Postdoctoral Researcher, Global Palestine and Environmental Violence (‘GloPal’ and ‘HOMCRI’-projects) / Tutkijatohtori, Globaali Palestiina ja ympäristöllisen väkivallan muodot

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We are now looking for a postdoctoral research fellow to carry out research as part of two research projects: ‘Global Palestine: Frontier Geographies of a Region in Flux’ (GloPal, funded by the Research Council of Finland) and ‘Dwelling with Crisis: Home at Spaces of Chronic Violence (HOMCRI, funded by European Research Council). Fixed-term position is filled for 2 years (24 months, full time), starting from 1 February 2027 (or upon agreement).

The ‘Global Palestine: Frontier Geographies of a Region in Flux’ (GloPal) explores how Palestine has become a key frontier through which contemporary global transformations and political frictions unfold, travel and circulate. Linking colonial violence to geopolitics, innovation capital, environmental harm, and far-right policies, the project focuses on how processes emerging in Palestine both intensify global and regional connections, and travel elsewhere through three interconnected frontiers: innovation capital, destabilization of democracy, and the ecologies of security and militarization. The ERC-funded project Dwelling with Crisis: Home at Spaces of Chronic Violence (HOMCRI) focuses on incapacitating material, affective, and political environments of everyday dwelling in spaces of economic collapse, infrastructural shortage, protracted state/settler violence and/or war-torn environments.

Job Description

The role of the postdoctoral researchers is to conduct research as part of the two above mentioned projects—the GloPal-project (Research Council of Finland, 2025-2029) and the HOMCRI-project (ERC Consolidator Grant, 2023-2028). The projects are led by Prof. Mikko Joronen and are implemented by a research team of eight researchers: 3 postdoctoral researchers, a senior research fellow, 3 PhD-students, and the PI, all affiliated to ‘Geographies of Coloniality and Everyday Violence Research Group’ (GOCEP) at Tampere University.

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to a work with a work package of GloPal-project that explores environmentally damaging forms of security and militarization, particularly how they are developed, implemented, assembled and legitimized through the colonial frontiers in Palestine, but also through technologies, practices, and ecological harms that travel to and reshape—frontier in—other sites around the world. The hiring also relates to a component of the HOMCRI project, particularly its efforts to develop novel conceptual approaches and to investigate the lived materialities of environmental violence in Palestine. Postdoctoral researcher is expected to devote most of the time to research, including independent and collaborative fieldwork, analysis and collection of research materials, publishing and dissemination of results, and collaboration with other team members as outlined in the project plan. The remaining work time will be devoted to other project activities and teaching (no more than 5% of annual work time); these will be agreed upon separately.

The position provides an excellent opportunity to develop independent research profile in relation to key themes of the project, and by working with an interdisciplinary and international research team on themes closely related to critical and political geographies of environmental violence in Palestine.

We are looking for candidates with a doctoral degree in human geography or other relevant fields in social sciences and humanities (PhD must be fully completed by the end of the year 2026). Demonstrated research experience on Palestine and on thematic and conceptual aspects related to the two projects are a key for a successful application. We welcome all relevant disciplinary backgrounds but consider knowledge on the fields closely associated with political geography an advantage. Excellent knowledge on qualitative methods and key methodological and conceptual debates (in human/political geography and/or cognate fields, such as anthropology, sociology, and political science) relevant for questions of environmental violence, securitization and militarization, and their regional and global connections, are a key for successful application.

Candidate’s own research interests and areas of strength, and the thematic, methodological, and theoretical specifications they offer to complement the research aims of the GloPal and HOMCRI -projects should be elaborated in a separate Letter of Motivation. We expect the candidate to demonstrate a strong level of motivation and commitment to the two projects by becoming an active part of our GOCEP research group.

Postdoctoral researcher is expected to be able to conduct independent research, to publish in key relevant international journals, and to collaborate with other team members in various parts of the project. Good level of English in writing and communication is required.

When Evaluating Candidates, The Following Criteria Are Considered

The alignment of your research profile and ideas with the goals of the projectThe potential of your research profile for implementing and expanding the project Your knowledge on relevant qualitative methods and theoretical backgrounds Your experience on Palestine and the Middle East, and ability to conduct research and fieldwork in region under focusYour experience in conducting independent and joint research, and in developing research ideas and methodologiesYour track record of international scholarly activity in relation to your current academic career phase

We also expect the candidate to be willing to travel to named research site(s).

We Offer

Postdoctoral researcher will be hired for a fixed term of 24 months (full time). The start date will be 1 February 2027, which can be negotiated (to no later than March 2027).

The salary for a postdoctoral researcher will be based on the job demands and the employee's personal performance as presented in University Salary System. According to the criteria (for teaching and research staff), the position of a postdoctoral researcher is placed at level 5, in addition to which employees receive performance-based salary. Depending on the career stage the salary is typically between 3900€ and 4200€ per month. A trial period of 6 months applies to all our new employees.

The applicants will work as part of the GloPal- and HOMCRI-project research teams, and as part of the Geographies of Coloniality and Everyday Violence Research Group (GOCEP) (located at Environmental Policy and Regional Studies, Administrative Studies Unit, with researchers affiliated to Space and Political Agency Research Group (SPARG). The GOCEP research group offers great opportunities for young researchers to develop their careers in a highly international environment.

We offer a wide range of staff benefits, such as occupational health care, flexible working hours, excellent sports facilities on campus and several restaurants and cafés on campus with staff discounts. Please read more about working at Tampere University.

How To Apply

Please submit your application through our online recruitment system (see the link below). The closing date for applications is 30 October 2026 (at 23.59 EEST / 23.59 UTC+2). Please write your application and all accompanying documents in English.

The following documents must be attached (in PDF format) to the online application:

Letter of Motivation with short research plan describing on how you would grasp/develop project themes (as described above), how these plans are supported by your past research, key strengths, and research expertise, and your motivation to work as part of a research team (altogether max 3 pages; Times New Roman or similar; font size 12; 1.5 line spacing)Curriculum vitae, following TENK guidelinesList of publications, following Research Council of Finland guidelines)Possible recommendations (you may add a contact info of max 2 references, no separate letters are required).

If you would like to get more information on the position and the project, please do not hesitate to contact the PI of the projects, Prof. Mikko Joronen, mikko.joronen(at)tuni.fi.

For more information about the application process, please contact HR Specialist Anni Zilliacus, anni.zilliacus(at)tuni.fi)

Tutkijatohtori (GLOPAL JA HOMCRI-tutkimushankkeet), Globaali Palestiina ja ympäristöllisen väkivallan muodot

Tampereen yliopisto ja Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu muodostavat yhdessä Suomen toiseksi suurimman monitieteisen, innostavan ja vaikuttavan tutkimus- ja oppimisyhteisön. Korkeakouluyhteisömme osaamiskärjet ovat tekniikka, terveys ja yhteiskunta. Lue lisää: www.tuni.fi

Etsimme tutkijatohtoria ‘Global Palestine: Frontier Geographies of a Region in Flux’ (GloPal, Suomen Akatemia) ja ‘Dwelling with Crisis: Home at Spaces of Chronic Violence’ (HOMCRI, Euroopan tutkimusneuvosto ERC)-tutkimushankkeisiin. Tehtävä täytetään määräaikaisena 2 vuodeksi (24 kuukautta), alkaen 1.2.2027 (tai erikseen sopien).

Tutkijatohtorin tehtävänä on toimia osana Suomena Akatemian rahoittamaa Global Palestine: Frontier Geographies of a Region in Flux (GloPal) hanketta Euroopan tutkimusneuvoston (ERC Consolidator Grant) rahoittamaa Dwelling with Crisis: Home at Spaces of Chronic Violence (HOMCRI) hanketta. GloPal-hankkeessa tarkastellaan Palestiinan muodostumista keskeiseksi rajaseuduksi (frontier), jonka kautta nykyiset globaalit murrokset ja poliittiset jännitteet muotoutuvat, ilmenevät, liikkuvat ja leviävät. Yhdistäen kolonialistisen väkivallan geopoliittisiin muutoksiin, innovaatiohin ja finanssikapitalismiin, ympäristöhaittoihin ja äärioikeistolaisen politiikan muotoihin hanke keskittyy etenkin tapoihin, joilla Palestiinassa syntyvät prosessit sekä voimistavat globaaleja ja alueellisia muutoksia että leviävät muihin konteksteihin kolmen toisiinsa kytkeytyvän rajapinnan (frontier) kautta: innovaatiopääoman, demokratian horjuttamisen sekä turvallisuuden ja militarisaation ekologioiden kautta. ERC-rahoitteinen hanke Dwelling with Crisis: Home at Spaces of Chronic Violence (HOMCRI) puolestaan tarkastelee arjen asumista heikentäviä materiaalisia, affektiivisia ja poliittisia ympäristöjä alueilla, joita leimaavat taloudellinen romahdus, infrastruktuurien puutteet, pitkittynyt valtiollinen ja/tai kolonialistinen väkivalta sekä sodan runtelemat olosuhteet.

Haemme tutkijatohtoria työstämään GloPal-hankkeen työpakettia, joka tarkastelee ympäristöä vahingoittavia turvallistamisen ja militarisaation muotoja ja niiden kytkeytmistä Palestiinaan. Erityisenä kiinnostuksen kohteena on se, miten nämä muodot kehitetään, toimeenpannaan, kootaan ja oikeutetaan Palestiinassa sekä miten niihin liittyvät teknologiat, käytännöt ja ekologiset haitat leviävät muihin konteksteihin globaalisti, muokaten niiden paikallisia kytköksiä ja toimintaympäristöjä. Rekrytointi liittyy myös HOMCRI-hankkeen osa-alueeseen, joka keskittyy teoreettisen viitekehyksen kehittämiseen ja Palestiinassa koetun ympäristöväkivallan elettyihin materiaalisuuksiin.

Tarkemmat tiedot tehtävästä ja hakuohjeet löydät yllä olevasta englanninkielisestä ilmoituksesta. Jätäthän hakemuksesi yliopiston sähköisellä hakulomakkeella (linkki löytyy tämän ilmoituksen alta). Hakuaika tehtävään päättyy 30.10.2026, klo 23:59.