Postdoc on transformative governance of land systems in Mozambican frontiers

This researcher will contribute to the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant project MIDLAND (https://erc-midland.earth). Payments will be based on Belgian regulations, depending on prior research experience, and will include the benefits of the Belgian social security such as health insurance. This offer is also published on Euraxess.

Objectives: To understand the conditions under which land governance in the emerging frontiers of northern Mozambique can be transformed to foster sustainable land uses and land use planning, by involving local and distant actors.

The work should: (i) Bring together public and private actors which typically operate at different scales, from global to local, (ii) Take into account tradeoffs between local realities and broader sustainability issues, and (iii) Articulate emerging private-led and market-based instruments of land use governance with traditional land use policies and public governance.

Research description: This research will investigate how land governance in the focal region, including land use planning, land tenure and land policies, can be transformed to foster sustainable land uses. The research will draw on workshops, supported by stakeholders analyses, mapping, tradeoffs analyses and scenario development, to bring together different public and private actors influencing directly or indirectly the land systems in the focus region, and which operate at different scales, from global to local. The work will explore various visions of land uses, sustainable intensification, and linkages between the study area and distant places, and will identify the key institutional entrepreneurs and agents of transformative change in land use, and the opportunities and current barriers for transformation.

Profile required: A researcher holding a PhD degree, experienced in social sciences theories and methods of transdisciplinary research and multi-stakeholders participatory approaches, qualitative and quantitative methods, institutional analysis, resilience, scenarios, as well as land system science.

Experience in studying deliberate transformation, transformative agency, institutional entrepreneurs and strategic fields are assets. Experience in tropical/developing regions, as well as ability to interact with different people ranging from rural smallholders to high-level decision-makers will be crucial. Knowledge of Portuguese is a requirement. Familiarity with the land use and political contexts in Mozambique are very useful. The candidate should demonstrate an excellent command of the English language, good communication skills, and ability to work in a research team and to establish a local and international network.

This position is for two years.

Candidates should submit a cover letter detailing qualifications and research interests, CV, and names and contacts of three referees to:

Prof. Patrick Meyfroidt

patrick.meyfroidt@uclouvain.be

Application deadline: July 20, 2018.

Starting date: Ideally September 2018