Post doc in Urban Governance

In connection with the project Democratic Urban Development in the Digital Age (DEMUDIG), there is a vacancy for a three-year position as a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Public Management from 1 August 2018.

The DEMUDIG project studies citizens' use of internet and social media as vehicles for participation in urban development processes, as well as city governments' efforts to promote and make use of citizen initiatives through such channels.  DEMUDIG investigates how participation through ICT / new social media can contribute to urban governance representativeness and increase problem solving capacity. The DEMUDIG project is a comparative project, investigating citizen participation in urban development projects in Oslo, Madrid and Melbourne, three cities with different institutional characteristics and approaches to citizen participation. DEMUDIG brings together different academic disciplines and data sources. It compares cities' participation strategies, and studies how the design of each city's ICT platform affects participation from different groups. A large-N survey in the three cities enables us to compare use and perceived impact of various digital channels. Through an in-depth qualitative study of participatory initiatives in the city of Oslo, we aim to further examine how the city facilitates and manages participatory processes, how citizen initiatives are channeled into the policy process and if and how they eventually influence policy-making. Combining these insights, the project will produce knowledge with strong relevance for both citizens, administrators and politicians, as well as practitioners within the ICT/technical sphere.

Please download the project outline/plan here. The project is led by Professor Sissel Hovik, and involves several staff members from the Department of Public Management and other parts of OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University.

The intention is that the postdoctoral fellow will contribute to all parts of the project. Emphasis is therefore placed on how the candidates can contribute to the theoretical basis of the project, the collection and analyses of quantitative and qualitative data, and dissemination of results. The person appointed is therefore expected to work on the department’s premises.

Qualifications

Applicants must have:

• A doctoral degree in one of the following disciplines political science, public policy and administration, sociology, human geography.
• Good oral and written communication skills in English
• Good cooperation skills

Applicants should have:

• Experience of studying urban development processes or social media from a governance or democracy perspective
• Experience of quantitative and qualitative methods
• Experience or an interest in comparative studies
• Experience of working on multidisciplinary projects

We can offer you

• A challenging job opportunity at Norway’s third largest university
• An inspiring academic environment in a dedicated research group
• Opportunity to be a part of a dynamic professional environment and unique academic network
• Beneficial pension arrangements with the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

The salary for the position is in accordance with the pay scale for state employees, position code 1352, postdoctoral fellow. Salary NOK 517,000–650,200 per year.

It is important to OsloMet to reflect the population of our region, and all qualified candidates are welcome to apply. We make active efforts to further develop as an inclusive workplace and to adapt the workplace if required.

Expert assessment

Applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. You must upload the following documents together with your application by the final date for applications:

• CV
• References
• All pages of certificates/diplomas
• List of scholarly works
• Doctoral thesis
• Up to five academic publications from the past five years

Applications that do not include these attachments will not be taken into consideration. The documents must be in either English or a Scandinavian language. Translations must be government authorised. Originals must be presented if you are invited for an interview. OsloMet checks documents in order to give you as a candidate a proper evaluation and ensure fair competition.

If you wish to apply for the position, please register your application and upload the above-mentioned attachments by clicking the button at the bottom of the page. If you need technical assistance, please contact: Ståle Bie, tel. (+47) 67 23 80 23, email Stale.Bie@hioa.no.

For more information about the position, please contact:

• Head of Department Anita Schjølseth, tel. (+47) 67 23 83 95
• Project manager Professor Sissel Hovik, tel. (+47) 67 23 82 36