Postdoc Researcher: "Choices of Russian Modernisation"

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER
http://www.helsinki.fi/aleksanteri/english/institute/vacancies.html

Finnish Centre for Russian and Eastern European Studies The Aleksanteri
Institute is affiliated with the University of Helsinki and operates as a
national centre of research, study and expertise pertaining to Russia and
Eastern Europe, particularly in the social sciences and humanities. The
institute co-ordinates and promotes co-operation and interaction between the
academic world, public administration, business life and civil society in
Finland and abroad.

The Aleksanteri Institute's research project Constructing Russian Identity
in the Media: Between the History of WW II and the Future of Europeanness
(CRIM) is currently seeking a

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER
for a fixed term from 1 February 2012 to 31 December 2012.

CRIM is a part of the new multidisciplinary Centre of Excellence (CoE)
"Choices of Russian Modernisation", coordinated by the Aleksanteri Institute
and funded by the Academy of Finland for the period 2012-2017. CRIM is also
a part of the multidisciplinary research project Memory at War, which
consists of five research teams from five countries, coordinated by the
University of Cambridge.

The project welcomes innovative applications focusing on the multiple
relations between contemporary Russian media and/or public discussions and
"The Great Patriotic War". Media discussions may include new media, in
addition to more traditional print and electronic media, as well as various
media actors and events. Public discussions may include discussions about
memorial sites, monuments, museums, etc. These subjects can be approached,
for example, from studies ranging from social memory, to the political use
of history, national identity, and media practices. Approaches to the topic
could raise questions such as, "How are transnational dimensions of
contemporary media linked to the construction of a "local" Russian national
identity and political culture within "The Great Patriotic War"? or "How do
various nationally important themes, related to Russia's WWII, define the
limits for their public discussion in the media?"

According to the regulations of the University of Helsinki, the appointee
must hold a doctoral degree and have the ability to conduct independent
scientific research as well as possess the teaching skills required for the
position.

According to the Government Decree on Universities, postdoctoral researchers
are required to be competent in the language in which they provide tuition
(i.e., in Finnish or Swedish). However, foreign citizens, foreign-born
Finnish citizens or citizens who have not been educated in Finnish or
Swedish can be exempted from this requirement without a separate
application.

The successful candidate is expected to have excellent skills in written and
oral English, as well as have a good command of the Russian language. In
addition, the candidate should have a proven capability to publish in
scientific journals, have excellent analytical and methodological skills,
and be able to work both independently and as part of a team.

The salary is based on the salary system of Finnish universities (YPJ); in
this case based on level 5 of the demands level chart for teaching and
research personnel. In addition, a salary component based on personal
performance will be paid.

Applications should be written in English and include:
-          a  1-2 page cover letter summarizing the applicant's motivation
to join the team
-          research plan (max. 5 pages)
-          CV  (max. 3 pages) and
-          list of publications (max. 3 pages)

Applications should be submitted electronically as a single PDF file to
aleksanteri [at] helsinki.fi.
The application deadline is 13.1.2012 at 15.45 local Helsinki time.

For more information, please contact Markku Kangaspuro (tel. +358 9 19123650
or +358 50 5223393 or by -email markku.kangaspuro [at] helsinki.fi), or
visit the websites http://blogs.helsinki.fi/crim-project/ and
http://www.helsinki.fi/aleksanteri/english/projects/constructing.htm.