The Aleksanteri Institute at the University of Helsinki invites applications for an enthusiastic and creative POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER <https://www.helsinki.fi/en/open-positions/postdoctoral-researcher-russia-medialab> for a fixed term from 3rd of September 2018 to 30th of June 2019, to work within the project 'Russia MediaLab: Freedom of speech and critical journalism in Russia'. The employment contract will include a trial period of six months. If measured according to conventional parameters, freedom of speech and expression in Russia has deteriorated. However, such development is not uncontested and without contradictions. Instead, actions and measures taken can prove inefficient or have unintended outcomes, which can be either negative or positive in terms of freedom of speech. Likewise, freedom of speech can also unintentionally shrink due to reasons such as the strained economic situation or increasing commercialization. To formulate a fuller picture of freedom of speech in Russia today, it is therefore not enough to study measures of control and questions of implementation, but also to adopt the opposite perspective – that is, to study freedom of speech and expression from the perspective of the areas of relative freedom. See: http://blogs.helsinki.fi/russianmedialab. Potential candidates can approach the subject matter from several different perspectives: - Media regulation and self-regulation - Legislation and media - Media culture and -politics - Russia’s political culture and media - Media economy - Cultural institutions The subject matter can be approached from the angle of different humanities or social science disciplines. A strive for multidisciplinarity and willingness to partake in interdisciplinary discussions are appreciated. According to the Regulations of the University of Helsinki, the appointee to the position of postdoctoral researcher must hold a doctoral degree in a relevant field, have the ability to conduct independent scientific research and possess the teaching skills required for the position. The candidate should have a proven capability to publish in scientific journals, have excellent analytical and methodological skills, and be able to work both independently and as a part of a multidisciplinary scientific community. The successful candidate is expected to have excellent skills in written and oral English, as well as have a good command of Russian. The salary for the position will be based on level 5 of the demands level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, a salary component based on personal performance will be paid. The starting gross salary of a post-doctoral researcher is around 3180 € per month, depending on the qualifications and experience of the applicant. Applications must be accompanied by the following English-language documents submitted as a single pdf file: - CV (max. 3 pages) - list of publications (max. 3 pages) - 1–2 page summary of the applicant’s motivation to join the Russia MediaLab -project and the scientific community of the Aleksanteri Institute - innovative research plan concerning freedom of speech and expression in Russia (max. 5 pages) - sample of academic writing (max. 10 000 words) - contact information of 2– 3 referees Please submit your application through the University of Helsinki Recruitment System <https://www.helsinki.fi/en/open-positions/postdoctoral-researcher-russia-medialab>. Applicants who are employees of the University of Helsinki are requested to submit their application via the SAP HR portal. The deadline for applications is June 18th 2018. Applications will be evaluated by a preparatory commission, consisting of representatives of different disciplines. The applicants will be informed about the choices by e-mail within two months from the application deadline. Further information about the position may be obtained from Director of the Project, Professor Markku Kangaspuro, tel. +358 50 5223393, markku.kangaspuro@helsinki.fi. Apply at latest 18.06.2018 https://www.helsinki.fi/en/open-positions/postdoctoral- researcher-russia-medialab The University of Helsinki – among the best in the world Founded in 1640, the University of Helsinki is one of the best multidisciplinary research universities in the world. The University of Helsinki is an international academic community of 40,000 students and staff members. It operates on four campuses in Helsinki and at 15 other locations. The high-quality research carried out by the university creates new knowledge for educating diverse specialists in various fields, and for utilisation in social decision-making and the business sector. The Aleksanteri Institute functions as a national centre of research, study and expertise pertaining to Russia and Eastern Europe, particularly in the social sciences and humanities. We offer our researchers an international and inspiring research environment in the centre of Helsinki, with excellent research infrastructure (including Integrum-database, diverse electronic resources of the University of Helsinki and the world-famous Slavonic library). The Centre of Excellence in Russian studies funded by the Academy of Finland, a visiting scholars programme and a wide network of scholars conducting research on Russia are also part of our dynamic research community. More information on the Aleksanteri Institute is available on the webpage http://www.helsinki.fi/aleksanteri/english/. For information on the University of Helsinki as an employer please see https://www.helsinki.fi/en/university/working-at-the-university