PhD Position in Media History (with a focus on maintenance and communication) at USI Università della Svizzera italiana in Lugano

PhD Position in Media History (with a focus on maintenance and communication) at USI Università della Svizzera italiana in Lugano

The Institute of Media and Journalism (IMeG) in the Faculty of Communication Sciences at USI (Università della Svizzera italiana) invites applications for 1 fully-funded PhD position (4 years), supervised by Prof. Gabriele Balbi. Applications received before 5 June 2023 will be given priority. However, applications will be received until the position is filled. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an online interview in June/July 2023.

The PhD

PhD candidate will be expected to design and carry out research in the field of media and communication history, with a specific focus on maintenance of communication infrastructures and maintenance of media in diachronic perspective. Maintenance can be declined in different perspectives: politics of maintenance and the relation to power, economics and business of maintenance for private companies, the social construction of “maintenance cultures”, the persistence and _longue durée _of communication technologies because of maintenance, the lack of maintenance and the abandonment of communication infrastructures, and others. The candidates should advance their theoretical framework, timeframes, methodological angles, and case studies. They will be discussed during the interview and later can be refined and changed during the research.

The PhD should author and present papers at conferences and write a monography or cumulative PhD consisting of three peer reviewed journal articles.

She/he will also be expected to provide support for the activities at IMeG, including support for teaching, research projects, service, and organization of events. Specifically, the candidate will be engaged in the “Global Media and Internet Concentration Project”, of which the Institute is the Swiss partner (see https://search.usi.ch/it/progetti/2634/global-media-and-internet- concentration-project).

Candidates’ profile

• Excellent English skills;
• Final score in the Master programme of 8 or higher (on a 10-point scale);
• Masters’ degree in Communication, Media studies, History of technology, Innovation studies, and related fields;
• Ability to work in group, to present at conferences, and to be flexible in terms of time management and skills;
• Knowledge of Italian has to be reached by a maximum of two years.

Contract terms

The position is internally financed and the salary levels correspond to those set by the Swiss National Science Foundation for PhD researchers.

PhD scholarships are subject to annual review and successful completion of a progress report. Workplace is USI Università della Svizzera italiana, located in Lugano, Switzerland. Availability to travel to other parts of Switzerland and abroad (for purposes of collaboration and research) is required. The starting date is 1 October 2023.

The Application

Application should contain

• a letter in which the applicants describe their research interests and the motivation to apply;
• a complete CV;
• the names and contact information of two referees;
• certificates;
• a 2-page PhD research project in the field of maintenance of communication and the media in historical perspective. The research proposal should include: a summary; most relevant existing literature on the topic; main research question(s); proposed methodology; case study the candidate plans to focus on;
• an electronic copy of a research work (Master thesis or another scientific publication).

Please send your application in electronic form as a single PDF or request for further information to prof. Gabriele Balbi, gabriele.balbi@usi.ch.

For more information and the complete call see: https://bit.ly/3BlU9go