New Patterns for Mobilization for – and against – Democracy

Call for Applications: Post-doctoral and Senior Research Fellowships in Bogotá, Colombia

New Patterns for Mobilization for – and against – Democracy

The OSUN Forum on Democracy and Development by CEU Democracy Institute in Budapest, Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá, the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town and the Social Scientists’ Association of Sri Lanka invites applications for six post-doctoral and two senior research fellows for an 8-month residential fellowship program between October 2024 and May 2025 in Bogota, Colombia.

The successful candidates are expected to carry out independent research on new patterns of mobilization for – and against – democracy. We particularly welcome research projects that cover one or more of the following aspects:

• Cross-national empirical research on contemporary waves of pro- or anti-democracy mobilizations under various regime types
• In-depth studies on the links between political economy and pro-/anti-democracy mobilizations
• Case study contributions that unravel new patterns and dynamics of pro-/anti-democracy mobilization –
• Critical approaches to understanding the links between contemporary revolutionary waves and democratization.
• Macro and meso studies of patterns of mobilization in a historical perspective.
• The relationship between neoliberalism and the struggles for or against democracy.
• The prefiguration by social movements of alternatives to delegative democracy.
• The theorization and practice by social movements of direct democracy or autocratic forms of politics.

In addition, fellows will be also expected to contribute to a broader conversation and research agenda to advance our understanding of pro-/anti-democracy mobilization in the 21st century; and to produce new knowledge in the field of social movements and contentious politics. Preference will be given to interdisciplinary and cross-regional comparative research proposals; but we also welcome theoretically and empirically rich case-studies, especially if they are thematically also linked to one or more of the other three research axes under the purview of the OSUN Forum on Democracy and Development. Empirically-based proposals from all social sciences and humanities are welcome.

Qualifications

We seek applicants with a record (or strong promise) of relevant and internationally recognized publications in the research area, familiarity with current political affairs, and a keen interest in networking and institution building. Candidates must have excellent written and oral proficiency in English. They must have a PhD in hand at the deadline of application or present compelling evidence that a defense will be successfully completed before the start date. We especially welcome scholars with a connection to the Global South.

What we offer

We offer a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience as well as a dynamic and international academic environment.

Successful candidates will reside at the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá and they will participate in a multi-sited fellowship program on Democracy and Development running simultaneously in Budapest, Bogota, Cape Town, and Colombo where interdisciplinary research on 4 interlinked research themes will nurture path-breaking ideas to rethink democracy in its political, social and economic dimensions. Fellows will benefit from:

• The academic convenorship of experts on pro-/anti-democracy mobilization
• Participation in joint summer schools and frequent online collaboration with all Fellows across the 4 research hubs
• A unique Methods Clinic, which will provide individualized methodological tutoring tailored to each candidate’s research project

Mobility

Fellows will be hosted at the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá where they will be expected to reside for the duration of the program (October 2024 to May 2025). Requests for short leaves to attend conferences or to carry out fieldwork need to be pre-notified in the application proposal.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants need to submit:

• Cover letter
• Academic CV
• Research proposal on a topic related to the fellowship theme on new patterns of mobilization for and against democracy. The proposal should include: title, abstract, and project outline (1000 words maximum, without bibliography)
• Sample of scholarly work (best recent article, book chapter, or job market paper)
• Two referees: names and contact details of two scholars who could supply recommendation letters in case the candidate is shortlisted for the job. The referees will be contacted by CEU DI.

Please submit your complete application package as one single pdf file with your last name and “mobilize” as the title of the file (for example, smith_mobilize.pdf). Send your application email with “OFP Mobilize Application” as the subject to osunforum@ceu.edu .

Informal inquiries can be addressed to: Rima Majed <rima.majed@aub.edu.lb> and Federico  Rossi <federicorossi@poli.uned.es>.

Selection Process

Applications: Open until filled.

Starting date of selection: February 15, 2024