Aarhus University, Danish National Research Foundation’s Centre for Urban Network Evolutions (UrbNet), School of Culture and Society
Research assistant
Institution Type: | College / University |
Location: | Denmark |
Position: | Research Professional |
The research project Circular Economy and Urban Sustainability in Antiquity, funded by the Carlsberg Foundation and the Augustinus Foundation and affiliated with the Danish National Research Foundation’s Centre for Urban Network Evolutions (UrbNet), School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, is looking to recruit a full-time (37 hours/week) research assistant for the period 1 March 2022 – 28 February 2023.
Place of employment: Nobelparken, Jens Chr. Skous Vej, 8000 Aarhus C. As the project is affiliated with UrbNet at AU Campus Moesgård, the successful applicant is also expected to spend some time in Højbjerg.
The university is keen for its staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified applicants, regardless of their personal background.
Members of the academic staff at the School of Culture and Society are expected to contribute to a vibrant, enjoyable and friendly work environment. We emphasise the importance of active participation in the daily life of the department.
The position
The successful applicant is expected to contribute to researching and publishing papers related to the project’s main research question (Under what conditions can a circular economy develop, be sustained, thrive and collapse?) and assist the project leader in pushing the publication work forward. Tasks also include:
- supporting publication projects (including copyediting)
- data collection, management and analysis (under supervision)
- facilitating processes in connection with funding applications
- reporting to funding agencies
- training student helpers.
Qualifications
Applicants are expected to document the following qualifications:
- a Master’s degree in archaeology, classical archaeology or a related discipline (this is a minimum requirement)
- familiarity with the extensive research on Palmyra
- knowledge of archaeological and antique source material
- computational literacy at intermediate level, including general knowledge of data science, management and analysis
- good working knowledge of GIS and spatial analysis; experience with urban analysis, space syntax and network science is an advantage
- a professional level of English (spoken and written); reading skills in French and German is an advantage but not a requirement
- excellent attention to detail
- a methodological and structured approach to work and good organisational skills
- good time-management skills and the ability to meet deadlines
- good interpersonal and collaborative skills
Applicants who can document experience gained in similar roles will have an advantage, but this is not a requirement.
The application must be uploaded in English.
Further information
For more information about the position, please contact Professor Rubina Raja (rubina.raja@cas.au.dk).
For more information about applications, please contact HR supporter Marianne Birn (mbb@au.dk).
About the project
Circular Economy and Urban Sustainability in Antiquity aims to provide new perspectives on the ancient economy of Palmyra, Syria, and to shed light on long-term mechanisms and developments in human societies. The project is based on data collected in the Palmyra Portrait Project (funded by the Carlsberg Foundation) and is affiliated with the Danish National Research Foundation’s Centre of Excellence for Urban Network Evolutions (UrbNet).
A circular economy is a regenerative economic system aiming at reducing resource input and waste to a minimum. Although cities are usually classified as “consumer cities”, most urban centres in the past relied on their own resources and were forced to manage the resources based on regional self-sufficiency. As such, they constitute perfect models of circular economies sustained throughout centuries, and Palmyra is an ideal example of a well-defined centuries-long case study of a complex circular economy.
Through a full-quantification approach to the collected data, we can use the data proxies as indications of the economic, social and cultural evolution of the city, and pinpoint how ancient societies dealt with sustainability and resource management. At the same time, these changes in material culture enable us to identify challenges and threats as well as opportunities generated by this economic system and, moreover, to investigate them within a multi-causal formal simulation model. By combining the rich corpus of empirical evidence with modern computational techniques (simulation), we will be able to generalise our findings on the circular economic systems and the mechanisms that drive them to current socio-political situations.
The project focuses on analysing primary sources that reveal economic patterns in Palmyra, including coins (degrees of monetarisation versus other non-monetary economies), sculptural production, monuments, inscriptions and materials such as pottery, glass, metal and agricultural installations around the city, which also reveal fluctuations in the size of Palmyrene society. These resources were all reused and recycled over centuries and thus shed light on the economic patterns of the city – regarding both internal and external developments.
The project will apply methods from the humanities and high-definition methods drawn from the natural sciences, and will contextualise the results within culture-historical contexts. Thanks to refined stylistic chronologies of the city’s portraiture, its general development (and associated evidence) and its inscriptions (including the famous Tax Tariff from the second century CE), we will be able to map the circulation of materials and their degree of reuse over time. The results of this study will be used in conjunction with a study of the monetarisation process of Palmyra. Furthermore, through computation modelling, the data gathered from the study will be integrated and used to test and validate more generalist models of circular economies.
Learn more: https://projects.au.dk/circulareconomy/
Formalities
Faculty of Arts refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities (the Appointment Order).
- Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.
- Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities .
- Further information on the application and supplementary materials may be found in Application Guidelines.
Shortlists may be prepared with the candidates that have been selected for a detailed academic assessment. A committee set up by the head of school is responsible for selecting the most qualified candidates. See this link for further information about shortlisting at the Faculty of Arts: shortlisting
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.
Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners: http://ias.au.dk/au-relocation-service/. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here: http://international.au.dk/research/
Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts is one of five main academic areas at Aarhus University.
The faculty contributes to Aarhus University's research, talent development, knowledge exchange and degree programmes.
With its 550 academic staff members, 275 PhD students, 9,500 BA and MA students, and 1,500 students following continuing/further education programmes, the faculty constitutes a strong and diverse research and teaching environment.
The Faculty of Arts consists of the School of Communication and Culture, the School of Culture and Society and the Danish School of Education. Each of these units has strong academic environments and forms the basis for interdisciplinary research and education.
The faculty's academic environments and degree programmes engage in international collaboration and share the common goal of contributing to the development of knowledge, welfare and culture in interaction with society.
Read more at arts.au.dk/en
The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.
Aarhus University
Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,000 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 885 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/
Contact: |
For more information about the position, please contact Professor Rubina Raja (rubina.raja@cas.au.dk). For more information about applications, please contact HR supporter Marianne Birn (mbb@au.dk). |
Website: | https://projects.au.dk/circulareconomy/ |
Primary Category: | Archaeology |
Secondary Categories: | None |
Posting Date: | 11/17/2021 |
Closing Date | 01/02/2022 |