Application Deadline: Monday 31st of October, 2022.
General information
Laboratory: UMR5600 EVS (https://umr5600.cnrs.fr/fr/accueil/)
Location (administrative base): Lyon
Contract type: Postdoctoral Research Contract
Contract length: 12 months
Employment start date: 1st of January, 2023
Type of work: Full time
Remuneration: between 2675 and 3805 euros per month (before tax), depends on experience
Diploma sought: PhD
General objectives
Starting with the hypotheses of the URBALTOUR project, the successful candidate will conduct a detailed study of two specific hill stations from the colonial era to the present day, using a dual tourism-studies and urban-studies approach. The two hill stations are Cameron Highlands in Malaysia and another hill station to be determined in Indonesia. The goal of the postdoc is thus to contribute to the comparative analysis of the urban trajectories of hill stations, by utilizing both quantitative and qualitative tools.
The successful candidate will be integrated into the ANR Urbaltour (URBanisations subalternes dans les montagnes TOURistiques d’Asie du Sud et du Sud-Est) funded by the French “Agence Nationale de la Recherche” (https://anr.fr/Project-ANR-21-CE22-0008).
Detailed description of responsibilities
- Step 1: Preparing a first expedition on site by compiling a critical bibliography of the topic, undertaking a statistical analysis of available data on Indonesian and Malaysian hill stations, and preparing the investigation protocole and survey grids.
- Step 2: First fieldwork mission to the hill station selected in Indonesia, with the goal of undertaking:
- The identification of local sources (primary scientific data, statistics, archives).
- Photographic and cartographic surveys using cadastral plans.
- Interviews with political and administrative actors in urban and tourism services, and with professionals in the tourism sector.
- Semi-participative observations and a survey of tourists who frequent this station to better understand their profiles and practices.
- Step 3: Analysis of the data collected during this first fieldwork mission and preparation of a second one to Malaysia.
- Step 4: Fieldwork mission to Malaysia, replicating the same methodology.
- Step 5: Data analysis, producing publications and other outputs (reports, presentations) in collaboration with the ANR team.
Required skills
- The successful candidate must hold a doctorate in urban or tourism studies and possess research skill, attested by at least one publication as solo or first co-author.
- At least a first exposure to the region is compulsory.
- Mastery of English is required. Fluency in Indonesian and/or Malaysian is strongly recommended.
Material context
The successful candidate will be supported as follows. In Lyon, Judicaëlle Dietrich (Associate Professor in Geography, Indonesia specialist) and Emmanuelle Peyvel (Associate Professor in Geography, project lead, Vietnam specialist) will be in charge of administrative and material aspects. The scholarly supervision will be conducted by Judicaëlle Dietrich.
The position is attached to the EVS laboratory (150 permanent researchers, 180 doctoral candidates) a mixed and multi-site research unit of the CNRS/ University of Lyon and Saint- Etienne. However, the nature of the work will offer a certain flexibility to the successful candidate who will be able to travel so as to access certain sources, and will especially need to travel on location in Malaysia and Indonesia. Consequently, the successful candidate must display an ability to work autonomously.
Because the ANR features an inter-UMIFRE collaboration between IRASEC (Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia) and the IFP (French Institute of Pondicherry), the successful candidate will also benefit from on-site research cooperation.
Constraints and risks
None.
Required diplomas and training: A doctorate in geography, urbanism, history, anthropology, political science or sociology on Indonesia or Malaysia. The candidate’s thesis may have been written in Dutch, English or French.
Candidacies: Applications must include a CV, a cover letter, a digital copy of the PhD thesis, the external examiner’s thesis report, and at least one letter of recommendation addressed directly to the emails below. After an initial selection based on the applications, interviews will be organized in November.
Email contacts: emmanuelle.peyvel@irasec.com ; judicaelle.dietrich@univ-lyon3.fr