Postdoc Position in Human Geography: The Geopolitics of EU Energy Externalities

The Department of Geography, Spatial Planning and Environment (GPM) is looking for a postdoctoral researcher to develop and carry out a research project on the theme of ‘The geopolitics of green hydrogen: the case of South Africa and the Netherlands’.

In broad terms, the research is concerned with green finance; energy partnerships and trade; investment strategies; and material infrastructure as they relate to the EU’s plans to diversify its energy supply and achieve energy security and decarbonisation by 2050 in compliance with the European Green Deal (EGD). Within this thematic scope, this research is concerned with the extra-territorial repercussions of the EU’s energy policy and energy trade, as well as with emerging energy frontiers, specifically the green hydrogen frontier. The research will focus on plans to export green hydrogen from South Africa to the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Hence, this research puts emphasis on the South Africa-Netherlands energy relations during current green energy transitions and connects this focus to the wider enduring colonial legacies of the EU.

In your postdoctoral position, you will conduct this research independently, including the anticipated fieldwork in South Africa (and possibly at other locations) in relation to the overall research theme on EU energy externalities. You will collaborate with Dr Noura Alkhalili, who will conduct fieldwork in the Netherlands (and the EU more broadly), paying special attention to the port of Rotterdam. Dr Noura Alkhalili’s work focuses on themes of energy externalities, energy imperialism, green extractivism, coloniality and energy justice. Based on your fieldwork, and in collaboration with Dr Alkhalili, you will engage with critical, timely and decolonial conceptual frameworks to unpack the export of green hydrogen from South Africa to the Netherlands. You will also work in collaboration with Dr Alkhalili to co-author publications, organise workshops and convene panels at academic conferences.

This postdoctoral researcher position involves 20% teaching duties. This includes the provision of courses at Bachelor’s and Master’s degree levels as well as the supervision of Bachelor’s and Master’s theses. The research is funded by start-up and incentive grants and will be carried out under the supervision of Dr Noura Alkhalili.

Requirements:

• You have a PhD in Human Geography, Environmental Politics, Political Geography or Anthropology, (or a related discipline).
• Your research interests engage with some of the following fields as evidenced by academic publications: political ecology, critical political economy, political geography, critical geography and geopolitics, energy imperialism, green extractivism and decolonial scholarship.
• You have a strong command of empirical research methods.
• You have experience conducting fieldwork and you have proven to be a reflexive and a critical scholar in the field.
• You are fluent in English (excellent oral and written communication skills).
• You can work both independently and in collaboration with colleagues.
• You are able to teach at BA/MA levels and supervise BA/MA theses within the domain of human geography (broadly defined).

Desirables:

• You have experience teaching and supervising BA and/or MA students.
• You have knowledge of a South African language and/or previous experience in South Africa.

Salary Benefits:

• We will give you a temporary employment contract of 32 months.
• Your salary with a maximum starting scale till salary scale 10.5 depends on your previous education and number of years of (relevant) work experience. The amounts in the scale are based on a 38-hour working week.
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus.
• We offer Dual Career Coaching. The Dual Career Coaching assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands.
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20.

Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

30.4 - 38 hours per week

Houtlaan 4