Research Associate, digital fieldwork, THINGSTIGATE

The University of Gothenburg tackles society's challenges with diverse knowledge. 58 000 students and 6800 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

The University of Gothenburg tackles society's challenges with diverse knowledge. 58 000 students and 6800 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

HDK-Valand - Academy of Art and Design, at the University of Gothenburg, conducts education and research in Design, Film, Photography, Fine Art, Crafts and Literary Composition - as well as teacher education in Visual Arts and Sloyd. We provide highly specialised degree programmes in an outgoing, international environment - where our unique and broad range of subjects also enables our students and staff to foster a broader artistic perspective, as well as to explore new working models and research fields. Together with our sister department - the Academy of Music and Drama - we form the most broad-ranging faculty of arts in Scandinavia.

We are seeking a Research Associate to join the team of the European Research Council-funded project THINGSTIGATE - Things for Politics' Sake: Aesthetic Objects and Social Change (ERC grant 101041284), led by Dr Tintin Wulia (Principal Investigator/PI). Read more about HDK-Valand at: https://www.gu.se/hdk-valand

The faculty's vision

With the challenges facing society today, education and research in the artistic field is more important than ever. One of the strengths of art is that it provides perspective and critical tools, as well as meaning and hope. The Artistic Faculty is a driving force in art, culture and learning, as well as in creativity and innovation in a broader sense. We are a locally based and globally oriented place for art, knowledge, criticality, vision and transformation. Art and culture are for everyone, and we are a hub that brings together cultural practitioners, cultural institutions, creative industries and wider civil society. Our goal is to be a house with many entrances and even more exits.

Subject area

Crafts & Fine Art

Duties

As a Research Associate you will be responsible for a pilot of public interventions as a field method in the project's digital and Indonesian contexts, in collaboration with the partner collective 1965 Setiap Hari - whose work relates to the 1965-66 Indonesian mass killings - as part of the project's WP3.2. You will lead the delivery of the WP3.2 pilot, supported by the Research Operations Coordinator, the Local Production Assistant, and Research Assistants, and report to the PI.

Eligibility

Doctoral studies in anthropology, sociology, art, design, craft, or cognate disciplines nearing completion, or completed no earlier than one year before the application deadline.

Assessment criteria

Essentials:

• Demonstrable knowledge of the project's conceptual and theoretical framework
• Experience of object-centred research using digital methods, action research, public interventions, ethnographic fieldwork, and/or participatory methods
• Experience of ethical fieldwork in politically sensitive contexts
• Substantial professional experience in the NGO, civil society, or cultural sector, including responsibility for partnerships or risk management in sensitive settings
• Excellent written and spoken English, with a record of academic publication or equivalent published practice-based output
• Good competency in Bahasa Indonesia as the language of the fieldwork

Desirable:

• Experience in working with social media data and archival material
• Sustained ethnographic research experience within sociology or anthropology
• Existing links with Indonesian civil society organisations relevant to the pilot's sensitive research context

Employment

The employment is full-time (100%) 11 month position and starts no later than the Spring semester 2027. The position is based in Gothenburg.

Contact information

If you have any questions about the position, please contact THINGSTIGATE PI, Tintin Wulia, phone number +46 766 186853 or email at tintin.wulia@gu.se

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact the HR function at HDK-Valand, hr@hdk-valand.gu.se

Unions

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/hjalp-for-sokande

Application

Application

Your application may be reviewed by international experts, and it is proposed that the application and its appendices be written in English. If the application is written in Swedish, it may be translated. In the event of any discrepancy between the translated document and the Swedish original, the department accepts no responsibility for the translation or for any direct, indirect or other errors that may arise in the translation.

You apply for the position via the University of Gothenburg's recruitment portal by clicking on 'Apply'. As an applicant, you are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete in accordance with the advertisement and that it is received by the university no later than the closing date for applications.

Publications that cannot be attached to the application digitally should be sent to:

HDK-Valand

HR

Ref. PAR 2026/769

Box 131, S-405 30 Gothenburg,

Sweden

and must be received by the closing date for applications.

The application should contain:

• A motivation letter describing why you are interested in contributing to THINGSTIGATE and your relevant experiences, addressing the assessment criteria and how your work aligns with THINGSTIGATE's framework, maximum 2 pages.
• A CV including a complete list of publications, a list of fieldwork (stating sites, duration, and methods), and a statement of proficiency in and experience using Bahasa Indonesia.
• A portfolio of up to 3 relevant projects you have produced or co-produced, each with up to 2 images and a 100-word project description. Applicants without a project-based portfolio may submit one writing sample, such as an excerpt from a dissertation chapter or article, maximum 3,000 words.
• Proof of doctoral status: either a formal statement from the institution or its representative on the status of thesis submission, or a copy of the degree certificate.
• Contact details of two referees

Applications must be received by: 2026-10-23

Information for International Applicants

Choosing a career in a foreign country is a big step. Thus, to give you a general idea of what we and Gothenburg have to offer in terms of benefits and life in general for you and your family/spouse/partner please visit:

https://www.gu.se/en/about-the-university/welcome-services
https://www.movetogothenburg.com/

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden's regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden's regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.