项目介绍

2026年2月12日

University of Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution, with 28,000 students and 7,000 employees in a broad range of academic disciplines. UiO has shaped society for over 200 years. As a leading European university, it promotes independent and innovative research and offers outstanding education. 

The Department of Political Science is part of the Faculty of Social Sciences. It is the largest political science department in Norway and covers all subfields of the discipline: international politics, public policy and administration, comparative politics, political theory and research methods. The department offers a vibrant academic environment with a good mix of permanent staff, postdoctoral and PhD fellows. Around 1,400 students are currently enrolled at BA, MA and PhD level. The department runs two large political science programmes at BA and MA level and a specialized programme in Peace and Conflict Studies at MA level. In addition, the department hosts interdisciplinary study programmes at the BA level in International Studies and Public Administration and Leadership. The department has several research groups, including Comparative Institutions and Regimes (CIR), Policy, Bureaucracy and Organisation (PBO), Oslo Political Theory (OPT), and Political Data Science (PODS). The Department also hosts the interdisciplinary Center for Research on Extremism (C-REX).

About the position

The Department of Political Science is recruiting a Postdoctoral Fellow (SKO 1352) with specialization in international politics, comparative politics, or political data science. We are looking for an excellent candidate with the potential of pursuing a long-term career in academia. The successful applicant will be part of the research project, “Waging of War” (WOW), which is funded by the European Research Council. The appointment is a fulltime position for a period of three years. Depending on the candidate’s competence and the teaching needs of the department, the fellowship period can be extended up to four years for other types of qualification work including various teaching tasks and obligations.

The primary aims of WOW are to investigate how the organization of warring parties influences the conduct of war, and conversely, how the fighting impacts the organizational structure of the belligerents. WOW will theorize, identify, classify, and code the characteristics of state military organizations and non-state armed groups and collect data relating to the dynamics of warfare. We will answer questions such as: 

• How are wars fought? 
• How does the organization of a belligerent party affect the way they wage war? 
• How do the dynamics of the war affect the organization of the fighting parties?

About a postdoctoral position

A postdoctoral position is intended to help the successful candidate develop a research profile and competencies that qualify them to apply for a permanent position in academia. To this end, the main focus of this position is to conduct research, including publication and dissemination. In addition, the fellow is expected to actively contribute to the broader research agenda and environment of the WOW project, including project workshops. If the postdoctoral researcher does not already possess the teaching/pedagogical qualifications that meet the requirements for an associate professorship (incl. formal training), the department shall facilitate the acquisition of such qualifications during the employment period. Additionally, the position may provide other competencies relevant to the postdoctoral fellow’s future career.

To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are expected to submit a career development plan, specifying career goals and the competencies that the postdoctoral fellow should acquire, no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period. The department is responsible for ensuring that the plan is followed up and that the postdoctoral researcher has access to career guidance throughout the duration of the postdoctoral fellowship. 

Qualification requirements

Formal qualifications

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree (PhD) in Political Science, or a closely related discipline before taking up the post.
• For applicants who have yet to receive their PhD degree, the Doctoral dissertation must have been submitted for evaluation, or completed and scheduled for submission and evaluation, before the application deadline. 

Other qualifications

• Applicants must have a very good to excellent command of English (written and oral).
• Language skills in other widely spoken languages, such as Arabic, French, Russian, Spanish, and Swahili, is an advantage, but not a requirement.
• Previous research on warfare and familiarity with one or more of the topics covered by the WOW project is an advantage.
• Previous experience with data gathering and managing research assistants is an advantage.
• Applicants are required to possess robust empirical research knowledge within the realm of conflict research, and either be proficient in conducting quantitative analyses or master game theoretic analysis. 
• Experience with large language models, machine learning, and/or programming in R or equivalent programs is an advantage but not a requirement.
• Alongside developing their own research ideas, applicants should be capable of turning those ideas into well-structured and coherent scholarly papers. This involves possessing strong writing abilities and the capacity to see a writing project through from the planning stages to completion.

Evaluation of applicants 

The evaluation of applicants is based on documented, academic qualifications. When assessing applicants, we generally look for candidates whose academic record and submitted publication/paper showcase their ability to independently conduct research at a high international level. We place emphasis on recent publications and the potential for future high-quality research, rather than the sheer quantity of publications, as this is a recruitment position.

We will consider qualifications relative to the length of the candidate’s academic career (based on the length of the PhD program, the number of years since PhD, and career breaks). Personal suitability, motivation, and compatibility with the rest of the project team are also considered. The most promising candidates are invited to an interview.