1 PhD position in Complex Corporate Network Analysis in Netherlands | University of Amsterdam (UvA)

Corpnet seeks to do what has so far eluded existing scholarship: to fully explore the global network of corporate ownership and control as a complex system. Using cutting-edge network science methods, the project explores for the first time the largest database on ownership and control covering over 100 million firms. Exploiting the longitudinal richness of the new data in combination with state-of-the-art methods and techniques makes it possible to model and empirically testgenerating mechanisms that drive network formation.

PhD Project: Networks structures of global ownership and control

This subproject studies the properties of the global network of ownership and control as a complex network. Its objective is to uncover the dynamics and structure of the global network of corporate control as a social-political-economic system. A specific goal is to facilitate the introduction of these methodological advances into the social sciences.

Using advanced social network analysis algorithms and techniques together with the team members’ expertise on corporate ownership and control, this project creates a longitudinal dataset of the global corporate governance network, covering over 100 million firms, their directors, owners and shareholders. The core of this project is devoted to a network analysis of global ownership and control. Part of the project deliverables are new (or adapted) methods and algorithms to study the properties of the entire network.

Tasks:

The successful candidate will be expected to have a high level of competence and motivation to undertake the following tasks:

• complete and defend a PhD thesis within the official appointment duration of four years;
• take the chief responsibility for data management and the construction of new variables;
• carry out network analyses using advanced network science techniques under the supervision of the Principal Investigator and/or other senior team members;
• contribute (as a co-author) to the writing up of research papers to be submitted to high-quality and high-impact peer reviewed journals;
• regularly present intermediate research results at international workshops and conferences, and publish them in proceedings and journals;
• participate in the organisation of research activities and events such as conferences, workshops and joint publications;
• (limited) teaching activities.

Requirements

Ideal candidates:

• have obtained a (research) masters degree with excellent grades in a relevant field related to network science, such as computational social science, computer science, physics, (mathematical) sociology, statistics, or adjacent fields with a significant computational aspect;
• will be able to demonstrate significant experience with scientific programming in R, Python, C, C++ or related/equivalent languages;
• have expertise in social network analysis as well as some experience with managing relatively large (network) datasets. We prefer candidates with experience in large data / network visualization;
• are persons with initiative, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work independently as well as in a team;
• have well-developed analytical skills, creativity, precision, and perseverance;
• possess good academic writing and presentation skills; organisational skills;
• have the ability to contribute to academic papers to be submitted to peer-reviewed journals; mastery of both written and spoken English;
• have an interest in (and preferably experience with) the broad field of corporate power and / or network science research;
• have a strong interest in a scientific career.

Conditions of employment

On the basis of a full-time appointment, the gross monthly salary will be €2,125 during the first year, rising to €2,717 during the fourth year, excl. 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end of year bonus. The Collective Labour Agreement for the Dutch Universities is applicable.

Department

Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research

This is a position to work in the new CORPNET research group, funded by the European Research Council and based at the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam. The multidisciplinary team of political scientists, computers scientists and sociologists will consist of ca. four PhD projects, two postdoc projects and the PI you will be responsible to is dr. Eelke Heemskerk. The post is available from 1 September 2015.