*** Application deadline extended to 24 May! ***

New fully-funded PhD position in Comparative Water Governance

We are now seeking to fill a 100% PhD position on “Assessing the sustainability of water governance systems in global comparison” within the Marie-Skłodowska-Curie ETN Graduate School ‘NEWAVE – New Water Governance’, starting 1 June 2020 for a duration of 36 months.

Topic: Numerous approaches exist to sustainably govern the world’s waters. These include participatory planning, privatization, riverbasin and watershed governance, or water pricing, just to name a few. It is, however, unclear, which of these governance approaches – or combinations thereof – have proven effective in maintaining or restoring environmentally sustainable water resources and ecosystems. This ESR project will contribute to generating both conceptual advances and robust empirical evidence on which approaches work in which contexts towards achieving sustainable water governance. To this end, the project will first review the literature on existing empirical studies on ‘success’ or ‘failure’ of water governance approaches (objective 1). Building on this, the project will seek to analytically dissect existing water governance institutions into ‘building blocks’ (objective 2). Ideally, all water governance institutions can be split up into a finite number of such building blocks. The further empirical analysis (objective 3) will then assess the performance of water governance institutions in selected countries by drawing on existing academic literature, document analysis and key expert interviews. Governance institutions will be analysed according to the building blocks they consist of, allowing for Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) of which combination of building blocks leads to sustainable outcomes (or not). Results will be discussed with leading experts and practitioners in the field in order to enhance usability and robustness of the research (objective 4).

In carrying out this work, the ESR will: (1) Identify ‘success’ and ‘failure’ (in terms of water-related sustainability) of existing water governance institutions through a systematic review of the empirical literature; (2) Analyse a broad range of existing concepts and approaches to water governance as to the institutional building blocks they are made of, with the aim of developing an analytical framework to empirically assess very different water governance institutions; (3) Empirically assess the performance of existing water governance institutions in approx. 15 countries in different continents through a comparative study, using the evaluative framework developed in (2); (4) Draw conclusions for existing (combinations of) water governance institutions, in consultation with leading experts and practitioners.

Expected results: (1) Identification of principal institutional building blocks of existing water governance institutions; (2) Evidence-informed assessment of how (combinations of) governance institutions deliver in terms of water-related sustainability; (3) Knowledge on the influence of context on the performance of water governance institutions.

Location: Leuphana is a young university, focusing on research in sustainability, cultural and political science, education, and management and entrepreneurship. With some 10,000 students and 700 researchers (including 160 professors), Leuphana has repeatedly been awarded for innovation, e.g. with the EU’s Innovation Incubator (more than € 50m). Founded in 2010, the Faculty of Sustainability integrates some 30 professorships spanning the natural and social sciences with a focus on interdisciplinary research and teaching. The Research Group on  Governance, Participation and Sustainability, led by Prof. Newig, is a world-leading multidisciplinary group of senior and early-career social scientists which seeks to address the big challenges of governance in the context of environmental and sustainability politics, focusing in particular on sustainable water governance. The group’s work is committed to producing reliable evidence on what kind of governance interventions “work” in what contexts.

A secondment (research stay) will be planned at the Global Water Partnership in Stockholm.

We seek canditates with:

• Above-average MSc (or equivalent degree) in Environmental Policy, Political Science, Public Administration, Environmental Science, Water Resources Management, or related fields
• Excellent English communications skills (written and oral)
• A commitment to academic excellence with a track record of high impact research
• Interest to apply and further develop methods of evidence cumulation such as meta-analytical methods
• Proven skills in executing empirical research in challenging contexts
• Capacity to work independently and as part of a team
• Examples of high-quality written work, such as a journal paper or equivalent
• Outstanding interpersonal skills to work with different stakeholders

Mobility Rule: Please note that at the time of recruitment, candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Germany for more than 12 months in the last 3 years (in accordance to the funding programme of the ETN). Leuphana University Lüneburg is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering heterogeneity among its staff. Applications by qualified individuals are strongly encouraged. Disabled applicants with equal qualifications will be given priority consideration.

Contact: Prof. Dr Jens Newig; e-mail: newig@uni.leuphana.de.

Applications including a letter of motivation, full CV, a draft proposal, relevant certificates/transcripts, and contact details for two references shall be submitted via the project website

Application deadline: Extended to 24 May 2020.

To apply: Please visit the NEWAVE website.

 

Previous job ads:

The Research Group Governance, Participation and Sustainability (Prof. Newig) is seeking to appoint

student research assistants (studentische Hilfskräfte)

to support and participate in the DFG-funded research project

GOVERNECT: Governance of Environmental Sustainability
in Telecoupled Systems of Global Inter-Regional Connectedness.

A contract will initially be offered for 3 months, with a monthly volume of 30 to 80 hours, starting as soon as possible, with possible extension.

About the Project

Problems of ecological sustainability arise not only ‘locally’ or ‘globally’ but also due to specific interconnections between distant regions. GOVERNECT studies how such globally ‘telecoupled’ systems are – and should be – governed (see https://sustainability-governance.net/governect/). Next to one in-depth case study (Brazil-Germany soybean trade), we conduct a comparative case study involving a larger number of cases of telecoupling, including governance responses.

About the Job

Your job will be to support research in the comparative case studies. An important aspect of the job will be to systematically search the academic literature, to identify and catalogue information, and to provide preliminary analysis in English. With support and training, you will assist in cataloguing and understanding available secondary and primary literature (academic articles and documents) on the case studies. You will independently code case study accounts, identifying relevant information in published texts. Moreover, for each case study, you will assist in identifying the relevant actors and mapping the breadth of possible interconnections and governance responses.

Person Specification

This job will be ideal for a student of political science, geography or environmental / sustainability science, with a motivation to be involved in interdisciplinary research. You are interested in researching environmental impacts of globalization and governance. Ideally, you will have the following skills:

• Ability to use your initiative, but also to recognize when to ask!
• Fluent English (oral and written).
• Ability to search for information within secondary and primary literature, and keep careful records of results.
• Ability to quickly and precisely identify specific information in case study publications
• Ability to create filing or cataloguing systems for documents and their preliminary analysis
• Reliable and organized approach to work.

To Apply

For any questions about the project and the job, please contact Prof. Dr. Jens Newig (newig@uni.leuphana.de) or Dr. Benedetta Cotta (cotta@leuphana.de) (in English). To apply for the position, please send a CV (including Abitur grades and a recent transcript of records) and a short motivation letter in English to Dr. Benedetta Cotta (cotta@leuphana.de).

There is no deadline for applications. However, the post(s) will be filled as soon as suitable candidates have been found.

 

25 October 2018

The Research Group Governance, Participation and Sustainability (Prof. Newig) is seeking to appoint

student research assistants (studentische Hilfskräfte)

to support and participate in the DFG-funded research project

GOVERNECT: Governance of Environmental Sustainability
in Telecoupled Systems of Global Inter-Regional Connectedness.

A contract will initially be offered for 3 months, with a monthly volume of 30 to 80 hours, starting as soon as possible, with possible extension.

About the Project

Problems of ecological sustainability arise not only ‘locally’ or ‘globally’ but also due to specific interconnections between distant regions. GOVERNECT studies how such globally ‘telecoupled’ systems are – and should be – governed (see https://sustainability-governance.net/governect/). Next to one in-depth case study (Brazil-Germany soybean trade), we conduct a comparative case study involving a larger number of cases of telecoupling, including governance responses.

About the Job

Your job will be to support research in the comparative case studies. An important aspect of the job will be to systematically search the academic literature, to identify and catalogue information, and to provide preliminary analysis in English. With support and training, you will assist in cataloguing and understanding available secondary and primary literature (academic articles and documents) on the case studies. You will independently code case study accounts, identifying relevant information in published texts. Moreover, for each case study, you will assist in identifying the relevant actors and mapping the breadth of possible interconnections and governance responses.

Person Specification

This job will be ideal for a student of political science, geography or environmental / sustainability science, with a motivation to be involved in interdisciplinary research. You are interested in researching environmental impacts of globalization and governance. Ideally, you will have the following skills:

• Ability to use your initiative, but also to recognize when to ask!
• Fluent English (oral and written).
• Ability to search for information within secondary and primary literature, and keep careful records of results.
• Ability to quickly and precisely identify specific information in case study publications
• Ability to create filing or cataloguing systems for documents and their preliminary analysis
• Reliable and organized approach to work.

To Apply

For any questions about the project and the job, please contact Prof. Dr. Jens Newig (newig@uni.leuphana.de) or Dr. Benedetta Cotta (cotta@leuphana.de) (in English). To apply for the position, please send a CV (including Abitur grades and a recent transcript of records) and a short motivation letter in English to Dr. Benedetta Cotta (cotta@leuphana.de).

There is no deadline for applications. However, the post(s) will be filled as soon as suitable candidates have been found.

29 June 2018

Job opening: Post-doc on public policy and institutions / environmental and sustainability governance

Our research group at Leuphana University Lüneburg is looking to employ a post-doc to support existing activities and to explore new research directions.

Tasks and responsibilities: Research in environmental and sustainability governance, contributing to the international visibility of the research group. Innovative topics and approaches are particularly welcome. Potential research themes and methods include:

• Institutional change towards sustainability, potentially linking sustainability transitions research with institutionalist approaches
• Elite networks for the production of public goods
• Participatory and collaborative governance, from the local to global commons, with a potential focus on the global South
• Knowledge, (adaptive) learning and experimentation in policy-formation and governance
• Systems perspectives on governance and institutional design, e.g. leverage points for sustainability
• Innovative methods for the cumulation of evidence: meta-analytical methods and the potential role of “big data” in governance research
• Field experimentation on governance interventions.

Further tasks include:

• Developing and collaborating in writing articles for international journals;
• Supporting teaching activities on governance-related topics in environmental, sustainability and/or political science study programmes, with a teaching duty of four teaching hours per week during the semester;
• Assisting with day-to-day aspects of facilitating smooth collaboration within the research group;
• Preparation of a cumulative ‘habilitation thesis’ (or equivalent qualification) on a topic agreed with Prof. Dr. Newig.

Selection criteria:

• Completed university degree (Masters or equivalent) with above-average grades in the social sciences, e.g. political science, public administration, law, planning, human geography, environmental or sustainability science, as well as a completed PhD in one of these areas;
• Very good English language communication skills (written and oral);
• Academic publication experience;
• Experience in empirical research, and training in statistics, QCA or other formal comparative methods would be an additional asset;
• Ability and willingness to teach relevant classes; some teaching experience would be an asset.

For questions, please contact Prof. Dr. Jens Newig (newig@uni.leuphana.de).

Deadline for applications is August 15, 2018.

To apply, please visit the university’s website here.

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October 2017

New PhD position on governance and policy analysis in globally telecoupled systems

We are now seeking to fill a 100% PhD position on “Governance institutions for sustainability in globally telecoupled systems” within the Marie-Skłodowska-Curie ETN Graduate School ‘COUPLED’, starting 1 July 2018 for a duration of 36 months.

Topic: Globally telecoupled systems such as commodity chains, long-range pollution or distant policy-driven effects present complex new challenges for sustainability governance. These are often beyond the capabilities of individual states and even multilateral institutions to regulate. At the same time, the policy and governance interventions of governments and other actors themselves often have a range of unforeseen consequences and knock-on effects. Taking European Union (EU) environmental policy as its primary vantage point, this research will: (1) identify key institutions, networks of actors and instruments deployed to govern for sustainability in specific case studies of telecoupled systems (e.g. global trade and supply chains and networks), and (2) assess their impacts with particular attention to so-called ‘policy-driven displacement’ effects, policy spillovers and feed-backs (e.g. increased deforestation resulting from EU biofuels policy). On the basis of this analysis, the research will (3) identify governance levers for effective intervention at multiple levels (from multilateral to local) and among different actors (e.g. governmental, private sector, civil society) to address policy-driven displacement effects.

In carrying out this work, the ESR will: (1) Conduct interviews and documentary research to chart networks and key actors and structures associated with EU efforts to govern for sustainability in telecoupled systems (focusing on certain specific cases such as agricultural commodity chains or raw resource flows); (2) analyse and assess the effectiveness (success factors and barriers, social and environmental impacts) of different governance arrangements and their unintended policy-driven displacement effects; and (3) propose potential policy and governance interventions for increased sustainability in telecoupled systems. The ESR will be jointly supervised by Prof. Jens Newig, Dr. Edward Challies and Prof. Patrick Meyfroidt (Earth and Life Institute, Catholic University of Leuven). Potential secondment placements include the German Federal Environmental Ministry in Berlin (Germany) and the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium).

Location: Leuphana University Lüneburg is a young university, focusing on sustainability, cultural and political science, education, and management and entrepreneurship, and has repeatedly been awarded for innovation. The Research Group on Governance, Participation and Sustainability, led by Prof. Newig, is affiliated both with Leuphana’s Faculty of Sustainability and with its Centre for the Study of Democracy. A multidisciplinary group of senior and early-career social scientists, it focuses on addressing the big challenges of governance in the context of environmental and sustainability politics.

We seek: a candidate with an above-average MSc (or equivalent degree) in Political Science, Human Geography, Sustainability Science or cognate discipline. We expect a strong interest in environmental policy and governance. Excellent written and spoken English is essential, and experience with both qualitative and quantitative methods (e.g. Social Network Analysis) would be advantageous.

Mobility Rule: Please note that at the time of recruitment, candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Germany for more than 12 months in the last 3 years (in accordance to the funding programme of the ETN). Leuphana University Lüneburg is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering heterogeneity among its staff. Applications by qualified individuals are strongly encouraged. Disabled applicants with equal qualifications will be given priority consideration.

Contact: Prof. Dr Jens Newig; e-mail: newig@uni.leuphana.de.

Applications including a letter of motivation, full CV, a draft proposal, relevant certificates/transcripts, and contact details for two references shall be submitted via the project website http://coupled-itn.eu/.

Application deadline: 24 November 2017.

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November 2016

Doctoral Programme “Democracy under Stress” – 7 new PhD positions

Deadline for applications: 12 June 2016

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May 2016

Doctoral Programme “Democracy under Stress” – 7 new PhD positions

Deadline for applications: 12 June 2016

Leuphana’s Center for the Study of Democracy has been awarded a major grant for funding a total of 14 PhD scholars. The first 7 scholarships are advertised now.

The doc­to­ral pro­gram in­ves­ti­ga­tes how the new po­li­ti­cal, eco­no­mic, eco­lo­gi­cal, and cultural chal­len­ges (‘stress fac­tors’) that mo­dern de­mo­cra­cies en­coun­ter are per­cei­ved, dealt with, and sol­ved in view of the exis­ting ten­si­on bet­ween po­li­ti­cal le­gi­ti­ma­cy and re­stric­ted per­for­mance. It will fur­ther look into the im­pli­ca­ti­ons that dif­fe­rent mo­des of pro­blem-hand­ling have for the ‘sur­vi­val chan­ces’ of de­mo­cra­cy. This two­fold re­se­arch agen­da will be ana­ly­zed in three fiel­ds of stu­dy that re­pre­sent the core func­tions of de­mo­cra­cies: par­ti­ci­pa­ti­on, re­pre­sen­ta­ti­on, and in­clu­si­on.

The first field of stu­dy is con­cer­ned with how ci­ti­zens in de­mo­cra­tic so­cie­ties per­cei­ve cur­rent so­cie­tal – e.g. environmental or sustainability-related – chal­len­ges in light of in­cre­a­sing ’eman­ci­pa­ti­ve’ va­lue ori­en­ta­ti­ons and how the­se per­cep­ti­ons are trans­la­ted into po­li­ti­cal be­ha­viour (participatory democracy).

In the frame­work of the se­cond field of stu­dy, the re­pre­sen­ta­ti­ve ca­pa­ci­ty of po­li­ti­cal in­ter­me­di­a­ry or­ga­niza­t­i­ons as well as po­li­ti­cal in­sti­tu­ti­ons wi­t­hin and outs­ide the na­ti­on sta­te will be ana­ly­zed (representative democracy).

By me­ans of selec­ted po­li­cy fiel­ds (e. g. en­vi­ron­men­tal, cli­ma­te, sci­ence and me­dia po­li­cy) the third field of stu­dy looks into the is­sue of how new forms of po­li­ti­cal par­ti­ci­pa­ti­on in­ter­act with tra­di­tio­nal in­sti­tu­ti­ons, ac­tors, and pro­ces­ses of re­pre­sen­ta­ti­ve de­mo­cra­cy (inclusive democracy).

Deadline for submission of applications is 12 June, 2016.

For more information, please see http://www.leuphana.de/en/research-centers/zdemo-english/doctoral-program-democracy-under-stress.html

27 July 2015

New position as

Postdoctoral Research Associate – Wissenschaftliche/r Mitarbeiter/in, salary group E 13 TV-L, full time

– Institutional dynamics in sustainability transformation / policy and legal analysis –

Starting approximately October 2015, for a duration of up to 3.5 years. The position is part of a new, transdisciplinary project funded by the State of Lower Saxony and Volkswagen Foundation entitled: Leverage Points for Sustainability Transformation: Institutions, People and Knowledge (leveragepoints.org).

Deadline for applications is 27 August 2015.

The full job description can be found at http://www.leuphana.de/bewerben/jobs-und-karriere/forschung-lehre.html.

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2 June 2015

Leuphana University Lüneburg (foundation under public law), Faculty of Sustainability, is offering a post as:

PhD Researcher– Wissenschaftliche/r Mitarbeiter/in, salary group E 13 TV-L (50%)

 – PhD 1: Institutional dynamics in sustainability transformation (Policy and Governance) –

Starting ideally October 2015, for a duration of up to 3 years. The position is part of a new, trans-disciplinary project funded by the State of Lower Saxony and Volkswagen Foundation entitled:

Leverage Points for Sustainability Transformation: Institutions, People and Knowledge

About the project

Understanding how changes in interconnected social-ecological systems facilitate the transformation to sustainability represents one of the key challenges of sustainability science. Drawing on insights from systems thinking and solution-oriented transdisciplinary research, this project will focus on hitherto under-recognized leverage points – system properties where a small shift can lead to fundamental changes in the system as a whole. Leverage Points will focus on changes in relatively intractable, but potentially highly influential, system properties that could help to realign complex social-ecological systems to the normative goals of sustainability. Specifically, we will analyse three sustainability-relevant leverage points: 1) institutional dynamics (RESTRUCTURE); 2) human-environment interactions (RECONNECT); and 3) sustainability-related knowledge creation and use (RETHINK). The three leverage points will be studied individually and with regard to their interdependencies, on two key themes (food and energy) in two contrasting case study regions (Transylvania in Romania, and Lower Saxony in Germany). For details, see www.leveragepoints.org

About the job – PhD-1: Institutional dynamics in sustainability transformation (RESTRUCTURE: Policy and Governance)

This position focuses on processes of institutional change for restructuring food and energy systems. RESTRUCTURE will address dynamics (transformations) in institutional arrangements. Social structures embodied in institutions (rules, regulations and policies) enable, constrain and guide human action and thus are of central concern to sustainability transformations. Different from most existing research, Leverage Points will not only consider institutional innovation and ‘successful’ institutional arrangements, but will specifically investigate what can be learnt from institutional failure, and assess how purposeful institutional decline could foster sustainability.

You will be expected to work closely with the research consortium, including seven other PhD students, eight Principal Investigators, and four postdoctoral researchers.

Tasks and responsibilities include:

1) Policy and governance analysis regarding food/agriculture and energy, and its dynamics in a multi-level institutional setting (case study regions, countries, EU); 2) systematic review and meta-analysis of productive functions of institutional failure and decline for sustainability transformation; 3) Study decline and failure as institutional change (both conceptually and empirically); study institutional redundancies and inconsistencies within study regions; compare sustainability-relevant institutional change; 4) expert interviews with representatives of public policy and administrations in the regions; 5) study the role of citizen and stakeholder participation in institutional change; 6) publication of manuscripts.

Person specification

Essential selection criteria: a) Masters or equivalent degree in a field relevant to the analysis of institutional dynamics (e.g. political science, public administration or other); b) highly developed conceptual skills; c) excellent written and oral communication skills (English); d) ability and willingness to work in a large, multi-disciplinary research project; e) willingness to engage with systems concepts such as path dependency or self-organization.

Additional desirable selection criteria: a) previous experience in food/agriculture and/or energy systems; b) experience with sustainability transitions research; c) experience with empirical social science methods such as conducting expert interviews; d) experience with institutional analysis/research, such as from a policy or governance perspective.

An additional advantage will be fluency in German or Romanian.

Leuphana University Lüneburg is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering heterogeneity among its employees. Applications by qualified individuals of all backgrounds are strongly encouraged. Disabled applicants with equal qualifications will be given priority consideration.

To apply

Please address all selection criteria under clearly labelled headings in up to one short paragraph for each. Please also send a motivation letter stating why you are interested in the position, a CV (including publications), copies of relevant certificates and transcripts, and the names of up to three academic referees.

Please submit all materials in PDF format (as a single merged file) with the subject: Leverage Points PhD1 to bewerbung@leuphana.de and cc abson@leuphana.de. Files should be named with the applicant’s surname (e.g. SmithLeveragePointsPhD1.pdf).

Application deadline: 30^th June, 2015

For any questions about the job, please contact Prof. Dr. Jens Newig (newig@leuphana.de) or Dr. Dave Abson (abson‌@leuphana.de) about the larger project.

For more information on the Leverage Points project, please visit www.Leveragepoints.org.

You may submit hard copy applications (not preferred!) to:

Leuphana Universität Lüneburg
Personalservice Petra Mühl-Beulke
Kennwort: LeveragePointsPD1
Scharnhorststr. 1
21335 Lüneburg
Germany.

March 2015

Four new Postdoctoral positions in “Leverage Points for Sustainability Transformation: Institutions, People and Knowledge”

Leuphana University Lüneburg’s Faculty of Sustainability is advertising four postdoctoral positions. They will contribute to the transdisciplinary Leverage Points project. Drawing on insights from systems thinking and solution-oriented transdisciplinary research, this project will focus on hitherto under- recognized leverage points – system properties where a small shift can lead to fundamental changes in the system as a whole. Leverage Points will focus on changes in relatively intractable, but potentially highly influential, system properties that could help to realign complex social-ecological systems to the normative goals of sustainability. For details on the project, see http://www.leveragepoints.org.

The deadline for all four positions is 10th March, 2015.

Post-doc position 1: RESTRUCTURE: Institutional dynamics in sustainability transformation

This position focuses on processes of institutional change for sustainability, with an empirical focus on restructuring food and energy systems in Lower Saxony (DE) and Transylvania (RO). Social structures embodied in institutions (rules, regulations and policies) enable, constrain and guide human action and thus are of central concern to sustainability transformations. Different from most existing research, Leverage Points will not only consider institutional innovation and ‘successful’ institutional arrangements, but will specifically investigate what can be learnt from institutional failure, and assess how purposeful institutional decline could foster sustainability. More information and how to apply → here.

Post-doc position 2: RECONNECT: Conceptualising and quantifying human-nature connections

This position focuses on conceptualising and quantifying human-nature connections and how changes in such connections relate to sustainability outcomes, in food and energy systems in Lower Saxony (DE) and Transylvania (RO). More information and how to apply → here.

Post-doc position 3: RETHINK: Sustainability-related knowledge creation and use (Germany)

This position focuses on consolidating conceptual foundations related to new forms of knowledge pro- duction and use, and will apply these to local transdisciplinary case studies. The themes of the case studies will revolve around the food and energy systems in Lower Saxony (DE) and Transylvania (RO). This position focuses on the Lower Saxony case, but contributes to the Transylvania case. More infor- mation and how to apply → here

Post-doc position 4: RETHINK: Sustainability-related knowledge creation and use (Romania)

This position focuses on consolidating conceptual foundations related to new forms of knowledge pro- duction and use, and will apply these to local transdisciplinary case studies. The themes of the case studies will revolve around the food and energy systems in Lower Saxony (DE) and Transylvania (RO). This position focuses on the Transylvania case, but contributes to the Lower Saxony case. More infor- mation and how to apply → here

All positions are full time for a duration of up to 3.5 years, salary group E 13 TV-L.

Application deadline for all positions: 10th March, with an expected start date of 1st July, or as soon as possible thereafter.