Are you interested in university change agent education and how it leads to societal impact? The
Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development is offering a combined PhD – Lecturer position for someone with strong data analytics skills and a keen interest in different forms of change agent education.
Your job Universities are increasingly expected to contribute to solving grand societal challenges, such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, or threats to global health. One way of doing so is to educate change agents. The primary goals of change agent education are to realise societal impact and promote the personal development of students by fostering change agent knowledge and competencies (examples include systems thinking, project management, knowledge about societal problems, design thinking, etc.) (see Van Rijnsoever, Sitzler, and Baggen, 2023). This is achieved through experiential learning and community-engaged learning. There is no one-size-fits-all model; students adopt various roles within teams operating during the change process. Additionally, the type of change agent activities they engage in can vary, encompassing a range of approaches such as social entrepreneurship, social activism, or governmental interventions. This position is guided by the question: How does using pedagogies and knowledge associated with change agent education influence societal impact and the personal development of students?
In this fully funded six-year position, you will seek answers to this question by analysing the impact of education in European regions using big data analysis techniques, survey research among alumni, and longitudinal monitoring of individual students in programs.
You will develop a solid portfolio of 21st-century research skills, gain teaching experience, and engage with practitioners, enabling you to jump-start your future (academic) career.
Over a period of six years, you will conduct doctoral research and obtain a
University Teaching Qualification. Your research tasks would occupy about 60% of your time, and teaching tasks about 40%. Time is reserved for training and development, including PhD and teaching courses. These courses will partially take place abroad. Additionally, part of your job is to present your work at international conferences. During the six-year period, the progress of your research will be evaluated at predetermined intervals.