic societies that respect human rights and human dignity. CEU is accredited in the United States and Austria, and offers English-language bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in the social sciences, the humanities, law, environmental sciences, management and public policy. CEU enrolls more than 1,400 students from over 100 countries, with faculty from over 50 countries.

In 2019, CEU relocated from Hungary to Austria as the Hungarian government revoked its ability to issue US-accredited degrees in the country. As a result, CEU offers all of its degree programs in Vienna, Austria; and retains a non-degree, research and civic engagement presence in Budapest, Hungary, through its CEU Democracy Institute, the Institute for Advanced Study, the CEU Summer University and The Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives (OSA), and its Hungarian language public educational programs and public lectures.

For more information, please visit https://www.ceu.edu/.

Requisition ID:  679