The Chair of Comparative Development and Cultural Studies of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities (Professor Martina Padmanabhan) invites applications for

one graduate research assistant position

(20 hours per month)

to conduct master’s thesis research on »Institutions of seed varieties management in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia«

This position is available from 1 October 2018 to 30 September 2019. The remuneration amounts to EUR 11.50 per hour.

IndORGANIC is a research project aiming 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 and farmers’ behaviour. For further details, see uni-passau-indorganic

The candidate is expected to support the project via literature research, maintenance of the project website, preparation for workshops and other related services.

Furthermore we offer the opportunity to undertake fieldwork in the study region in Indonesia for writing an M.A. thesis – preferably within the framework of the international M.A. Development Studies programme – funded by an additional stipend. The analysisof institutions of seed varieties management with a gendered perspective in Tasikmalya,one of our research regions, will provide the candidate with the opportunity to conductdata collection in the field, to analyse these data and, potentially, to publish theirfindings. Seed management is crucial for maintaining the diversity of varieties in farmers’fields. Organic farmers in particular have special requirements on crops characteristicsto adapt to climate change and apply crop-rotation strategies. The province ofTasikmalya has specialised on producing organic rice. The research shall shed light onthe strategies employed as well as formal and informal institutions and actor networksaround the social organisation of agrobiodiversity.

Requirements

-Applicants should have completed their bachelor’s degree studies

-Good command of English; Bahasa Indonesia language skills an advantage

-Willingness to travel

-Experience with conducting literature research

-Interest in empirical research under the supervision of Professor Padmanabhan

-Former fieldwork experience would be beneficial

To apply, please send a single pdf file comprising your cover letter, CV, copies of relevant degree certificates and a transcript of your current study progress to Ms Regina Treipl, Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!, by 1 July 2018.

Inquiries regarding the position to Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein! are welcome. Interviews will take place in the week of 16 to 20 July 2018.

This position is suitable for those with severe disabilities, who are given preference if their overall personal aptitudes, skills and qualifications are otherwise equal.

E-mailed applications are kept on file for six months after the conclusion of the application procedure, whereupon they are deleted from our Systems.