Applications from master’s graduates (or equivalent) who would like to pursue a doctoral degree at Universitat Rovira i Virgili are welcome. In this call, we will be offering PhD positions under two different editions: STANDARD and MSCA-COFUND.

In 2021, the PhD selected candidates (one position reserved for a researcher with disabilities, under the MSCA-COFUND Edition) will be the beneficiaries of a 3-year employment contract and all the advantages of the Martí i Franquès Programme:

• Highly competitive and attractive salaries
• The chance to participate in co-tutorship; that is, in a cotutelle agreement between other universities and the URV
• An international environment, supported by the endorsement to the European Charter & Code
• Enrolment in excellent doctoral programmes
• Access to a comprehensive research training package, together with an attractive transversal skills programme
• The opportunity to undertake research in one of the top 600 universities in the world (101-150th THE Young Universities Ranking)
• Access to high-quality facilities and infrastructure for research & innovation
• Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment
• Equal opportunities for all

The positions are based on individual projects encompassing all areas of research: Sciences, Health Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Engineering and Architecture, Social and Legal Sciences.

The Martí i Franquès research grants programme, a public-private cooperation designed to attract highly talented doctoral researchers to work on exciting research projects. This programme honours the scientist Antoni Martí i Franquès (Altafulla, 1750 – Tarragona, 1832), who made remarkable contributions not only to the fields of biology, physics and chemistry but also to the economic development of Southern Catalonia. He was the first scientist to accurately establish the composition of air.

The Universitat Rovira i Virgili, in Spain, is a modern public higher education institution, internationally recognised for providing high-quality teaching and top-of-the-line research, as shown in the international rankings.

Applications are open from July 1st, to September 6th. More information on the programme and how to apply here.

Call for Papers

The interdisciplinary Aurora summer school is a joint project of the following three doctoral programs (DP) located at the University of Innsbruck: “DP Austrian Studies”, “DP Borders, Border Shifts and Border Crossings in Language, Literature, Media”, and “DP Dynamics of Inequality and Difference in the Age of Globalization”. It will focus on the spatial dimension of culture in a wide range of disciplines, such as literature and cultural studies, history, anthropology, or linguistics. The students will discuss theoretical perspectives as well as different methodological approaches to the concept of space and place, including new sub-disciplines, as, for instance, Border Studies.

Furthermore, a part of the Aurora summer school will be dedicated to the research projects of the participants, which will be presented and discussed in small working groups and poster sessions. By creating such a collaborative environment, this summer school’s main objective is to establish networks between early career researchers and give them the opportunity to be part of the development of institutional collaborations between the Aurora partner universities.

Location: The university conference centre Obergurgl in Oetztal (Tyrol) is an ideal location for such an event. Situated in the historical landscape of the Oetztal valley, the venue represents the cultural construction of space in situ on many levels. Different excursions in this unique region (e.g. Oetztaler museums) will be part of the agenda. The centre also allows for a productive atmosphere in which students can network and exchange ideas.

Finances: There is no fee for this Aurora summer school. Organizers will try to find financial support for accommodation and travel costs.

The organizers invite PhD students in the humanities from the Aurora European universities alliance to join the Aurora summer school and to present their research projects in an international and interdisciplinary setting.

Application: Please apply with a cv and a short abstract (max. 2.000 characters) of your doctoral project, outlining its potential for interdisciplinary discussions on the cultural dimension of space. The number of students participating in the summer school is limited. In the case of more students applying than spots available, priority will be given to excellent projects whose research focus is clearly situated within the school’s thematic field. Applications are to be sent to the consultant of the summer school’s organizing team, Sarah Agath: sarah.agath@uibk.ac.at.

The deadline will be on 31 October 2021

The master-level “ICT4D in the Field” is the first course in the Aurora pilot “Digital Society and Global Citizenship”. Previously, this course has been carried out in a real-world environment. Students were exposed to complex contexts and real-world challenges. They design and implement practical, user-centred and sustainable socio-technological solutions for disadvantaged communities according to a Community Service Learning (CSL) approach. This year the course has been “Aurorized”,, i.e. redesigned as part of the Aurora Alliance educational pilot, into “collaborative online international learning” while maintaining its global and Community Service flavour. The course’s central theme this year will be: “Artificial Intelligence in and for the Global South”

Currently, AI is at the centre of attention as an innovative ICT technology with a wide range of beneficial application opportunities. However, others express doubts and concerns about various developments as undesirable or dangerous. Heavy investments to boost AI and Data Science are taking place in the Global North, particularly in the big power blocks of the US, Europe and China. The course ICT4D in the Field undertakes to investigate these matters in and for the Global South, thereby giving due attention to the specific contexts of people’s needs and the different geographic, economic, cultural and socio-political contexts.

Students will work in groups focused on different geographies (countries/regions) in the South seeking to answer a number of key questions:

• What is the state-of-play regarding AI applications for the Social Good relevant to people in the Global South? Here, one may think of a reference point of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as combating hunger, ensuring food security, reducing inequalities, etc.
• What is associated with foreseeable negative or adverse consequences, risks, and social impacts related to the application of AIs, and how may they be mitigated?
• In consequence, what are the implications to be drawn for the application of AI specifically in the context of the respective Global South countries or regions, in terms of policies, regulation, investment, education, civil/civic debate?

The course will take place in June 2021. It will involve lectures and workshop talks, informed argument writing, reviewing and discussion, collaborative project group work, and presentation. This full-time course is concentrated on four weeks. Master students are invited to apply by sending a motivation letter. However, the course can host a limited number of participants only. A visual preview of the course:

The course targets students doing masters in information sciences, artificial intelligence, computer science, digital humanities, computational social science, but other digital multidisciplinary domains are welcome to apply.

For more information, please contact Dr Anna Bon (a.bon@vu.nl). Please access the flyer of this course here