Two researchers/teachers in environmental communication

Department of Urban and Rural Development, Division of Environmental Communication
The Department of Urban and Rural Development at SLU offers a strong social science research environment in the subjects of rural development, environmental communication, landscape architecture and agrarian history. The Division of Environmental Communication is growing, and we are now recruiting two new colleagues to contribute to both our research and education.

At the division, we investigate the communicative aspects of environmental and sustainability issues. We consider communication as the joint construction of meaning rather than as the transmission of information, and conduct primarily qualitative social science research concerned with themes such as legitimacy, participation, power, resistance, conflict and learning in decision-making and change processes from a communication perspective. Our research spans a wide range of contexts such as nature conservation, forestry, food production, climate change, game management, mining and the built environment.

In addition to our international, two-year Masters programme ”Environmental Communication and Management”, we are responsible for a number of other courses in collaboration with other departments at SLU and Uppsala University.

Duties:
Tasks include approximately 50% research and 50% teaching.

We have a number of new exciting research projects and the successful candidates will contribute to research in one or more of the following fields:


• Communication in (social media) and the arts: Work Package 5 in our new research programme MISTRA Environmental Communication
• Communication aspects of coordination in the transformation of food systems towards a circular economy
• Deliberative planning in view of the urgency of the sustainability challenge – urban planning and catchment management
• Sustainable food production systems
• Sustainability challenges in the field of indigenous people with special focus on reindeer husbandry

Research-related tasks include, for example, data collection, analysis and write-up, and sharing of the findings. The successful candidates will also contribute to our teaching in one or more of the courses within our Masters programme ”Environmental Communication and Management”, and/or in other courses, e.g., “Interdisciplinary Practice”. Work will also include active participation in academic activities at the department, to help build up environmental communication as a research field. Tasks will be developed together with the postholders, based on their specific qualifications and experience.

Qualifications:
We are looking for two highly motivated, proactive and creative new colleagues with a PhD degree and a strong background in a relevant social science (such as sociology, political sciences, human geography or communication science), as well as experience in theoretically grounded, qualitative empirical research – preferably in one or more of the research fields mentioned above. As most of the empirical work will take place in Sweden, Swedish language skills are an essential requirement for at least one of the posts, but also the holder of the second post will ideally be able to speak and understand Swedish at least to some extent. We also expect the candidates to be strong in both written and spoken English. Teaching and supervision experience is desirable, as is the proven ability to publish in international journals, and experience with research in the Global South.

Place of work:
Uppsala

Form of employment:
Fixed term employment of 24 months.

Extent:
100%

Starting date:
According to agreement.

Application:
We welcome your application no later than 2020-05-01, use the button below.

Academic union representatives:
https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/



The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) develops the understanding and sustainable use and management of biological natural resources. The university ranks well internationally within its subject areas. SLU is a research-intensive university that also offers unique degree programmes in for example rural development and natural resource management, environmental economics, animal science and landscape architecture.

SLU has just over 3,000 employees, 5,000 students and a turnover of SEK 3 billion. The university has invested heavily in a modern, attractive environment on its campuses in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala.

www.slu.se

SLU is an equal opportunity employer.