Postdoc focusing on reconciliation processes in the Nordic Countries

Do you have in-depth knowledge of contemporary Sámi politics and Indigenous and minority history in Northern Scandinavia? And do you want to work with a research project focusing on the Truth and Reconciliation processes in Finland, Sweden, and Norway? Then you might be our new postdoc at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS).


About DIIS and the position
One of DIIS' absolute hallmarks is our long-standing tradition of contributing to the development of academic research and providing research-based input to policymakers and public debate. You will become part of an inspiring, vivid knowledge environment at an institution, which aims to be at the forefront of multidisciplinary research, policy analysis and dissemination on global affairs. It is essential that you are ready to engage in cross-disciplinary cooperation and value input to and from colleagues with different approaches, as mixing different disciplinary backgrounds and theoretical approaches is a large part of DIIS' DNA.

In the unit Peace and violence, we study how different types of violence are practiced and affect people, states, and the environment in both contexts with peace and ongoing armed conflict. This includes research on e.g., the afterlife of wars and violence, the role of gender, identity, and popular culture in violent forms of order-making, and how infrastructure, trade and climate change affect peace processes and conflict dynamics. As a postdoc researcher, we expect you to contribute to the thematic and theoretical development of both the unit's research and of DIIS' research in general. You will have plenty of time to focus on your research, as you do not have teaching obligations. In return, you are expected to both publish academically and communicate your research on relevant media-platforms, at public seminars or through lectures, thereby giving DIIS a strong and competent voice within the field of Arctic politics and research on violence, peace, and reconciliation.

The research project "Truth and Reconciliation in the Nordic Countries" will study how the TRC model is adapted to the context of Norway, Sweden, and Finland with a special focus on tensions of interest between Indigenous groups and state ambitions. As a postdoc in the project, you will oversee a subproject dealing with the question of how state violence against the Sámi is articulated and addressed during the process in all three cases. You will also take part in two of the other subprojects dealing with the establishment of the TRCs and the reactions of the majority populations - in these subprojects, your tasks will centre on the case of Finland.

In addition to the specific tasks related to the project, you are expected to contribute to other research projects and policy activities at DIIS. During the 3-year employment, 24 months will be spent on the above-mentioned research project while the remaining 12 months will be spent on other projects at DIIS within the postdoc's research competencies. Since securing external funding is a joint task for the whole institute, you are also expected to spend time on income-generating assignments throughout your employment.

Your research tasks will include:
- Researching how the Nordic TRCs address, articulate and define violence.
- Interviewing stakeholders in the processes
- Researching reactions to the processes in Finland
- Writing and contribute to writing at least three peer-reviewed articles on the Nordic TRC processes

We expect you to:
- be fluent in Finnish and, preferably, also one of the Sámi languages.
- be a skilled communicator in both written and oral English.
- hold a master's as well as a PhD degree within the social sciences, humanities or similar.
- have a list of peer-reviewed publications and, preferably, experience with policy work.
- have experience with publishing and communicating your research results to external target groups.

DIIS as a workplace
We offer an attractive and inclusive workplace where our employees can develop. We consider knowledge sharing and feedback essential to creating a dynamic workplace. We expect you to participate proactively in the common efforts of the institute. We prioritize a high degree of presence but want our employees to have a good work-life balance. Therefore, we offer flexible working hours and some possibility of working from home. As DIIS is a bilingual Danish-English workplace, you are expected to learn Danish within the first 3 years of employment with support from the institute. We are located in Copenhagen's new waterfront city district, Nordhavn, approx. 3 km from the city centre with excellent public transportation options.

DIIS is a diverse workplace, and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply for this position regardless of their personal background. DIIS is also a workplace where we consider the environmental consequences of our activities and strive to adopt more environmentally sustainable practices both in relation to our daily business at DIIS and our global travel activities.

Contract and renumeration
The position as postdoc is a 3-year fulltime position, in which you may expect some travel activity. We would like you to start on 1 September 2021 or shortly thereafter.

Renumeration and other job conditions follow the general agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) and the Danish Ministry of Finance as well as local collective agreements at DIIS. As such, the starting salary for a researcher is 459,766 DKK excl. pensions. In addition, the local salary agreement has a possibility for a personal supplement depending on the researcher's relevant qualifications. Conditional on the specific tasks and projects, function supplements may also be relevant. A pension contribution of 17.1 % is added to the above-mentioned salary.

Candidates living abroad may under certain conditions be eligible for a special researcher tax scheme. The scheme offers a gross tax rate at 27 % plus labour market contributions, totalling 32.84 %, for a period of seven years. Read more about the tax scheme at https://skat.dk/skat.aspx?oid=2244911

Do you want to know more?
Visit www.diis.dk/jobs to learn more about DIIS as a workplace. Questions regarding employment and renumeration can be sent to hr@diis.dk. If you have inquiries regarding the professional focus of the position, you can contact Senior Researcher and project leader Astrid Nonbo Andersen at asan@diis.dk.