PhD researcher in the FNS funded project “Digital Humanitarianism: Governing Vulnerable Populations in an Age of Technological innovation”

Introduction of the Project :

The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) project funded: “Digital Humanitarianism: Governing Vulnerable Populations in an Age of Technological Innovation” aims to examine how ‘digital humanitarianism’ is emerging as a field of knowledge, a community of practice and an arena of experimentation through the development of partnerships between humanitarian organisations, private corporations and scientific institutions. The project examines the entire design cycle of digital technologies, from ideation to prototyping and testing and is carried out by an international team of researchers on four continents. Its design combines anthropological theory and ethnographic inquiry with Science and Technology Studies (STS) approaches to study the uneven expressions of “digital humanitarianism” in international sciences and policy networks, tech-philanthropies, scientific laboratories and humanitarian field operations. It asks: what conception of ‘humanity’ and regimes of living are articulated at the intersection of philanthro-capitalism and digital humanitarianism ?

More specifically, the PhD student will be in charge of the following tasks :
In collaboration with the EssentialTech Center, conduct research on the prototyping of digital technologies for humanitarian purposes in the scientific laboratories of EPFL in Lausanne.

• How the prototyping of digital technologies “for good” is influenced by humanitarian, scientific and market logics as well as conceptions of “risks”, “crisis” and “needs” and how to address them
• How the Swiss research and innovation ecosystem, the social history of humanitarianism and technological management and the principle of ‘neutrality’ in Switzerland inform the design and production of digital technologies.

 As an intern (Year 2 of the project), support the EssentialTech Center and its humanitarian division in its daily activities, in particular :

• Contribute to identify and develop opportunities of collaboration with humanitarian organizations

• Map international science and policy networks (Y1),
• Build a database of institutional actors involved in ‘digital humanitarianism’ and technological innovation (Y1)
• Build an archive of reports and policy documents on technological innovation in the humanitarian sector (Y1)
• Help organize two international exploratory workshops with the research team, policy-makers and academics (Y1 and Y4)
• Prepare and participate in the drafting of joint publications with the PI and post-doctoral researcher (Y3-4)
• Present the research project at conferences (Y1-4)
• Meet project interim goals and strictly adhere to project timelines, and help the postdoctoral researcher and the PI carry out administrative duties associated with the research project, including interim reporting to funders.

To be successful in this role, you should have :

• MA in Anthropology, Sociology or Political Sciences with an interest in Sciences and Technologies Studies or Law and Society
• Applicants with an MA in International Affairs, or an adjacent discipline, with some courses in sociology or political science, will also be considered.
• Experience in ethnographic research methods and interview-based research will be a plus and should be mentioned in the letter of motivation
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English. French is also an asset, as the Geneva Graduate Institute is a bilingual institution in English and French and the fieldwork for this research is in Switzerland.
• Demonstrated familiarity with the world of technological innovation and engineering.
• Highly organized and capable of working autonomously to complete a PhD thesis
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in an international team

Informal inquiries may be addressed to: Julie.billaud@graduateinstitute.ch

What you can expect from us :

• A cosmopolitan community
• Working with students and researchers from diverse background
• Pioneer in the exploration of global issues
• A flexible, considering, inclusive and international working environment with a collaborative atmosphere

How to apply :

• Letter of motivation in which you describe your accomplishments, explain why you want to pursue a PhD and what career you envision, as well as mention two referees who can be contacted
• Short statement (max 1000 words) connecting your research interest to the overall project to which the PhD is attached, and what motivates your interest in the PhD topic more specifically. In this short proposal, you can describe for instance, how you have come into contact with the worlds of technological innovations or humanitarianism; how you envisage to carry out research at EPFL on this topic; and how you will collaborate with the team of the EssentialTech Center.
• CV
• Grade Transcript
• Sample writing (MA thesis, or an article in preparation, or a published book chapter, etc.)
• Any other documentation that you find to be relevant for project qualification

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, marital status, disability status, race, national origin, color, gender, sexual orientation or religion.