PhD Fellowship in Political Science | University of Amsterdam Department of Political Sciences

Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences - Department of Political Sciences

The Department of Political Sciences is one of the departments of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG). Education and research activities are carried out by special institutes. The College of Social Sciences (GSS) and the Graduate School of Social Sciences (GSSS) are responsible for the undergraduate and graduate teaching programmes in Political Science. The research within the department is conducted in the research programmes of the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR).

Project description

The PhD project is part of a grant financed by the U.S. Department of Defense Minerva Initiative for the project 'Political Reach, State Fragility, and the Incidence of Maritime Piracy and Pirate Organizations, 1993-2012' led by Ursula Daxecker (University of Amsterdam) and Brandon Prins (University of Tennessee). The project proposes new theoretical explanations of maritime piracy, collects data on the incidence of piracy and the characteristics of pirate organizations, and uses advanced quantitative methods to conduct empirical analyses. The fellowship will be based in the programme group 'Political Economy and Transnational Governance' which is housed in the Department of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research.

The fellow is expected to be in residence at the University of Amsterdam and enroll in a PhD under the supervision of Ursula Daxecker. The position provides the opportunity to conduct PhD research and work at a leading international research institution with high academic standards and active international collaboration. Women and persons of ethnic minority background are encouraged to apply.

Requirements

Candidates must possess the following requirements:

1. completed Master’s degree in political science, international relations, economics, development studies, or other related subject;

2. good skills in research methods, quantitative methods, and data management.

Additional desirable qualifications:

1. experience with Geographic Information Systems;

2. background in conflict research or the study of criminal organizations.

Appointment

The full-time appointment will be for a period of three years (12 months plus a further 24 months contingent on a satisfactory performance during the first year), starting 1 January 2014.

Application deadline: 30 October 2013