Two Postdoctoral Research Fellows in ERC-funded Hashtag-wars project

Two postdoctoral positions available:

Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI) is hiring two postdoctoral researchers with an interest in the politics of digital technology and the experience of war. 

The successful candidates will work in an interdisciplinary research project, and we therefore invite applicants trained in one or several fields of social sciences and humanities. These include African studies, East Asian studies, international studies, media and communications science, peace and conflict studies, war studies, political science, science and technology studies, social anthropology, and sociology. 

The ideal candidate combines experience in qualitative digital methods and ethnographic fieldwork, and the positions require proficiency in either Arabic or Burmese. 

The advertised positions involve full-time work for three years as part of the European Research Council (ERC) funded project Hashtag-wars. 

Both positions are based at CMI in Bergen, Norway.

Information regarding the Hashtag-wars project:

‘Hashtag-wars: the politics of war participation in the digital age’ is a European Research Council (ERC) funded project led by Dr. Eva Johais. 

The project focuses on remote war participation – the involvement of ordinary people in distant armed conflicts by digital means. Its objective is to gain a better understanding of the socio-political dynamics beyond the physical warzone through a comparison of remote participation in three cases: the war in Myanmar, the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the war in Sudan. Specifically, the project will investigate the interplay between world society, war ecology, and war agency along three lines of inquiry: context, process and effects. 

We will first map the socio-technical war ecologies of the cases, before focusing in on the modalities of war agency of specific examples. Based on the case studies, we will then diagnose the political effects of transnational conflict socialisation. Within this framework, applicants are invited to design and conduct their own case studies, collaborate in synthesising the findings, and contribute to theorising hashtag-wars and war agency in the digital age. 

The two postdoctoral positions 

• Postdoctoral position 1: Remote participation in the way in Myanmar
• Postdoctoral position 2: Remote participation in the war in Sudan

Start date of both positions: 1st of October 2026.

Research for a just and equal world

CMI's vision is to generate research for a just and equal world. Our mission is to address global challenges by providing research-based knowledge that inspires and shapes policy and practice. For more information regarding CMI's values and vision, see the CMI Strategy (2023-2028). As a researcher at CMI, you must identify with CMI’s visions and strategies.

At CMI we have organized our research in different research themes; and our research groups are organized around our themes. These groups are comprised of researchers from different disciplines, as our research projects are often multi-disciplinary.

CMI is an independent research institute, which means that we are funded through research grants and by successfully winning research projects. As a researcher at CMI, you must identify with CMI’s vision to generate and communicate research for a just and equal world. 

Information regarding the two postdoctoral positions:

Postdoctoral position 1: Remote participation in the war in Myanmar

The successful candidate will be responsible for conducting the case study on remote participation in the war in Myanmar since the 2021 military coup d’état. This responsibility includes a mapping of the conflict’s digital war ecology and focusing in on a specific example of remote participation. For the mapping, the researcher is expected to gain an overview of the digital infrastructure and regulations, the most relevant platforms and (social) media usage through desk research and country expert interviews. This exploratory mapping will allow for the tailoring of the approach for an issue-mapping that examines the war ecology in more detail. To design the approach adequately, the research team will get assistance from a digital methods expert. The issue-mapping is supposed to yield three results: 1. a visual map of the war ecology; 2. a collection of digital objects (e.g. memes), 3. an identification of prominent nodes in the issue network. 

During the subsequent in-depth study of participatory modalities, the researcher will, on the one hand, qualitatively analyse selected digital objects with a multi-modal narrative approach. On the other hand, the candidate will choose nodes in the war ecology that qualify as examples for the ethnographic study of actions and experiences. It is expected that the researcher is prepared to organise and conduct ethnographic fieldwork both online and offline. The researcher will determine the fieldwork sites only after the mapping stage, but possible sites to reach remote participants in the Myanmar war include Thailand and the United Kingdom.

Finally, the successful candidate is expected to collaborate with the other team members and compare the findings on war ecologies and modalities of war agency. The aim of this collaborative effort is to diagnose the socio-political effects of digital war participation beyond the physical warzone. Apart from mapping, in-depth study and diagnosing, it will be an ongoing task to advance the project’s theoretical objective and contribute to theorising hashtag-wars and war agency in the digital age.

Postdoctoral position 2: Remote participation in the war in Sudan

The successful candidate will be responsible for conducting the case study on remote participation in the war in Sudan since the onset of all-out fighting in 2023. This responsibility includes a mapping of the conflict’s digital war ecology and the focusing in on a specific example of remote participation. For the mapping, the researcher is expected to gain an overview of the digital infrastructure and regulations, the most relevant platforms and (social) media usage through desk research and country expert interviews. This exploratory mapping will allow for the tailoring of the approach for an issue-mapping that examines the war ecology in more detail. To design the approach adequately, the research team will get assistance from a digital methods expert. The issue-mapping is supposed to yield three results: 1. a visual map of the war ecology; 2. a collection of digital objects (e.g. memes), 3. an identification of prominent nodes in the issue network. 

During the subsequent in-depth study of participatory modalities, the researcher will, on the one hand, qualitatively analyse selected digital objects with a multi-modal narrative approach. On the other hand, the candidate will choose nodes in the war ecology that qualify as examples for the ethnographic study of actions and experiences. It is expected that the researcher is prepared to organise and conduct ethnographic fieldwork both online and offline. The researcher will determine the fieldwork sites only after the mapping stage, but possible sites to reach remote participants in the Sudan war reside include neighbouring and nearby countries, such as Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudia Arabia and Uganda as well as distant countries that host social media influencers in favour of conflict parties like Canada. 

Finally, the successful candidate is expected to collaborate with the other team members and compare the findings on war ecologies and modalities of war agency. The aim of this collaborative effort is to diagnose the socio-political effects of digital war participation beyond the physical warzone. Apart from mapping, in-depth study and diagnosing, it will be an ongoing task to advance the project’s theoretical objective and contribute to theorising hashtag-wars and war agency in the digital age.

Essential work tasks and expectations: 

• Design and carry out a case study of remote participation in the war in Myanmar / Sudan.
• Design and perform an issue-mapping of the case’s war ecology with the assistance of a digital methods expert.
• Analyse digital objects with a multi-modal narrative approach
• Conduct ethnographic fieldwork both online and offline using various tools and techniques
• Collaborate with team members to synthesise cross-case findings and advance the project’s theoretical objective
• Take responsibility of own data management to ensure data protection
• Take responsibility for the ethical issues of ethnographic research on a sensitive topic and for the mental and physical safety of research participants and yourself.
• Take responsibility for the administrative aspects of the project, including project reporting, obtaining national and ethical approvals, regularly updating the project website, and maintaining up-to-date information on research outputs and dissemination in the online system.
• Keep up to date with research literature relevant to the project.
• Work independently and collaborate with members of the research team, the project board, colleagues at CMI and internationally
• Prepare findings for publication, e.g. by producing visualisations, maps and figures
• Disseminate research findings by giving talks in research seminars, conferences, and writing publications.
• (Co-) organise seminars, workshops, and conferences 
• Participate in project outreach activities to communicate science to the public.
• Produce content for the multimedia repository on the project website
• Produce research outputs, including drafting 3 single and co-authored peer-reviewed journal articles, 1 chapter for a planned edited volume, and 1 policy brief
• Participate in CMI institutional life and outreach activities

The postdoctoral researcher positions will be fully dedicated to the ERC funded Hashtag-wars project. 

Who we are looking for: 

Essential criteria (experience and qualifications): 

• A PhD in African studies, East Asian studies, international studies, media and communications science, political science, social anthropology, science and technology studies, peace and conflict studies, war studies or sociology. 
• Experience in qualitative digital methods and qualitative data analysis
• Experience and willingness to conduct multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork 
• Competence in the language(s) relevant for the advertised position: Position 1 requires oral and written proficiency in Burmese and English; knowledge of Myanmar’s ethnic minority languages is an asset; Position 2 requires oral and written proficiency in Arabic and English
• Ability to learn, develop and apply new tools and techniques for digital research, ethnographic fieldwork, data analysis and writing
• Familiarity with the literature on digital culture, mediatisation of conflict, and participatory warfare.
• Be prepared to work within the project’s existing conceptual framework and actively contribute to its key objectives and collaborative inquiries 
• Be creative and ready to develop innovative ways for cross-sector collaboration and public outreach.
• Be prepared to reside in Bergen (Norway) for the duration of the position (excluding fieldwork) and actively participate in project and institute events

Desirable criteria (experience and qualifications):

• Experience with issue-mapping or similar qualitative-computational techniques
• Experience with art-research collaborations
• Skills in producing and disseminating multi-media content

 

Personal qualities and qualifications: 

• Curious: Curiosity for experiences and perspectives of research participants and open-minded towards other disciplines
• Collaborative: willingness to collaborate and establish mutual trust and understanding 
• Independent: Ability to work independently, develop own ideas and question established procedures and findings
• Respectful: See, listen to and value colleagues and partners qualities and contributions.
• Self-reflexive: Ability to notice and evaluate own cognitive, emotional, and behavioural processes

We value: 

• Project development skills and entrepreneurship. Researchers are the driving force in project development. An entrepreneurial attitude is essential. Skills, experience, and a track record of project development is valuable.
• Engagement with policy and practice. CMI aims to provide research-based knowledge that informs and inspires policy and practice. This entails interaction with user groups, policy- makers and practitioners.
• Field experience. Field experience is important for gaining deep insight about development challenges.

• Versatility. Working at CMI, it is an advantage to be interested in a variety of themes and geographical areas, and to be open to different methodological and disciplinary approaches.
• Project leadership. Researchers at CMI often manage their own projects, with the support of a professional administration.
• Research collaboration. Research at CMI involves collaboration with leading international research institutions, including partners in the Global South.
• Popular dissemination. The impact of CMIs research comes partly through popular dissemination and engagement in public debates of relevance to our research.

Location and home office

This position is located in Bergen, Norway. CMI is not in a position to offer remote working arrangements for new staff members. We offer home office agreements, allowing all staff to work up to two days a week from home office in Norway.

CMI can offer you:

• Salary starting at NOK 727 708.-. 
• Post Doc. researchers can expect a post doc development plan to support the development of their skills as a researcher. 
• The opportunity to be part of the leading multidisciplinary development research institute in Scandinavia and to shape our research agenda and communication outreach.
• A vibrant and international working environment.
• Work-life balance and home office opportunities.
• Opportunity to work in Norway, with English as the working language.
• A conducive environment for families with children. 

Bergen is a picturesque city situated between fjords and mountains, with excellent opportunities for cultural experiences and an active lifestyle. 

Relevant staff benefits:

• In addition to the annual 5 weeks holiday leave, CMI offers staff additional paid leave from the 24th of December to the 1st of January, and during the Easter week each year.
• Subsidized gym membership.
• Financial assistance to move from abroad to join CMI (terms apply).
• Norwegian language classes for employees moving to Norway from abroad.
• Excellent travel insurance that covers both work and private travel (terms apply).
• Defined contribution pension (innskuddspension). Contributions are paid with 7% of the salary up to 7.1 G and 25.1% of the salary between 7.1-12 G (2% are deducted from the employee, terms apply).

How to apply

Please submit the following:

• Cover letter specifying which position the prospective candidate wishes to apply for (statement of motivation summarising scientific work and research interest, methods and language skills, fieldwork experience, experience with project management, research collaborations, scientific and public dissemination, max. 2 pages)
• CV and publication list
• Writing samples (up to 2 scientific publications)
• Certificate of PhD degree
• A minimum of three references, including phone numbers and e-mail addresses

The application deadline is set to the: 1st of March 2026. 

Please note that CMI only accepts applications through the JobbNorge recruitment system.

To explore the call further or if you have any queries, please contact Senior Researcher Eva Johais. 

The selection committee will review all of the applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. As soon as a decision has been made, we will inform you about the next steps in the selection procedure, which will include a research statement and interview. 

CMI employs staff with a wide range of complementary competencies, and we are committed to academic excellence and an inclusive environment and therefore, we encourage all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, or sexual orientation, disability or ethnicity, etc. Qualified applicants with an Indigenous background are particularly encouraged to apply.