Post-doctoral position in Russian and Eurasian Studies

Russian and Eurasian Studies has been an established academic discipline at Uppsala University for almost fifty years; today, IRES is a thriving hub for research and teaching related to Eurasia. We specialize in research related to social, political, and economic transformation in Russia and the post-Soviet space. Our multidisciplinary research spans across several disciplines, including political science, economics, geography, media and communication, sociology, anthropology, history and literature.

IRES is looking for a postdoctoral researcher with established research expertise and skills in remote sensing of forest data; knowledge of the academic debates on threats to Russian boreal forests, and Russian language skills are desirable. Russian forests comprise nearly 20% of the world’s forests and are widely understood to be an important future carbon sink of a warming planet. While social and climate scientists have advanced knowledge on current and future threats to boreal forests – forest fires, illegal logging and newly emerging pathogens and pests – much less is known about the governance mechanisms and civil society involvements that respond to these threats. IRES is interested in forming an interdisciplinary network of scholars who conduct research that in broadly addresses governance and politics of boreal forest in Russia. The post-doctoral scholar will help develop this research network, both by developing their own line of research, and by providing research and administrative assistance.

Duties

• Developing a research project analyzing change and dynamics in Russian boreal forests primarily through remote sensing data and other available statistics.
• Providing administrative research support for establishing a new network on the political governance of Russian boreal forests and contributing to the network's output through their research.
• Initiating applications for research funding related to threats to Russian boreal forests.
• Teaching and supervising at a rate of 20-30% for master's level students on topics related to geography in the post-Soviet area.
• Active participation in IRES's research environment, seminars, and activities.

Requirements
A PhD or a degree deemed equivalent to a PhD, ideally obtained within the last three years. Exceptional circumstances such as illness, parental leave, or duties within trade unions, etc., are considered for earlier degrees.

The applicant must have abilities to:

• Use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyze and map forest dynamics.
• Process data, especially various types of remote sensing data relevant to understanding threats to and changes in forest ecosystems (e.g., Lidar, satellite images for studying wildfires, NDVI accessible via Google Earth Engine, Sentinel Hub, NASA earth data, or similar platforms).
• Work with other geographical or political-economic data relevant to the investigation of forests and complement and/or validate analyses based on remote sensing data.
• Have an awareness of and/or interest in social science, political governance, and/or challenges affecting boreal forests.

Research expertise should be demonstrated by at least one publication in a peer-reviewed journal and two recommendation letters from previous supervisors or teachers. Personal letter, published research, and recommendation letters should confirm the applicant's expertise and ability to perform the tasks.

Teaching experience demonstrated by well-documented merits in teaching. Documented research in the field of Russian and Eurasian studies.

Your application should include

• A personal letter describing yourself, your previous research, your research interests, and why you are suitable for this position.
• CV (max. 2 pages).
• Publication list.
• Copies of your PhD diploma and other relevant merits.
• Names and contact details (address, email address, and telephone number) of at least two references, specifying your relationship with each.

The application is preferably written in English.

Additional qualifications
Administrative and project management experience is qualifying for the position. Knowledge of the Russian language is desirable.

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position of 2 years according to central collective agreement. Full time position. Starting date 2024-09-01 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact: Claes Levinsson, +4670 167 9501 or claes.levinsson@ires.uu.se

Please submit your application by May 3 2024, UFV-PA 2024/1112.

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