Doctoral research fellowship in Modern China Studies

Oslo, Norway
Deadline: 8th May 2017

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution, with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities, UiO is an important contributor to society.

The Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages (abbreviated IKOS from its Norwegian name) is one of the seven departments at the Faculty of Humanities. The Department has a broad competency in the study of religion and culture and in language based area studies of South Asia, East Asia and the Middle East and North Africa. The Department has several study programmes at both BA and MA levels. Among the Department’s 110 employees about 40 are PhD and Postdoctoral Fellows.

A doctoral research fellowship within the field of social science based studies of Modern China is available at the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages (IKOS), University of Oslo.

IKOS seeks to recruit a doctoral candidate with excellent research qualifications to write a doctoral dissertation on notions of political inclusion in modern China.

The PhD project will describe and analyze one or more form(s) of political inclusion (and exclusion) in China, as observable

– in the constitution of elementary membership roles (e.g. citizens, residents, subjects, recipients of welfare benefits) and the constitution of political collectivities (e.g. the people, the nation),
– as well as in the constitution of elite and administrative roles which govern and steer the political system (i.e. party and government cadres, specific functionaries, members of people’s congresses, public actors and organizations, etc.)
– and ‘observer’ roles (i.e. addressees of policies (outcomes), voters, the represented, the bearers of public opinion, etc.).

The candidate may choose to focus on a specific level of the political system (from grassroots/community to national), and/or can select a subsystem of the political system (the party, administration/bureaucracy, mass organizations, etc.) for in-depth research. The regional focus of the study should be Mainland China, but may include comparisons with other Chinese entities (e.g. Hong Kong, Taiwan).

Possible topics could be, but are not limited to, definitions and practices of citizenship (including immigration policies or citizenship education), individual vs. collective notions and practices of participation in China’s grassroots self-government, accessibility of positions in China’s (local) public administration, from the “baojia” to the “grid” system of social governance, membership in the Communist Party of China or the party’s character and function as an organization.

There are no constraints concerning method, but the PhD project should ideally take into account historical dimensions as well as relevant semantics (i.e. societal self descriptions) of the suggested topic.

The candidate will work with Associate Professor Anna L. Ahlers in her research project “Authoritarian Inclusion? The Political Value Patterns and Inclusion Formulas of Modern Authoritarianism”. The PhD project should relate to this.

The PhD candidate will be based at IKOS, and the successful candidate must engage in the designated research activities on a full-time basis.

The person appointed will be affiliated with the Faculty’s organized research training. The academic work is to result in a doctoral thesis that will be defended at the Faculty with a view to obtaining the degree of PhD. The successful candidate is expected to join the existing research milieu or network and contribute to its development. Read more about the doctoral degree.

All PhD Candidates who submit their doctoral dissertation for assessment with a written recommendation from their supervisor within 3 years or 3 ½ years after the start of their PhD position, will be offered, respectively, a 12 or 6 month Completion Grant.

Requirements

– A Master’s Degree or equivalent in China studies/Sinology (with additional training in a social science discipline), or in sociology, political science, anthropology, or other relevant disciplines with a regional focus on China and Chinese language. The Master’s Degree must have been obtained by the time of application.
– A very good command of Chinese (Mandarin).
– Personal suitability and motivation for the position.

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on:

– The project’s scientific merit, research-related relevance and innovation
– The applicant’s estimated academic and personal ability to complete the project within the time frame
– The applicant’s ability to complete research training
– Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities

Applicants who have recently graduated with excellent results may be given preference.

We offer

– Salary level per year NOK 432 700 – 489 300, depending on level of expertise
– A professionally stimulating working environment
– Attractive welfare benefits

Submissions

Applicants must submit the following attachments with the electronic application, preferably in pdf format:

– Application letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and motivation for the position
– Curriculum Vitae (complete list of education, positions, teaching experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activities, including a complete list of publications)
– Transcript of records of your Master’s degree. Applicants with education from a foreign university are advised to attach an explanation of their university’s grading system
– Project description, including a detailed progress plan for the project (3 – 5 pages, see Template for project descriptions)

Please note that all documents must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Educational certificates, master theses and the like are not to be submitted with the application, but applicants may be asked to submit such information or works later.

Short-listed candidates may be invited for an interview at the University of Oslo.

See also Guidelines for the application assessment process and appointments to research fellowships.

Following the Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) § 25, Chapter 2, demographic 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.

Application deadline: 8 May 2017

Visit the website of this announcement at: External Link…