Two Postdoctoral Positions

Copenhagen University
Copenhagen - Denmark
S: Negotiation

Two Postdoctoral Positions at The Center for Information and Bubble Studies (CIBS), University of Copenhagen - READVERTISEMENT

The Department of Media, Cognition and Communication, Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), Denmark, invites applications for two 2-year postdoctoral positions. The successful candidates will be appointed to the newly established Center for Information and Bubble Studies (CIBS) sponsored by the Carlsberg Foundation, where the project will be based, and will be expected to begin on January 1, 2016 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Description of the project
"Bubbles" are usually considered unwelcome and destabilizing phenomena associated with finance and real estate markets. Generally a bubble has developed when assets trade at prices far exceeding the estimated fundamental value. The guiding research principle of The Center for Information and Bubble Studies (CIBS) is that bubbles essentially amount to information control problems among deliberating agents who are collectively susceptible to robustly demonstrated socio-psychological features like boom-thinking, group-thinking and lemming effects, which together with determinate market models and conditions may make for bubble-hospitable environments.

CIBS studies bubble phenomena across different ontologies by

1.focusing on the socio-psychological phenomena among agents leading to often irrational group behavior facilitated by imperfect or wrongful information processing among group members influenced by social proof,

2.being inspired by the main strands of bubble models in economics accordingly study concepts like "social capital”, "opinion”, "fame”, "recognition”, "scientific progress" apparent in other "markets" (agent interactive settings) with particular emphasis on the information-driven dynamics and thus study bubble formation, bursts and deflation across traditional domains and disciplines,

3.uncovering the formal structure and dynamics, provide simulation and experimental results, offer resolutions of, and recommendations for avoiding (or stimulating benign) bubbles or boom behavior of agents reasoning and processing information in concert.

Job content
The advertised postdoctoral positions will be part of uncovering the formal structure and dynamics of bubble phenomena across sectors, domains and institutions.

• For position 1 we are looking for candidates with a background in economics preferably with emphasis on the mathematics of bubble formation, herd behavior and investment, epistemic game theory, interactive epistemology or some adequate combination hereof.

• For position 2 we are looking for candidates with a background in formal methods of knowledge representation (from either computer science, logic, mathematics, philosophy, artificial intelligence) with particular emphasis on dynamic epistemic logic, game theory, belief revision, judgment aggregation theory, social network theory or some adequate combination hereof.

The successful candidates will be working in close cooperation with computer scientists, economists, social psychologists and behavioral scientists in order to crack the code of these interdisciplinary objects of scientific inquiry, which bubbles are within the CIBS understanding.
Qualifications requirements
In order to be considered for the position applicants must have research qualifications at least corresponding to what can be achieved as part of a successfully completed PhD within a relevant field.

It is expected that the successful candidates will be present, part of the team and partake in the activities of CIBS on a daily basis. The successful candidates must therefore demonstrate an ability to work in teams and a ready ability to interact with and acquire operational knowledge of bubble theories in economics and relevant themes in social psychology, behavioural studies and formal methods of knowledge representation.

Furthermore, emphasis will be placed on the following:

• Research qualifications, which will be assessed in relation to the period of active research, the degree of originality, and academic output.

• The applicant's scientific record, academic breadth and depth, rigor, thoroughness and accuracy, as well as academic relevance in relation to the job description.

• Participation in networks – national and international

• Previous experience with interdisciplinary collaboration and research

• Good interpersonal skills

• Excellent skills in English, written and spoken

For further details about the qualification requirements for postdocs, please refer to the job structure for academic staff: http://ufm.dk/en/legislation/prevailing-laws-and-regulations/education/education-institutions

For further information including a copy of the project description for CIBS, please contact Director of CIBS, Professor Vincent F. Hendricks, vincent@hum.ku.dk.

Application
The application must be submitted online in Adobe PDF or Word format.

ZIP-files cannot be uploaded.

Please click on the "Apply now" icon at the bottom of the page.

Please note that each field in the application form may only contain a single file of max. 20Mb.

The application must be written in English and include the following enclosures:

• Application letter/cover letter

• Curriculum vitae (with applicant's e-mail address & telephone number)

• Documentation of qualifications (examination certificates/PhD diploma, etc.).

• Complete and numbered list of publications. The enclosed publications must be marked with *.

• Research plan, including a short description of previous research and a plan for the coming years that includes an account of involvement in organising research, establishment of research seminars, symposia and congresses, etc.

• Project description and documentation of teaching qualifications and research dissemination, if any

• Publications. Applicants may choose a maximum of three publications for assessment, of which at least two must have been published within the five years immediately preceding the deadline for applications. Publication dates must be clearly marked on the publication list. The publications selected must be uploaded as attachments and listed from 1 to 3.

Should any material submitted consist of work with named co-authors, or work that is otherwise the result of collective academic endeavours, the extent of the applicant's contribution to the work must be clearly stipulated. The Faculty may ask for a signed statement from the co-authors stipulating the extent and nature of each individual's contribution.

Only material in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, English can be expected to be assessed.

All material will be shredded at the end of the appointment procedure.

Appointment procedure
After the application deadline, the Dean will set up an expert assessment committee to evaluate applicants in relation to the advertised position. The applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and will have the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment relating to him or her before the appointment is finalized.

Applicants will be continuously informed about the progress of the procedure by e-mail.

Further information about the application procedure is available from HR and Personnel Officer Helle Schæbel, e-mail: VIPadmin@hum.ku.dk.

Salary and conditions of employment
The post will be filled according to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Additional bonuses may be negotiated on an individual basis.

A special tax scheme is offered to researchers recruited abroad, http://ism.ku.dk/onarrival/

If you consider applying from abroad, you may find useful information on how it is to work in Denmark and at UCPH.

See: http://ism.ku.dk, http://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/frontpage.htm
and https://www.workindenmark.dk/

UCPH wishes to encourage everyone interested in this post to apply, regardless of personal background.

The closing date for applications is 23.59 CET, 19 November 2015.

Applications or supplementary material received thereafter will not be considered.

Job summary