The Chair of Comparative Development and Cultural Studies with a focus on Southeast Asia of the Faculty of Humanities (Professor Martina Padmanabhan) invites applications for 

one postdoctoral Position

 available immediately.

Description of the position

 IndORGANIC aims at analysing the current state and potential of organic farming in Indonesia to improve food sustainability in the long run. Agriculture is conceptualised as part of a bioeconomy with finite resources and dependent on ecological processes which require management to grow food. Adopting an inter- and transdisciplinary approach IndORGANIC seeks to analyse organic farming as an alternative to highly problematic conventional agriculture from the perspectives of sustainability, society and economy. To this end we integrate the analysis of belief systems as a motivator of human behaviour, of gendered institutions (which may benefit the organic sector or put it at a disadvantage), and evaluate the favourable conditions for transition to organic farming by local farmers. This is a collaborative research project with Alliance Organic Indonesia, Bogor Agricultural University (Institut Pertanian Bogor) and Atma Jaya University in Yogyakarta.

The candidate is expected to undertake fieldwork in the study region in Indonesia, engage with donor and implementing agencies, present his/her work at international conferences and workshops and publish his/her work in international peer-reviewed academic journals and books. Involvement in the international M.A. Development Studies degree programme at the University of Passau is strongly encouraged.

Doctoral candidates have access to a wide range of doctoral-level courses offered by the University of Passau and the Bavarian Graduate Program in Economics.

Requirements

The successful candidate for the postdoctoral position at the Chair of Comparative Development and Cultural Studies with a focus on Southeast Asia will have recently earned his/her doctorate in Development Sociology or Economics, Sustainability Science or a related field and will have proven his/her expertise in one or more of the following domains: Rural Development, Social-Ecological or Transdisciplinary Research. The position requires strong interdisciplinary and integrational skills as well as the ability to manage an intercultural team and integrated research design in Indonesia. Experience with organic agriculture and a good command of Bahasa Indonesia would be an advantage.

For the candidate, field experience and expertise in one or several developing countries are desirable. The candidate should be a flexible team player with good planning and organisational skills, an interest in interdisciplinary collaboration, a very good command of both German and English, and should ideally be proficient in Bahasa Indonesia.

The University of Passau

We are one of Germany’s top mid-sized Universities, and have an excellent reputation for our interdisciplinary degree programmes and international orientation.

The city

As one of Germany's loveliest cities, Passau is also known as the 'Bavarian Venice', as it is situated on the confluence of the three rivers Danube, Inn and Ilz. Its Old Town features beautiful baroque architecture, and the nearby Alps as well as the Bavarian Forest offer a rich selection of top-notch sports and leisure activities.

Appointment and salary

Remuneration is in line with pay grade TV-L E13 of the German public-sector salary scale, with the applicable social benefits. The postdoctoral position is full time. An additional teaching contract or a top-up may be arranged provided the necessary funding can be secured.

The position has a fixed term of three years and is conditional on a grant agreement to be signed with the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

The University of Passau is committed to gender equality and wishes to increase the number of female academic employees: women are therefore expressly encouraged to apply. Moreover, the position is suitable for disabled persons, who will be given preference over others if the qualifications and personal aptitudes are otherwise equal.

Applications

To apply, please send a single pdf file comprising a cover letter, your CV including the names of two referees, copies of relevant degree certificates and transcripts, as well as a short research statement (not more than two pages) outlining your main research interests to Mrs Regina Treipl, Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!, by 8 January 2017. Interviews will take place in January 2017. Once the application process has been completed, we will retain your application on file for five months before deleting it from our computer systems.