Pre- and Post-Doctoral Opportunities at CMDS for Fall 2015 / Winter 2016

The Center for Media, Data and Society (CMDS) at the School of Public Policy of Central European University is pleased to announce the availability of research appointments for the fall 2015 or winter 2016. CMDS is one of Europe’s leading centers of communication research, with a mission to advance public understanding about the impact of media and communication policy on public life. The CMDS produces scholarly and practice-oriented research addressing the needs of policy makers, civic leaders, and citizens. 

These are pre- and post-doctoral appointments with the expectation of residence in Budapest for 1-3 months, depending on the project. Ideal applications are working on doctoral projects, or have recently defended their doctoral work, and the stipend will be commensurate with experience. Researchers will conduct basic research on media, technology and political change. We welcome applications from a variety of disciplines, including the social, information and computer sciences, and media, law, or science and technology studies. In particular, we welcome applications related to these domains of inquiry:

• Understanding violent extremism online: the role of social media and internet companies in responding to online extremism; policy responses at the EU and global level to online extremism; understanding the complexities of the relationship between technology, free expression, and policy that lie at the heart of the relationship between global security and human rights.
• Civil society and technology: research examining the use of technologies and strategies that enable activists to mobilize, organize and advocate or policy change; how activists use different technologies and tech tools; how community media use analogue and digital spaces for communication and community engagement.
• Internet policy advocacy: investigations into the role which civil society can play in advocating for a free and open internet; the potential of technology and online tools for mobilizing and organizing constituencies in support of an open Internet and for enhancing the security and privacy of online communication.
• Digital rights, privacy and data protection: research into issues of digital media rights and ethics, privacy, surveillance, and their interplay with freedom of speech standards and practices; research examining the impact of data in society and the policies and practices of data collection and retention; research examining contemporary privacy norms and data protection issues, including the policy and practices of social media companies.
• Strengthening journalism in Europe:  research into better understanding the environment and challenges for independent journalism and watchdog NGOs in Europe; examining media ownership in Europe, legal frameworks and freedom of expression. 
• Trends in regional protection of freedom of expression: research on contemporary legal, including judicial, and/or policy trends on the protection of freedom of expression, including media freedom.  This may include: comparative approaches to specific subjects/issues and their relationship with freedom of expression (e.g. defamation, national security, freedom of information, privacy, information law, incitement/”hate speech”, press regulation, development goals, shrinking civil society space) across regions; studies of approaches to such subjects within regions; or investigations of approaches to such subjects employed by particular actors, such as national courts and regional human rights courts, notably the European Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, or policy-makers at the national or regional levels.

Interested candidates should apply via email to cmds@ceu.hu. Please include an academic resume, a writing sample or representative publication, and the contact information for two referees. In your cover letter, please describe your proposed research project, and the ideal time frame and earliest start date. Review of applications will begin September 1, 2015.