AdresseBackground
The research groups Research on Digitalization, Diversity, and Democracy (R4D, School of Social Sciences) and ArcK, Spatial Capacity Building/Civic and Political Design are looking for a PhD candidate to shape and conduct research on understanding and (re)designing democratic systems.
The PhD candidate will be appointed within the R4D research group but will also be affiliated to and work with the Spatial Capacity Building/Civic and Political Design research group. R4D is a research group at Hasselt University (UHasselt) and is part of the Faculty School for Social Sciences. In its interdisciplinary research, R4D focuses on three grand challenges: Digitalization, Diversity, and Democracy, and related themes. Capacity Building/Civic and Political Design, part of the Faculty of Architecture and Arts, conducts research on how we can support collectives of citizens, local organizations, and local and supralocal governments in collectively reflecting on social-spatial and ecological transformation processes occurring in their everyday environment and then engaging with them in these processes. Furthermore, the PhD connects to a thriving international community around democratic innovations, citizen panels, and democratic design with which strong collaborations are ongoing and will be further developed (through research visits, conferences, seminars, etc.).
Job content
You will pursue a PhD in accordance with the objectives and activities of the Redesigning Democracy (ReDem) project. ReDem builds on the observation that democratic innovations (such as citizen panels) are increasingly being applied and studied as a remedy for the problems of inclusivity and effectiveness of our representative democratic institutions. However, a challenge remains in how democratic innovations can be sustainably embedded within existing systems and policy cycles. This project combines governance theories and design expertise. On one hand, we will study the nature of administrative environments in which citizen panels thrive. On the other hand, we will use co-design methods in a living lab to systematically embed citizen panels within an existing governance system.
Profile
- You have a master's degree in the domain of social sciences, for example, public administration, management, political science, anthropology, sociology (or equivalent). Final year students are also encouraged to apply.
- You have demonstrable knowledge of research and theories around democratic innovations, and/or design methodologies.
- You have demonstrable experience with qualitative and/or design research methods.
- You can motivate the mutual benefits of applying design methodologies to the case of democratic innovations.
- Knowledge of Dutch is recommended.
- You are collegial and can work well in (international) teams.
- You are entrepreneurial and take initiative.
- You are organizationally strong and can effectively coordinate processes with different parties.
- You communicate clearly and appropriately with different target groups and are able to present and report information clearly.
- You are fluent in written and spoken English.
Offer
You will be appointed and paid as PhD student.
2 years, extendable with 2 years after positive evaluation (total 4 years).
Selection procedure
You can only apply online up to and including 11 March 2024.
The selection procedure consists of a preselection based on application file and an interview.
Further information
Prof. dr. Jan BOON, +32-11-268280, jan.boon@uhasselt.be
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