Bram Büscher

Beside the postdoc position, we also have an exciting vacancy for a lecturer / assistant professor position at the ISS!

International Institute of Social Studies (The Hague) of Erasmus University Rotterdam

 

The International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) is a leading academic centre for international development studies, and a University Institute of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR). It is one of the oldest institutes in this field, having been established in 1952 by Dutch universities and the Netherlands Ministry of Education as a postgraduate institute for research, education and capacity building. The institute offers a PhD in Development Studies, a 15.5-month MA in Development studies with five Majors, and several post-graduate Diploma courses. Students come from over 50-60 countries.

 

The Staff Group Rural Development, Environment and Population Studies has a position (1.0 FTE) for an Assistant Professor level in the field of:

 

Agrarian, Food and Environmental Studies

 

The Staff Group is engaged in research, teaching, advisory work and capacity building in international development studies. It has recently formed a research program (RP), “Political Economy of Resources, Environment and Population”. This research program includes two main inter-related research areas, namely Agrarian, Food and Environmental Studies (AFES) and Population Dynamics and Social Policy (PSSP). This RP focuses on agrarian and rural development, environment and conservation, poverty, socio-economic security, population studies, and child and youth studies, and shares an explicit engagement with a political economy framework of analysis of power relations and processes of global change that reinforce rather than reduce poverty and socio-economic insecurity.

 

Profile

 

We are looking for top-talent which will contribute innovative high quality research and teaching capacity to a number of crucial issues relating to Agrarian, Food and Environmental Studies in developing and/or transition countries, in a rapidly changing global context. AFES is focused on the interface between agricultural and environmental change within the context of global, political-economic transformations. It addresses challenges associated with the ownership, control, use, management and distribution of natural resources and the dynamic relationships between nature, agriculture and socioeconomic development. It pays particular attention to contemporary environmental and resource-related conflicts and how these can be understood and mediated with an eye at bringing about just, equitable and sustainable development in developing nations and beyond.

 

The approach of the AFES research and teaching is built on its innovative interpretation of conflicts and governance related to contestations over wealth and power based on and around the interconnected agrarian and environmental political economies. Building on this integrated vision, the group members analyze conflicts over nature, environment and resources as well as critically investigating governance structures that aim to respond to them. This shapes the group’s ongoing interest in a variety of issues that are among the most pressing social issues of the day, globally, including food and energy crises, land grabs, natural resource conflicts, biodiversity conservation, environmental degradation and climate change. The AFES group works on these themes not only aims at producing cutting edge scientific knowledge, but also to help bridge the academic world, development policy community, and civil society. The group’s current work currently informs political and policy-making processes both in developed and in the developing world, and actively engages with emerging popular alternatives such as ‘food sovereignty’, agro-ecology, and the (trans) national social movements and civil society that spearhead these.

 

Tasks and responsibilities:

 

• Production and publication of high quality research output at international standards
• • Preparation (individually or jointly with other staff) of externally funded research grant proposals
• • Contribution to teaching in the AFES Major; Supervision of MA and PhD students in the AFES field

 

Requirements:

• • A completed PhD in one of the social sciences
• • Evidence of publication capacity, including both a strong publication track record and clear research and publication plans
• • Teaching experience, preferably at post-graduate level
• • Proven evidence of the ability to attract external finance for research and other projects
• • Ability to work in an inter-disciplinary team
• • Experience with gender-based analysis is welcomed
• • While open to all regional specializations, we hope that the successful candidate will have at least one area specialization in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, East Asia or Indonesia.

 

Appointment:

This position is offered under the EUR tenure track policy which aims to select people with high potential and prepare these people for an academic career.

 

As part of this policy, ISS/EUR will offer an initial three year appointment with possibility to extend for a further three years with a view to promotion to Associate Professor and a tenure appointment at the end of the second contract. A decision to extend for a second period will require a positive assessment that criteria have been met, which includes outstanding research output and superior teaching capabilities.

 

Employment conditions:

In accordance with those applied at the Erasmus University Rotterdam and indicated in the Collective Labor Agreement (CAO NU) of the Dutch universities. Salary being dependent on the candidate’s experience ranges from € 3.237,- to € 4.418,- gross per month (CAO NU scale 11) under full-time contract. In addition, ISS pays an 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year payment which is for 2013: 8,3%.

 

Applications:

Applications, accompanied by a detailed Curriculum Vitae and the names of three Referees, should reach ISS before the 20^th of May, 2013 addressed to the Personnel Office (Ms. Sabine Zebel), International Institute of Social Studies, P.O. Box 29776, 2502LT, The Hague, The Netherlands, preferably send in electronic form directed to vacancy AT iss.nl. With equal qualifications preference will be given to a woman. Short-listed candidates will be requested to supply samples of published output and at that stage their referees will be contacted. Interviews with shortlisted candidates will take place from 3-5 June 2013 in The Hague, The Netherlands. Additional information concerning this vacancy may be obtained from Professor Max Spoor, Chair of the Staff Group and Research Programme (spoor AT iss.nl, tel.: +31704260559). General information on the ISS may be found on our website: http://www.iss.nl.