PhD candidate for ERC project AUTONORMS

The Centre for War Studies (CWS), Department of Political Science and Public Management, University of Southern Denmark, Odense wishes to appoint a 3-year PhD candidate who will work on the Russia case study within the ERC Starting research project AUTONORMS, directed by Ingvild Bode (Associate Professor at the Centre for War Studies, University of Southern Denmark). The starting date for the position is 1 February 2021. The position is available for a fixed term of three years and comes with a competitive, full-time salary.

The successful applicant will join a research team working on this five-year project (2020-2025), which explores how weaponised artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of autonomous weapons systems (AWS) will change international norms governing the use of force. The AUTONORMS project will develop a new theoretical approach to study how norms, understood as standards of appropriateness, are manifest and change through practices. It will investigate norm emergence and change across four contexts of practices (military, transnational political, dual-use and popular imagination) in the US, China, Japan and Russia. It will also assess the impact AWS could have on the current international security order.

Russia case study: We are looking for a highly motivated, enterprising and enthusiastic PhD candidate to join the project team and write a thesis crucial for understanding the ways in which practices surrounding autonomous weapons systems manifest themselves in Russia.

Key responsibilities:

• Conduct research on Russian practices in relation to autonomous weapons systems. Capturing these practices should span across four social contexts: military, transnational political, dual-use, and popular imagination;
• Complete a PhD thesis (in English) within three years;
• Publish at least one article in a peer-reviewed journal; and at least one on a blog platform aimed at public dissemination;
• Participate in fortnightly meetings of the project research group;
• Present papers at conferences;
• Participate in the PhD training programme of the SDU and other relevant discussion groups, seminar workshops, and events;
• Participate in the PhD community and the intellectual life of the CWS;
• Contribute to the organization of the events and activities within the project;
• Some teaching in the second and/or third years of the appointment.

Selection criteria

• A PhD project proposal in the broad context of (weaponised) Artificial Intelligence and Russia and its normative impact;
• A Master’s degree in International Relations or Political Science broadly understood, awarded by the time of appointment, with a thesis on a topic related to international security, constructivist International Relations or Russia-specific that received a grade of 10 or 12 or equivalent performance in other grading systems (grade of A, distinction, etc.);
• Well-developed research skills, including the ability to formulate creative research questions, descriptive and analytical skills, and a clear and persuasive style of writing;
• Willingness to do field work for the purpose of conducting expert interviews in Russia in year 2 of the project, up to a total of two months over the duration of the project;
• Proficient or near-proficient speaker of English;
• Proficient or near proficient speaker/reader of Russian;
• Experience with conducting expert interviews (desirable);
• Knowledge of constructivist International Relations theories broadly understood, including norms research and practice theories;
• Independent thinker and team player;
• Interest in engaging with the national and international research community.

About the PhD proposal

When preparing your PhD project proposal, you are strongly advised to familiarize yourself with the AUTONORMS project and to consult the general guidelines for preparing a project proposal found at the SDU PhD School’s webpage. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the department’s Scholarly Qualification Matrix.

About the University of Southern Denmark and the Centre for War Studies

As a PhD student, you will become member of the International Politics section of the Department of Political Science and Public Management. The section offers introductory IR courses to bachelors in political science as well as journalism, and graduate courses in political science and especially in the master programme in international security and law (MOISL). You will also be affiliated with the CWS, a multidisciplinary research centre promoting research into fundamental questions of war and peace. For a detailed description of the centre, please visit the CWS website. The department believes in fostering a stimulating and inspiring environment for both faculty members and students. The department’s ambition is therefore to recruit, develop, and retain talented scholars committed to both academic excellence and departmental development. Furthermore, the department wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and, thus, welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

The Department of Political Science and Public Management is part of Faculty of Business and Social Sciences. The Department is organized around five research sections, including the International Politics section, as well as several cross-disciplinary research centres and research groups. Currently, the department employs around 90 people and attracts 2,500 students in its various full-time bachelor and master programs as well as part-time professional master programs. For a detailed description of the department’s profile and activities and more information about its strategy, please visit the department’s website.

Information

Enquiries about the project and the position can be addressed to the Principal Investigator, Ingvild Bode, email: [email protected]. For further information about the Centre for War Studies, please contact the joint heads, Trine Flockhart ([email protected]) or Chiara de Franco ([email protected]). For further information about the Department, please contact the Head of Department, Signe Pihl-Thingvad ([email protected]) or Head of Section, Vincent Keating, ([email protected]).

Application and assessment process

Your employment as a Salaried PhD Research Fellow is governed by the agreement of October 1, 2008 on Graduate Employees in government appendix 5 – protocol on PhD Research Fellows.

An application must include:

• Application form
• A cover letter (max. 2 pages)
• A project proposal of no more than 12,000 characters in total, including spaces, notes, appendices, bibliography etc. The project description must be anonymized, i.e. it may not reveal your name or identity in any way. The total number of characters including spaces of the project description must be stated on the first page of the project description.
• An abstract for the above project description of no more than 250 words, to be submitted on a separate sheet/page
• A detailed CV (max. 2 pages) listing education and possibly employment history, and any other academic achievements (conference presentations, publications, organization of events, etc.)
• A copy of your master's degree certificate including all examination results
• Information on experience with teaching, dissemination, or scientific publication, if applicable
• Names, positions and contact information for two referees (no reference letters)
• A copy of your Master’s level thesis

All documents in languages other than Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English, or German must be translated into English. The project proposal, project abstract and CV must be written in English, Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish.

If you do not adhere to the above-mentioned specifications, your application may be rejected without further assessment. The department reserves the right to arrive at a decision solely based on the material submitted.

Shortlisting may be used in the assessment process.

Shortlisted applications will be assessed by an internal committee. The project description is assessed anonymously to avoid any unconscious bias. When the assessment committee has submitted its report, you will be emailed the part of the evaluation that concerns yourself and you will know if you are deemed qualified for the position or not. The assessment report is subsequently forwarded to the Head of Department who assembles an appointment committee and determines if one or more of the qualified applicants should be invited to a job interview. The appointment committee will manage and complete job interviews and advise the Head of Department on which candidate(s) should be offered appointment.

Applications must be submitted electronically using the link below. Uploaded files must be in Adobe PDF (unlocked) or Word format.

Read the guideline for applicants

Each field can only contain a single file of max. 10 Mb.