项目介绍

2026年9月17日

About the position 

A position as a PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017) is available as part of the project (HARZOTROPH) “Denying Harm? Neocolonial Conservation through Trophy Hunting and Zoos”, funded by the Research Council of Norway. The candidate will be responsible for their own research and will work closely with the project leader, Ragnhild Sollund, at the Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law. The project will commence in autumn 2026, and the PhD Research Fellow will be part of an international project team.

The appointment period is for three years without other career-enhancing work, or four years with 25% other career-enhancing work. Career-enhancing work will normally consist of teaching. A four-year appointment requires that the candidate can contribute to the Faculty of Laws current teaching needs. 

PhD fellowships are recruitment positions intended to lead to a PhD degree at the Faculty of Law. Applicants must be qualified for admission to the PhD programme at The Faculty of Law. More information about the doctoral programme is available here.

The candidate is expected to be an active participant in and contributor to the research environment at the Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law and will have the opportunity to participate in one of the many interdisciplinary research groups at the Faculty of Law.

More about the position 

“Denying Harm? Neocolonial Conservation through Trophy Hunting and Zoos (HARZOTROPH)” will explore the legitimacy of the trophy hunting industry and zoos, as expressed through the industries’ own accounts of their activities and as experienced by people who hunt trophies and visit zoos.

HARZOTROPH will generate knowledge from countries with different colonial histories and varying prevalence of trophy hunters and zoos. Using different analytical approaches from criminology, sociology of law, social anthropology and political science, the project will examine whether arguments in favour of trophy hunting and zoos are rooted in neocolonialism, or whether a shift in attitudes towards animal rights can be identified.

Through qualitative methods such as ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, surveys in Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as literature reviews and content analysis of websites, HARZOTROPH will explore who benefits from trophy hunting and zoos; whether trophy hunting and the keeping of wild animals in captivity contribute to protecting species from extinction; or whether they instead deplete countries of endangered species and primarily benefit commercial enterprises.

The PhD Research Fellow’s project will be thematically connected to, and form part of, a work package on trophy hunting. The final description of the PhD project will be developed in consultation with the project leader, Ragnhild Sollund, following appointment.

The PhD Research Fellow will also be expected to participate actively in the project group’s activities, including both digital and in-person seminars and workshops, in collaboration with the international team.

The Research Fellow is expected to:

• Complete, within the period of appointment, a dissertation of a standard worthy of defense for the PhD degree.
• Assist the project leader with the academic implementation of project activities, including workshops and seminars.
• Participate in the dissemination of research findings at national and international conferences.

Qualification requirements

• The position requires a Norwegian five-year Master’s degree in sociology of law, criminology, or an equivalent qualification that has been recognised by the faculty as forming a sufficient basis for admission.
• Normally, the applicant should have grades that place them in the top tier. This requirement also applies to the master’s thesis.
• Applicants should have good command of English, both spoken and written.
• Knowledge of and experience with qualitative methods is a prerequisite.

Desired qualifications: 

• Knowledge of Norwegian (or another Scandinavian language) is an advantage.
• Experience with, or an interest in, green criminology and human–animal relations is an advantage.

Personal suitability: 

• You must have good administrative skills.
• You must be able to work independently and in a structured manner.
• You should have good collaborative skills and demonstrate the ability, willingness and commitment to contribute to the development of the research field.
• You should be able to take initiative and be willing to participate actively in an international and interdisciplinary research team.