As part of a Lower Saxony project consortium on the sustainability governance of global supply chains, two political science-oriented doctoral positions in the field of “Sustainability Policy and Governance of Global Value Chains (GVC)” are being advertised at the professorships of Andrea Lenschow (Osnabrück) and Jens Newig (Lüneburg):
- Administrative and legal implementation of Global Supply Chain regulations at German and European level and their effectiveness (Osnabrück University / First supervision by Prof. Andrea Lenschow)
- Multi-stakeholder governance: Dynamics of stakeholder networks (companies, administration, NGOs, especially from the Global South) and their influence on global supply chain governance (Leuphana University Lüneburg / First supervision by Prof. Jens Newig)
A short project introduction is available at https://sustainability-governance.net/2024/06/20/new-collaborative-project-on-the-sustainability-governance-of-global-value-chains/.
As a humanistic, sustainable and action-oriented university, Leuphana University of Lüneburg stands for innovation in education and science. Methodological diversity, interdisciplinary cooperation, transdisciplinary cooperation with practice and an overall dynamic development characterise its research profile in the core topics of education, culture, management/technology, sustainability and state. Its international study model with the Leuphana College, the Leuphana GraduateSchool and the Leuphana Professional School is unique in Germany and has won many awards.
The University is looking for a responsible, motivated and committed person for the School of Sustainability, Institute of Sustainability Governance, starting 1 December 2024 or later:
Doctoral Researcher (m/f/d) in the field of
Sustainability Policy and Governance of Global Value Chains
– Multi-stakeholder governance: Dynamics of stakeholder networks (companies, public administration, NGOs, especially from the Global South) and their influence on GVC governance –
(salary group EG 13 TV-L, 75%, for a duration of 39 months).
This position is part of a collaborative project within the joint funding program ‘zukunft.niedersachsen’ of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) and the Volkswagen Foundation.
The project is co-ordinated by Leuphana University Lüneburg and Osnabrück University, involving as well the University of Oldenburg and the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Hamburg. The position is based in the hanseatic town of Lüneburg, within the vibrant metropolitan region around Hamburg. Situated in the research group of Prof. Jens Newig (Leuphana), the PhD will be co-supervised by Prof. Lenschow (Osnabrück University).
The collaborative project aims to understand the effects of new supply chain laws and governance initiatives on global value chains (GVCs) and their sustainability, notably as regards the environment and human rights. It seeks to explore the potential and limits of mandatory regulations alongside private initiatives, focusing on key stakeholders like states, companies, auditing organizations, and civil society. The project integrates interdisciplinary perspectives from political science, law, economics, business administration, geography, and development cooperation. It will compare GVCs across sectors, incorporating insights from both the Global North and South. We aim to determine how effectively these regulations can drive sustainability, balancing environmental protection, human rights, and economic considerations. The project consortium involves 11 PIs and another 11 post-doc and doctoral researchers across the four research institutions.
Your tasks:
- Empirical and conceptual research on the sustainability governance of global value chains from a political science perspective, in particular on multi-stakeholder governance and the dynamics of stakeholder networks (companies, administration, NGOs, especially from the Global South) and their influence on the performance of GVC governance;
- Preparation of academic publications, also in collaboration with other project members;
- Research-oriented presentations at academic conferences;
- Preparation of praxis-oriented texts and presentations, and interaction with practitioner communities;
- Participation in networking activities of the broader collaborative project and occasional support of project activities;
The successful candidate will be expected to pursue a PhD at Leuphana University Lüneburg.
Your profile:
- The successful candidate should have an excellent Master degree in the social sciences (e.g. political science, human geography or a related interdisciplinary field such as environmental governance).
Desired personal attributes include:
- A committed personality, able to work independently, and an excellent communicator;
- Experience with environmental and/or sustainability governance and/or policy in global, national and/or multi-level governance systems;
- Experience with analysis of global value chains, supply chains and/or production networks in a context of sustainability governance;
- Very good English language communication skills (written and oral);
- German language proficiency would be an additional asset.
- Research experience in countries of the Global South would be an additional asset.
- Experience with academic publications would be an additional asset.
Our offer:
- Contribution to a high-profile research project with resources for field research and conference trips;
- A vibrant interdisciplinary research environment with excellent contacts both within the collaborative project and to international research groups;
- An inspiring working environment as part of the university community of researchers, teachers, students and staff in technology and administration;
- A workplace at one of the most beautiful university locations in Germany in a true campus university with an internationally acclaimed central building by Daniel Libeskind and the directly adjacent Wilschenbruch nature reserve;
- A high level of job security as part of the public service;
- An additional company pension scheme through the Versorgungsanstalt des Bundes und der Länder;
- Flexible and family-friendly working hours within a flexitime framework from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.;
- Flexible and family-friendly opportunities to alternate between presence work and mobile work;
- An extensive internal and external continuing education programme;
- A wide range of sporting activities sponsored by the university, which employees can take part in for one hour per week during working hours to promote their health;
- A university-sponsored catering service for lunch and dinner in the refectory;
- A “Germany ticket” sponsored by the university as a job ticket;
Your application:
For questions about the position please contact: Prof. Jens Newig (jens.newig@leuphana.de) or Prof. Andrea Lenschow (andrea.lenschow@uos.de).
Leuphana University of Lüneburg promotes professional gender equality and heterogeneity among its members. Applications from people with severe disabilities will be given preferential consideration if they have the same qualifications. Please also note our data protection information for applicants.
Applicants should submit a cover letter (including evidence on the above-mentioned desired personal attributes with around 100 words each), their CV; up to three writing samples (e.g. academic publications, term paper, Master thesis, etc.); a short exposé of ideas for the proposed research (around 500 words); relevant certificates and transcripts (incl. Abitur / high school); and the names of up to two academic referees by 30 September 2024 digitally (summarized in one single PDF file) or by post to:
Leuphana Universität Lüneburg
Human Resources and Legal Affairs / Application Management
Kennwort: PhD GVC
Universitätsallee 1
21335 Lüneburg, Germany
jobs@leuphana.de; cc jens.newig@leuphana.de