Wageningen University & Research has an opening for a Postdoctoral Researcher in Ethnographies of Marine Restoration and Global China in Southeast Asia.
A rise of ecological restoration programs world-wide aims to reverse the decline of ocean health by repairing and rebuilding marine and coastal natures. These efforts reveal a shift from protecting nature towards more active human intervention to shape new natures for an uncertain future. In this shift, narratives of care, sustainability and calls to radically transform how we know and relate to the sea mix with technoscientific enterprises to scale up restoration at increasing speed and scale. Both global geopolitical dynamics and local ecologies of human-sea relations based on different philosophies of nature are at play.
While there is a rising critique on restoration as a form of Western ecological imperialism, what is less understood is the role of non-Western philosophies – in particular Chinese and traditional understandings of nature – in the current re-building of marine nature at scale.
Through a cultural-political lens on Chinese-supported marine restoration projects in Southeast Asia, this research aims to:
- map where Chinese investments in marine restoration are occurring globally, with more in-depth mapping of those in Southeast Asia.
- analyze how different knowledge and values of human-sea relations come together in ecological restoration projects through select comparative case studies in Southeast Asia.
- examine the (geo)political consequences: what/who is in-/excluded in how marine natures are re-imagined and reshaped for the future?
- identifying how politics of care and geopolitics offer insights into global governance of marine restoration.
Duration: 3 years.
Salary
The collective labor agreement for Dutch Universities, they offer;
- a competitive gross salary of between €3.226 and €5.090 for a full-time working week of 38 hours
- a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
- excellent pension scheme.
Job Requirements
Eligible applicants for this position should have:
- a PhD degree in anthropology, human geography, sociology or another discipline related to the social science of environment;
- a clear vision on researching marine restoration efforts and their intersection with the politics of care and geopolitics;
- experience doing research in Southeast Asia or China, or research related to global China;
- a strong background in qualitative research design and methodologies, including ethnography;
- a demonstrated publication record.
- language skills related to Southeast Asia or China;
- demonstrated affinity with topic of marine conservation/nature restoration.
Application Process
Applications for the postdoc position should include:
- cover letter with motivation for the position
- Curriculum Vitae, and
- a one-page research statement indicating how this project fits into the candidate’s overall research aims.
To apply for the Postdoc Researcher in Ethnographies of Marine Restoration and Global China in Southeast Asia, click here.
Deadline: August, 2024.
For more information on Postdoc Researcher in Ethnographies of Marine Restoration and Global China in Southeast Asia, visit the official site.
