Postdoctoral Researcher Position, Department of Political Science, Universi

at  KUCENTER FOR SUNDHED OG SAMFUND

The Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen, is hiring a postdoctoral researcher for the project “The Transformative Impact of High Ambition Commitments” led by Professor Michele Betsill. The expected starting date is 1 April 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter. The selected candidate will be hired for 2.5 years and is expected to form part of the daily academic environment at the Department of Political Science.

JOB DESCRIPTION

“The Transformative Impact of High Ambition Commitments” project is funded by the Grundfos Foundation. The project focuses on C40’s Water Safe Cities Accelerator (WCSA), where 17 global cities have committed themselves to ambitious goals to improve urban resilience to water-related risks. Ninety percent of global disasters are accounted for by water-related climate hazards, and cities in low- and middle-income countries are disproportionately affected. These negative impacts will only be exacerbated further by the continuous unfolding of the climate crisis.
Through in-depth case studies in five selected cities, the project will investigate the process of translating WCSA’s high ambition commitments to local policies and on the ground action in different geographical contexts. The case studies will analyze the barriers and opportunities that cities face in the implementation process and how network support from C40 affects cities’ ability to achieve their goals. In parallel, the project will explore the potential of the C40 accelerator model, including its partnership with the Grundfos Foundation, to generate catalytic effects that lead to replication and scaling of action through the development of new coalitions, practices, and investments in signatory cities as well as the broader cohort of C40 cities and beyond. Through the project, we strive to inform and inspire cities globally to raise their ambitions and contribute new knowledge on how transnational networks can facilitate implementation of high ambition commitments and generate catalytic effects on the ground in specific cities. The project is a collaboration with the Queen Mary Center at the University of Copenhagen. The postdoctoral researcher will work closely with a new hired project manager who will lead the project’s knowledge co-production approach throughout the research process.

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS

The candidate must have obtained or is about to obtain a PhD degree in political science, international relations, geography, urban studies, or related fields.

Beyond this, the preferred candidate will have interdisciplinary competencies that cut across one of more of the following core areas:

• Urban water governance and resilience;
• Transnational environmental governance;
• Knowledge co-production/transdisciplinary sustainability research

The candidate will have strong methodological skills relevant to case study research, a record of academic publications, and an ability to work independently as well as in teams. The position requires excellent English-language oral and written communication skills. Proficiency in French, Spanish or Portuguese is also valued.

Core tasks will include:

• Designing the case studies, including case selection;
• Collecting and analyzing data, including one-week of fieldwork in each selected city and attending C40 webinars and technical workshops;
• Participating in knowledge co-production activities with the selected cities, C40, and the Grundfos Foundation;
• Writing case study reports and academic articles based on the case studies;
• Contributing to the production and dissemination of practice-oriented deliverables (e.g. webinars and policy briefs);
• Teaching, supervision and examination of undergraduate and post-graduate students at the Department of Political Science.

In addition to these core tasks, you will have the autonomy to pursue independent research related to the project themes and your own interests.