Urban Knowledge Network Asia (UKNA) - CALL FOR RESEARCHERS

The International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) still has a number of short-term or medium-term postings available for academics to pursue research at selected universities and institutes in China, Hong Kong and India. The call is open specifically to post-doctoral as well as senior researchers who hold EU passports or/and who are staff members of academic institutions in the Netherlands and the EU.

Urban Knowledge Network Asia (UKNA) is funded by a grant awarded by the Marie Curie Actions "International Research Staff Exchange Scheme" (IRSES) of the European Union.

Available positions

• Hong Kong SAR, China. Duration: max. 11 months starting as soon as possible
• Indian Institute for Human Settlements, Bangalore, India. Duration: 3 months starting as soon as possible
• Hong Kong SAR, China. Duration: 2 months starting as soon as possible
• Indian Institute for Human Settlements, Bangalore, India. Duration: 2 months starting as soon as possible
• Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, Centre for Urban and Regional Studies in Shanghai, China Duration: 9 months starting as soon as possible
• China Academy of Urban Planning and Design in Beijing, China. Duration: 6 months starting as soon as possible
• China Academy of Urban Planning and Design in Beijing, China. Duration: max. 3 months, starting after 1 April 2014
• Hong Kong University's Architecture Department in Hong Kong, SAR, China. Duration: max. 3 months, starting after 1 April 2014

Selection criteria

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Applications will be assessed both by IIAS as well as by the host institutes, based on their quality and their fit with the research principles of UKNA (see UKNA research themes below) and the current research interests of the host institute. Preference will be given to qualified applicants who can commence their research visits as soon as possible.

Grant Scheme
Researchers participating in UKNA receive a monthly stipend, determined by the Marie Curie Actions IRSES scheme as follows:

• Euro 1,767/month (when travelling to Hong Kong), determined on a pro-rata daily basis
• Euro 1,953/month (when travelling to all other destinations), determined on a pro-rata daily basis

The grant is meant to cover travel and subsistence costs, and is supposed to be in addition to the researcher's existing salary.

Eligibility Requirements
Participating researchers must possess the following:

• An EU passport or/and an official employment contract from an academic institution in the Netherlands or elsewhere in the EU
• A doctoral degree (minimum requirement for early stage researchers) or (in the case of senior researchers) a doctoral degree and at least four years of full-time equivalent research experience

Tasks and Deliverables
Official tasks:

• Engage in research in the host institute
• Disseminate some of their previous research work in the host institute, by giving lectures, directing seminars and/or other activities
• Take part in UKNA events, such as conferences, workshops and roundtables, particularly those that deal specifically with their topic(s) of research
• (Strongly encouraged): Attend annual UKNA roundtables, as possible

Official deliverables:

• A pre-trip Research Plan and a post-trip Research Report outlining (planned) research activities. Please visit ukna.asia/research-plan-report for the format of the Plan and Report.
• Lecture texts and PowerPoint presentations, which will be made accessible via the program website
• (Strongly encouraged): Attendance at workshops, seminars and roundtables
• (Strongly encouraged): Contributions to UKNA joint publications, including in the form of: articles for peer-reviewed journals; drafts of chapters for edited volumes; articles for partner institutes' publications

Application process
Applicants should send their research proposals (in English) and proposed research start and end dates to the UKNA Secretariat at IIAS. The host institutes will evaluate proposed research dates. Research proposals should take the form of the UKNA Research Plan (please visit: ukna.asia/research-plan-report). A short motivation statement should accompany applications.

Contact UKNA Secretariat
For submission of applications, and for any questions, please contact the UKNA Coordinator and Deputy Coordinator, as follows:
» Dr. Paul Rabé, Coordinator of UKNA (p.e.rabe@iias.nl)
» Ir. Gien San Tan, Deputy Coordinator of UKNA (g.s.tan@iias.nl)

About UKNA

UKNA is an inclusive network that brings together concerned scholars and practitioners engaged in collaborative research on cities in Asia. It seeks to influence policy by contributing insights that put people at the center of urban governance and development strategies. The emphasis is on immediate problem solving as well as on the identification of long-term, transformative processes that increase the scope for the active engagement of people in the creative production and shaping of the city. 

The International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) in Leiden is one of 14 institutional partners – and the Secretariat – of the Urban Knowledge Network Asia (UKNA).

UKNA Research Themes
UKNA pursues three avenues of inquiry:

• IDEAS OF THE CITY
  
  This research theme explores competing ideas of the contemporary city from historical perspectives to illuminate the continuities and ruptures in the process of city making.
• CITIES BY AND FOR THE PEOPLE
  
  This theme examines who are the actors and how they interact in the production, shaping, contestation and transformation of the city. It explores the relations between human flourishing and the making of urban space and form, with a particular concern for the rights of residents and users in the process.
• FUTURE OF CITIES
  
  This theme considers the challenges of urban dwellers and users in the areas of land, housing, infrastructure, services, planning and the environment, personal well being (including livelihoods and human capital), and "life spaces" (comprising culture, urban heritage, public spaces, and associational life).