The University of the Aegean and the University of Amsterdam have a PhD position  on migration.

The PhD research will focus on the on-the-ground situation in Greece using ethnographic methods and participant observation to investigate the situation of migrants in the context of the ‘refugee crisis’ and the hotspot approach with a focus on issues of protection.

Protection is a key subject in the ADMIGOV project. The project aims to study key issues in migrant protection; successes and failures in protection provision; key sites of protection; key protection practices from grassroots efforts to state and transnational activities; and the key actors in providing protection.

The successful candidate will conduct fieldwork in Greece with migrants, those engaged in providing protection and members of local societies. S/he will analyse protection primarily as an everyday practice in the wider context of applied policies. S/he will enquire into the multiple meanings of protection for all those involved and particularly consider the ways in which protection professionals (e.g. humanitarian actors), activists and volunteers identify and understand protection issues and needs and how these actors go about providing and meeting such needs. The PhD project is expected to make both an independent conceptual contribution to our understanding of migrant protection and protection work in the contemporary period and to generate data of use to the larger ADMIGOV project. Knowledge of relevant literatures, and experience with ethnographic fieldwork are important while knowledge of quantitative methods including the analysis of survey data is an asset. The candidate must have a high-level of written and spoken Greek and English.

Tasks:

The successful candidate will be expected to have a high level of competence and motivation to undertake the following tasks:

• complete and defend a PhD thesis within the official appointment duration (four years);
• undertake mainly ethnographic fieldwork and participant observation and gather data relevant and available to the overall project;
• contribute (both as sole author and as co-author) to the writing up of reports for the European Union and research papers to be submitted to scientific journals;

• regularly present intermediate research results at international workshops and conferences;
• when necessary work with relevant policy makers and practitioners;
• contribute to the organisation of research activities and events of the ADMIGOV project, such as conferences, workshops and joint publications.

Ideal candidates:

• hold a master’s degree in a field relevant to the theme of the research, in particular social and human sciences, anthropology, human or political geography, sociology,migration studies, politics, law or international relations.
• are persons with initiative, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work independently as well as in a team;
• have well-developed analytical skills as well as creativity and perseverance;
• possess good academic writing, presentation and organisational skills;
• can demonstrate a strong interest in the topic of this PhD project;
• are familiar with some of the academic literatures and policy areas relevant to the project;
• preferably have experience with qualitative research methodology, especially participant observation and interviews;
• preferably have experience with quantitative methods and the analysis of survey data;
• preferably have experience in the field of humanitarian governance;
• be willing to spend time in Lesbos and Amsterdam;
• are able to communicate effectively in Greek and English both orally and in writing.

The PhD student will be hired at the Department of Social Anthropology and History, University of the Aegean, Lesbos, Greece, and gets supervision from both universities.

The appointment will be on a temporary basis for a period of 4 years.

The exact start date will be determined later, but preferably in March 2019.

The salary will be €2,000 gross per month. The total compensation and benefits package will be according to the policies / collective labour agreement of the AEGEAN university. 

University of the Aegean and University of Amsterdam

With over 5,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The University of the Aegean (Aegean) was founded in 1984 with the aim to introduce new approaches in higher education in Greece and to promote regional development. In less than thirty years, it has evolved into an international research–oriented University offering 18 undergraduate (BA or BSc) and 40 postgraduate (MA or MSc) programmes in a number of modern interdisciplinary thematic areas, many international postgraduate programs  as well as joined PhD degree programmes in a wide range of thematic areas. Aegean has created a strong international academic and research profile, having been an active member of the European Universities Association (EUA), a founding partner of the Centre of Research and Studies for the Eastern Mediterranean (Cremo), member of the EMUNI Senate, partner in many academic and research networks and participant in more than 210 bilateral and LLP Erasmus academic agreements. In the School of Social Sciences (Mytilene) there is a large network of scholars working on migration.

The PhD student will be part of the research project 'ADMIGOV: Advancing Alternative Migration Governance' in which Greece, the Netherlands and 8 other countries are involved (for more information you may check Towards an alternative migration policy). The project is led by the University of Amsterdam and funded by the European Union’sHorizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

The exact starting date will be dermined later, preferrable around March 2019. The candidate will be supervised by a team including Prof. Evthymios Papataxiarchis (University of the Aegean), Prof. Marlies Glasius (University of Amsterdam), and Dr Polly Pallister-Wilkins (University of Amsterdam).