Do you hold a Master degree in development studies, anthropology, sociology, geography, politics or a related field? Do you have didactic qualities? And do you want to do innovative research on the intersection of tourism, conservation and conflict studies? Then you might be the junior lecturer/ PhD student we are looking for!

The Sociology of Development and Change group (SDC) is looking for a motivated and enthusiastic PhD student (60%) / junior lecturer (40%) working on the intersection of tourism, conservation and conflict/disaster studies (preferably in Southern or Central Africa, but other regions will be considered), with an interest in political ecology. The connections between tourism, conservation and conflict/disaster are manifold: tourism can aggravate or alleviate conflicts, including over natural resources, while, vice versa, conflict is often considered detrimental to tourism development.

Whichever way one looks at these connections, they have been thoroughly upset over the last years by COVID-19 and are currently again being reshaped as the tourism industry is trying to regain lost ground. We believe it is important to critically study these dynamics, as they will help to share broader debates in political ecology, conflict studies, tourism studies. We are therefore keen to solicit ideas for research in these areas, whereby the precise empirical focus and topic of research can be chosen in collaboration with the supervisors.

The position will be for 6 years, whereby 60% of your time is reserved for PhD research, and 40 % for teaching (support). 60% AiO for 6 years (with no prospect of permanent employment); 40% junior lecturer – 2 days/week (scale 10), with prospect of permanent employment.

Teaching activities include the supervision of Bachelor theses and participation in courses around tourism, conservation, livelihoods and crisis and disaster studies.

Affinity and experience with qualitative and ethnographic research methods is welcome, as is experience with envisioning a multi-scalar research design.

Potential topics include but are not limited to:

• the (violent) histories of conservation/tourism spaces;
• tourism development and the political ecology of memory;
• extinction tourism in relation to disasters and conflict;
• tourism in conservation and/or conflict-affected areas;
• eco-war tourism (where tourism to war-affected regions is framed as contributing to the protection of the environment);
• privatization, securitization and militarization of tourism and conservation.

• previous experience of undertaking research (e.g. undergraduate or taught master’s dissertation;
• good understanding of and experience in using qualitative research methods in the social sciences;
• knowledge of tourism and conflict issues and networks;
• familiarity with planning and implementing independent research;
• fluency in the language spoken in the candidate’s chosen case study is desirable.

You are:

• able to, under guidance, complete independent work successfully;
• resilient and have strong cross-cultural communication skills.

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level C1... If you do not yet have this level, we will of course help you and you can go to our language center Wageningen in'to Language

You can see that there are plenty of challenges ahead of you. These challenges can also be seen as development opportunities. So if you do not yet have the track-record required in the vacancy, but do have solid work experience, we would also like to invite you to apply.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 3.226 and € 5.090 for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). Initially, we offer you a one-year contract, which will then be extended to an open-ended contract if there is mutual enthusiasm. Of course, we would be happy to discuss this with you if you have any questions.

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling.

Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Wageningen University & Research

Wageningen University & Research
TThe mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.