Refugee youth often find themselves in precarious positions (insecure housing, lack of social networks, employment restrictions), coupled with financial restrictions, which means that many occupy public spaces of cities/towns where they seek refuge. Their presence in public spaces has however been strongly problematized in Europe. This research project will debate how refugee youth can contribute their own histories, voices and agencies to the development of convivial public spaces and to what extent this can enhance their participation in society. Arts and Cultural Initiatives will be used as an entry point to researching the personal geographies of young refugees and asylum seekers in four European Cities (Newcastle, Leipzig, Brussels and Amsterdam) mapping their migration histories, exploring their post arrival experiences and asking how their placemaking contribute to the transformation of public space.

The international project team is led by Prof. Peter Hopkins (Newcastle University). The Dutch project team is supervised by Dr. Ilse van Liempt who is part of the Urban Geography Department within the Social Urban Transitions (SUT) research programme in the Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Geosciences at Utrecht University. The German team is led by Dr. Kathrin Horschelmann and the Belgian team by Dr. Hassan Bousetta.

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher who can help us in the final phase of the project. Concretely we are looking for someone who can:

• finalize participatory and ethnographic fieldwork in Molenwijk (Amsterdam Noord) with young refugees around home-making, both before, during and after the process of migration/arrival (10 interviews with newcomers and photo elicitation that picture their arrival and important infrastructures and spaces during their arrival);
• help develop a methodological toolkit as output of the HERA project;
• organize the final conference of the European project in Amsterdam in liaison with project collaborators (both academic as well as community art based institutions).This entails an academic conference as well as an art exhibition at Framer Framed in Amsterdam;
• take care of regularly updating the HERA website;
• disseminate findings from the research by producing publications in scientific journals and delivering presentations at (inter)national conferences and where applicable at nonacademic ‘user’ workshops.

We are looking for an experienced Researcher with a background in urban studies, geography, anthropology, sociology, youth studies, gender studies or criminology. As our ideal candidate you have an excellent track record in the field and a strong interest and experience in qualitative research methods, preferably also creative methods. You have experience working with refugees and are willing to work in an interdisciplinary and international team with three other Postdocs in Newcastle, Leipzig and Brussels. You also need to be up for collaborating intensively with cultural and art organizations in Amsterdam. Finally, you are proficient in both written and spoken English.

We offer a temporary position (0.8 FTE) for one year in an international working environment. The gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience  - ranges between €3,217 and €4,402 (scale 10 according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) per month for a full-time employment. Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% per year. In addition, Utrecht University offers excellent secondary conditions, including an attractive retirement scheme, (partly paid) parental leave and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). More information about working at Utrecht University can be found here.

Een betere toekomst voor iedereen. Die ambitie motiveert onze wetenschappers bij hun toponderzoek en het geven van inspirerend onderwijs. Bij de Universiteit Utrecht werken diverse disciplines intensief samen aan maatschappelijk belangrijke thema's. Onze focus ligt op Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences en Sustainability. 

The Faculty of Geosciences at Utrecht University offers a unique environment to study societal challenge as it combines knowledge on energy efficiency, economics, energy policy, behavioural sciences, innovation systems, and knowledge on (sustainable) urban development. 

The Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning has its focus on the transition to socially, economically and ecologically sustainable cities. Our research is problem driven: we study the processes and governance arrangements that inhibit or foster resilience, economic development, health and inclusion or inequality in cities and urban regions. By doing so, we contribute to the 2030 Agenda and toward achieving a range of interrelated UN Sustainable Development Goals. Research on these topics takes place within our research programme 'Urban Futures'.