The Wyss Academy for Nature at the University of Bern brings together scientists, business leaders,
policymakers, and communities to co-design innovative solutions to pressing, interconnected problems
such as climate change, biodiversity loss, land use change, and rising inequality. Our vision is to achieve
a just and sustainable world in which nature conservation and human wellbeing reinforce each other.
Our Research and Innovation group Environmental Governance and Global Development under the lead
of Professor Quynh Nguyen is now welcoming applications for an
Open-rank research position (PhD Student or Postdoctoral Researcher) in
Environmental Governance and Global Development (80-100%)
Start Date: September 1, 2024 or by agreement
Contract: 3 years (PostDoc) with possibility of 3 years extension / 4 Years (PhD). The rank will be
determined based on the candidate’s qualifications, skills, and experience.
Location: Wyss Academy for Nature (Kochergasse 4, Bern) in Switzerland
Apply by: Friday, 31
st
May 2024
Your Mission
The aim of the Research and Innovation Team on Environmental Governance and Global Development
is to identify and analyze levers and innovative governance arrangements for sustainable solutions to
global environmental and social problems. The team’s work is centered around three focus areas: 1)
Solutions for Natural Resource Governance, 2) Climate Change Adaptation, and 3) Political Dynamics in
Sustainability Transitions. We encourage candidates to bring in new research ideas into the team which
are broadly connected to these three focus areas. With their work and research, the successful candidate
will contribute to advancing the understanding of today’s most pressing environmental challenges and
evaluate the viability and effectiveness of possible solutions to these problems using state-of-the-art
quantitative and qualitative social science research methods.
While employed by the University of Bern, the successful candidate will be part of the Wyss Academy
for Nature which focuses on translating science into actionable insights and implements them in our
Stewardship Hub regions (Europe, South America, East Africa, and Southeast Asia). Thus, this position
offers a unique blend of traditional research methodologies and hands-on implementation. As part of
the role, you’ll delve into theoretical frameworks and conduct research to expand our understanding of
the subject matter. You’ll then translate this research into tangible interventions aimed at addressing
real-world challenges. These interventions are rigorously evaluated to measure their impact, ensuring
that our work is not only theoretically sound but also practically effective. It’s an exciting opportunity
that bridges the gap between theory and practice, ultimately making meaningful contributions to the
field.
We are seeking a postdoctoral or doctoral researcher with expertise in political science or related
disciplines and a background in environmental and sustainability governance, international relations,
development studies, comparative politics and/or policy studies with a multi-level perspective and
interest in identifying barriers and drivers of governance innovations in the climate, biodiversity and
other related policy domains. Experience in our Regional Stewardship Hub regions and on environmental
topics is a plus. In any case, candidates should present an interest in conducting fieldwork.
Main Tasks:
- Active contribution to the implementation of ongoing research projects of the research team.
- Propose and develop new research projects aligned with the team’s research focus areas.
- Continuation of personal research agenda (for Postdoc).
- Conduct research relevant to dissertation (for PhD student).
- Support the implementation of Wyss Academy for Nature’s “Stakeholder Network Analysis” research
project, an inter-disciplinary project aimed to be conducted in all Regional Stewardship Hubs. - Dissemination of ongoing work at conferences and workshops.
- Publication of work in top-tier journals.
- Potential support of existing courses of the professorship (but no formal teaching requirement)
- Support of projects by other units in the Wyss Academy for Nature
The allocation of tasks between the core research team and the Stakeholder Network Analysis (SNA)
project depends on the skills and interests of applicants. We welcome researchers who are willing to
split their efforts evenly between the SNA project and the core research team.
Your Profile
The candidate we are looking for is creative, an excellent team player and presents a strong interest and
experience in conducting rigorous research in the field of environmental governance and sustainable
development. You are driven to explore and develop new ways of transforming knowledge into action that
benefit both people and nature and support systems transformation. You feel comfortable working
independently in a dynamic, flexible and nimble working environment, and have an open, creative, curious
and culturally sensitive personality. Finally, you feel aligned with the organization values and are highly
motivated to contribute to the Wyss Academy for Nature’s mission.
General qualifications for both positions: - Skills in R, Python, or a similar statistical software (Postdoc is expected to have strong skills whereas
basic skills are sufficient for PhD); - Knowledge in network analysis is desirable;
- Experience in conducting fieldwork in developing countries is an asset;
- Willingness to travel and conduct extended fieldwork in the Wyss Academy for Nature’s Hub regions;
- High degree of professionalism, integrity and respect in dealing with diverse groups of people and
cultures; - Alignment with and enthusiasm for the mission of the Wyss Academy for Nature;
- Excellent communication skills and fluency in English both written and oral, knowledge of German and
Spanish are an asset.
Additional qualifications if you’d like to apply for the position of Postdoctoral Researcher: - PhD/doctorate in political science or a related social science discipline (such as economics, public
policy, sociology, or law) or a related interdisciplinary field; - Track record of successfully conducting independent research projects, preferably in connection to
questions related to environmental governance and sustainable development; - Strong background in quantitative methods and causal inference;
- Experience in designing and implementing surveys and survey experiments (online and in the field);
- Familiarity with spatial data and/or machine learning is desirable.
Additional qualifications if you’d like to apply for the position of PhD Student: - Master’s degree in political science, environmental science, or related fields like economics, data
science, or sustainable development; - Interest in conducting research related questions on environmental governance and sustainable
development; - Proficient in basic quantitative methods of data gathering and data analysis commonly applied in social
sciences.
We Offer
- The chance to be part of an agile organization that develops, tests, and scales up innovative solutions
to the most urgent problems of our times, exploring new modes of collaboration; - A stimulating intercultural, international, multidisciplinary working environment with a modern culture
of collaboration across four world regions; - Employment conditions and remuneration in accordance with the standards of the University of Bern,
Switzerland; - Flexible working hours and space for innovative approaches and creative thinking;
- Different regions of intervention/action: To this end, our evolving institution – comprising four Regional
Stewardship Hubs, in Europe, South America, East Africa and Southeast Asia – connects creative minds
to jointly research, develop, implement, and empower technical, social, economic, institutional, and
policy innovations at the interface of nature and people.
Application
For more information about this vacancy, please write to Prof. Quynh Nguyen at hr@wyssacademy.org. We
are looking forward to receiving your application via the online portal linked on our website.
If you’d like to apply for the position as Postdoctoral Researcher , please submit: - a cover letter, which gives a sense of your scholarly and career interests, your reasons for seeking
this position, as well as your preferred starting date; - A current CV;
- a research paper or other analytical writing sample, preferably published and in English (for co-
authored articles, please indicate your contribution); - a list of at least 3 academic references who can speak to your qualification for postdoctoral
research.
If you’d like to apply for the position as PhD Student, please submit: - a cover letter specifying research interests, motivations, and specific qualifications;
- a CV containing the names of two academic references;
- transcripts of completed academic training;
- a research proposal (in English, no more than 3 pages in length) outlining your potential
dissertation research project.
The Wyss Academy for Nature values diversity and equal opportunity. We welcome all applications from qualified
individuals who meet the required criteria. Dossiers submitted through employment agencies will not be considered.
