Postdoctoral position in the research project “Land and Life in the Anthropocene: Landscape reform (LAND)”, School of Culture and Society

The research project “Land and Life in the Anthropocene: Landscape reform (LAND),” invites applications for a 3-year fixed term postdoctoral position in anthropology, beginning 1 February 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The place of work is Aarhus University, Moesgaard Allé 20, 8270 Højbjerg.
The university is keen for its staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified applicants regardless of their personal background.

Research Context

The LAND project at Aarhus University seeks a postdoctoral fellow in anthropology to lead research into the ecological and livelihood impacts of coastal infrastructural investment and development in Indonesia. The ideal candidate will have an existing research program which uses ethnographic methods to explore relevant questions and themes and be prepared to develop new collaborative and interdisciplinary research with other team members and project affiliates, including interdisciplinary research bridging the social and natural sciences. The postdoctoral fellow will also contribute to the theoretical and methodological development of the concept of “landscape reform” in collaboration with team members across four field sites around the world.

This position is part of an ERC Synergy Grant funded initiative which brings together researchers across four field sites and topics to examine interconnections of social and environmental justice and to conceptualize the structural changes necessary to sustain life on earth in a time of environmental collapse and radical social inequality. Researchers from four universities will collaborate across four field sites to develop this conceptual framework of “landscape reform,” linking pursuits to place both economic and environmental justice at the center of governance.

The Position

The successful applicant will be expected to:

Both assist in ongoing research and conduct original ethnographic field research on coastal livelihoods, human-wetland interactions, infrastructure, and coastal development in rural Eastern Indonesia.
Develop interdisciplinary collaborative research projects with team members and affiliates across the natural and social sciences.
Publish sole-author and collaborative publications based on project research findings.
Present findings at conferences, workshops, lectures, stakeholder meetings, and in public media outlets.
Participate in the theoretical and methodological development of the larger “landscape reform” along with other team members, and where applicable provide mentorship to project students and affiliates.
Travel to fellow project member’s field sites annually for whole-team project meetings.
Assist in coordinating and organizing project activities and outputs.

Qualifications:

PhD in Cultural Anthropology or equal qualifications
Must have minimum 2 years of immersive ethnographic field research experience in rural Eastern Indonesia.
Fluency in Indonesian and English; additional familiarity with regional Indigenous languages preferred.
Must have demonstrated experience conducting original ethnographic research on:
- Relationships among land reclamation, wetland destruction, infrastructure, industrial development, and extractive industry, including their impacts on coastal ecosystems and livelihoods.
- Sago economies and ecologies.
- Foraging-based coastal livelihood strategies and their relations to coastal ecosystems.
- Small-scale coastal and maritime trading, shipping, and seaborne interconnection in Eastern Indonesia.
- Migration patterns among coastal communities.
- Indigenous agroecology, including both subsistence and market production.
- Local institutions of property / territorial access, including patterns of ownership claims over coasts, wetlands, and seas.
- Impacts of armed conflict on livelihood, migration, and settlement patterns.
- Using historical and archival sources to understand landscape and settlement changes across time.
Expertise in foraging based coastal livelihoods, fisheries and aquaculture, agroecology and agrarian studies, multispecies ethnography and landscape analysis, political ecology, supply chain organization, land-water connections, Southeast Asian studies, Indonesian studies, political economy and world systems theory, land- (and sea-) grabbing / territorial conflicts in the context of biodiversity conservation.
Must have demonstrated experience conducting and coordinating interdisciplinary research between the natural and social sciences.
Must have demonstrated experience participating in and coordinating large collaborative research projects; project and grant management experience preferred.
Experience teaching and mentoring undergraduates and graduate students is preferred.

The university is keen for its staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified applicants regardless of their personal background.

To apply please submit:

Cover letter outlining qualifications, describing existing research, and describing proposed research (maximum 2 pages).
Current CV
A maximum of 2 publications (Only submitted publications will be assessed; a list of publications is not sufficient. As a result, applications without submitted publications will not be assessed.)

The application must be submitted in English.

The research activities will be evaluated in relation to the actual research time. We therefore encourage applicants to specify any periods of leave they may have had without research activities (e.g. maternity/paternity leave), so we can subtract these periods from the span of their academic career when evaluating their productivity.

Professional references or recommendations should not be included. Applicants who are selected for an interview may be asked to provide professional references.
For information regarding the project please contact Head of Department Nina Vohnsen (fdelingsleder.antropologi@cas.au.dk)

For further information about the application procedure, please contact iks-hr-sag@au.dk.

International applicants

International applicants are encouraged to check Family and work-life balance and Attractive working conditions for further information about the benefits of working at Aarhus University and in Denmark, including healthcare, paid holidays and, if relevant, maternity/paternity leave, childcare and schooling. Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including a relocation service and career counselling for expat partners. For information about taxation, see Taxation aspects of international researchers’ employment by AU.

The School of Culture and Society

The School of Culture and Society is a vibrant research community dedicated to understanding the cultural and social conditions that shape human life. Our work examines how people interact with their environments, from prehistory to the present, and across both local contexts and global dynamics. Through cross-sector and cross-disciplinary partnerships, we aim to drive research innovation and contribute to address the major questions facing society. In both research and education, we are committed to bringing the humanities into active dialogue with partners beyond the university.
The School is committed to:

Fostering an international environment characterized by strong academic and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Embracing an innovative and experimental approach to research, teaching, and communication.
Cultivating a school that both generates knowledge and educates students for the present and future.
Advancing a broad engagement with digital humanities.
Upholding a strong commitment to both local and global societal challenges.
Creating an inclusive, diverse, and sustainable workplace and organization.

Qualification requirements

Applicants should hold a PhD or equivalent academic qualifications.

Formalities

Faculty of Arts refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities (the Appointment Order).
Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.
Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.
Further information on the application and supplementary materials may be found in Application Guidelines.
The application must outline the applicant's motivation for applying for the position, attaching a curriculum vitae, a complete list of published works, copies of degree certificates and examples of academic production (mandatory, but no more than two examples). Please upload this material electronically along with your application.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here: https://talent.au.dk/junior-researcher-development-programme/

If nothing else is noted, applications must be submitted in English. Application deadline is at 11.59 pm Danish time (same as Central European Time) on the deadline day.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Shortlists may be prepared with the candidates that have been selected for a detailed academic assessment. A committee set up by the head of school is responsible for selecting the most qualified candidates. See this link for further information about shortlisting at the Faculty of Arts: shortlisting

About Arts

The Faculty of Arts is one of Northern Europe’s most significant faculties for research and higher education in the humanities, theology and education. Within this broad academic scope, the faculty comprises approximately 700 researchers, 200 PhD students, 9,000 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students, and 1,500 further and continuing education students. We believe that the best ideas arise when different perspectives meet – and that research, teaching and innovation are best developed in dialogue with the surrounding society.

You can find more information here: Faculty of Arts | Aarhus University

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 37,000 students (FTEs) and 8.700 employees and has an annual revenue of EUR 1.106 billion. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/

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