Researcher in economic history - african economic history - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Department of Economic History in Lund is hiring a researcher. It is a limited tenure of 6 months. First day of employment is January 1, 2021.

Subject area

African Economic History

Job assignments

The holder will mainly work in the externally funded research project African Elites: Wealth Accumulation and Persistence. The primary focus of the project is the analysis of the development of African elites in the informal (agrarian) sector. It is building on a previous project where we estimated income levels and groups size for income classes. Now we move forward explaining drivers of long-term trends of wealth accumulation, specifically the nexus between elites, colonial policies and commercialization.

More specifically, the researcher will construct a social table for the non-wage sector in Kenya in the colonial era. S/he will identify income classes including economic elites within the African population and address the drivers and mechanisms behind their various developments. Emphasis in the project is on collecting raw data, creating new data and using existing databases for population, wages, prices, living costs and so on. The sources and methods are both quantitative and qualitative, but no advanced quantitative analysis is required. 

Work tasks involve data collection, digitisation and analysis as well as writing a data paper that can constitute the basis for a publication in international, well-renowned journals. The work should be done independently but also in collaboration with other members of the research team. The researcher should participate in relevant workshops and participate in the common activities of the African Economic History research group.

Requirements

A doctoral degree in economic history, history or economics is a requirement for employment. Scholarly proficiency is the main requirement for employment.

Basis of Assessment

The holder of the position should be competent and experienced enough to be able to carry out independent research in the field of African Economic History. Documented background in the field, primarily proven through published work, is a requirement. The researcher needs to have experience in archival studies. Training and documented experience in working with African colonial archives and other relevant data sources is an advantage. Previous knowledge as to how social tables are constructed  as well as in-depth knowledge of the economic history of Kenya, particularly the agrarian history, is also an advantage.

For appointment, the candidate must have demonstrated a high degree of research expertise as manifested in the quality of the PhD dissertation and other publications, preferentially in well-renowned international journals. Documented skills in working with both quantitative and qualitative data, historical and contemporary is required. The ability to interact with the research community and building networks will also be taken into consideration.

In addition to the above, the following set of criteria will be applied in the assessment of candidates:

• high proficiency in the English language
• international experience
• other results and distinctions which attest to the applicant's ability to do research
• ability to engage and inform society at large about research

The evaluation will take personal qualities, such as academic independence, willingness to collaborate, and communication skills, into consideration.

Applications

Applications should be written in English and must include:

1. Cover letter
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Publications including publication list
4. Certificates, references, etc.