Postdoctoral fellow for the ERC Starting project AUTONORMS

The Centre for War Studies (CWS), Department of Political Science and Public Management, University of Southern Denmark, Odense wishes to appoint a full-time 3-year Postdoctoral Fellowship as part of 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 be covering the country case China as part of 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.

Successful candidate(s) must be able and willing to support the CWS in realizing its two overarching strategic objectives: First, we strive to produce original ideas through high-quality and pioneering research. Second, we want to address major societal challenges and to exchange knowledge with society through high-quality study programs and genuine engagement with societal actors and the wider public.

Key responsibilities:

• Conduct and contribute to the production of research on Chinese practices in relation to autonomous weapons systems. Capturing these practices should span across four social contexts: military, transnational political, dual-use, and popular imagination;
• Analyse research results and disseminate the conclusions of your research through academic publications and by other means as required. This includes publishing at least two articles in a peer-reviewed journal; and at least two on a blog platform aimed at public dissemination;
• Participate in fortnightly meetings of the project research group;
• Present papers at conferences;
• Contribute to the organization of the events and activities within the project;
• Perform a number of research-related tasks such as engaging in knowledge exchange activities with the surrounding society, and conducting research management, including the mentoring of PhD students;
• Participate in the intellectual life at SDU and CWS, including discussion groups, seminar workshops, and events;
• Acquire individual/collective external grants to develop the research environment to the benefit of the International Politics Section, the Center for War Studies and, in particular, junior colleagues;
• Where appropriate, assist with teaching.

Selection criteria

For applicants to qualify for the position, the following criteria must be met:

• A PhD in International Relations broadly understood, or a PhD in Political Science with a specialization in International Relations, awarded by the time of appointment, with a thesis on a topic related to international security, constructivist International Relations and/or with a focus on China;
• A delineated research profile aligned with strategy of the International Politics Section indicating a potential to make an international scholarly impact and facilitate research cooperation within the Centre for War Studies (CWS);
• Documentation of an emerging publication record at an internationally recognized level;
• Documentation of experience with and genuine interest in outreach or knowledge-sharing activities and/or cooperation with external partners;
• Knowledge of constructivist International Relations theories broadly understood, including norms research and practice theories;
• Knowledge of Artificial Intelligence, emerging technologies, autonomous weapon systems or similar topics (desirable);
• Documentation of some teaching experience;
• A proficient or near-proficient speaker of English;
• A proficient or near-proficient speaker/reader of Mandarin Chinese;
• A willingeness to do field work for the purpose of conducting expert interviews in China in year 2 of the project, up to a total of two months over the duration of the project;
• Experience with conducting expert interviews (desirable);
• Evidence that you are an independent thinker and team player;
• Evidence that you are dedicated to take part in the everyday academic and social environment at SDU.

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

The postdoctoral fellow will be associated with the Centre for War Studies (CWS), a multidisciplinary research unit promoting research into fundamental questions of war and peace. For a detailed description of the section’s and the research collective’s profile and activities, please visit the CWS website. The international politics section of the Department of Political Science and Public Management offers introductory IR courses to bachelor students in political science and specialized graduate courses in political science, especially in the Master’s program in International Security and Law. The section trains doctoral candidates, sometimes in partnership with other Danish and European institutes and universities. Research is multidisciplinary and focuses mainly, though not exclusively, on contemporary security issues.

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.

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.

Information

Enquiries about the project and the position can be addressed to the Principal Investigator, Ingvild Bode, [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, salary, etc.

Appointment to the position requires a PhD or equivalent and will be in accordance with the salary agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.

Researchers who have not worked in Denmark before taking up this position may be eligible for a special tax scheme that reduces Danish income tax for 7 years. You can find more information about this tax scheme here: https://skat.dk/skat.aspx?oid=2244911

An application must include:

• A detailed CV;
• A cover letter (max. 2 pages);
• A research plan (max 3 pages) for the next 5 years that describes the applicant’s:
  • Potential to advance the field (both empirically and theoretically),
  • Relationship to the aim and goals of AUTONORMS project,
  • Planned national and international collaborations,
  • Potential to obtain external funding;
  
  

• Certificates/Diplomas (MA and PhD degree);
• A complete list of publications, which indicates which publications are most relevant for the position;
• Up to 5 of the most relevant publications. Please upload a pdf for each publication. NOTE: If publications have been co-authored, co-author statements must be a part of this pdf and must include information like in this example. The statement is just for your inspiration.

All non-Danish documents must be translated into English.

Applications that are incomplete may be rejected without any substantive evaluation.

Assessment of applications will be done under existing Appointment Order for universities. Applications will be assessed by an academic assessment committee that determines whether applicants are qualified to be a postdoctoral fellow according to the Scholarly Qualification Matrix. The committee may request additional information, and if so, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the necessary material. The committee reserves the right to arrive at a decision solely based on the material submitted.

Shortlisting and personal tests may be used in the assessment process.

When the assessment committee has submitted its report, the applicant will receive the part of the evaluation that concerns him/her. The assessment report will subsequently be forwarded to the Head of Department who will assemble an appointment committee. The appointment committee will manage and complete a series of job interviews with especially promising applicants. On the basis of the applications, the written assessments, the job interviews, and a deliberation within the appointments committee, the Head of Department determines which candidate(s) will be offered the position.

Applications must be submitted electronically no later than 15 November 2020 using the link above. Uploaded files must be in Adobe PDF (unlocked) or Word format.

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.