[Air-L] Call for applications Global South researchers on Internet governance in Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America-Caribbean

[Hortense Jongen]

Dear colleagues,


We are looking for three researchers in the Global South to join our research project, ‘Digital Self-Determination for the South? Legitimacy in the Regional Internet Registries,’ funded by the Swedish Research Council. The project is based at the University of Gothenburg and led by Dr. Hortense Jongen (University of Gothenburg/Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), with co-researcher Prof. Jan Aart Scholte (University of Gothenburg/Leiden University).

This three-year project investigates legitimacy and legitimation in the three Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) for the Global South. These bodies – the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), the Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), and the Latin America and Caribbean Network Information Centre (LACNIC) – perform a crucial role in digital development, by overseeing the distribution of Internet numbers (IP addresses) and handling associated questions about accessible technology, content control, data protection, and cybersecurity. This project investigates how participants in these regional multistakeholder governance bodies evaluate them, mainly using mixed-methods interviews.

We invite applications for three researchers to work as part-time consultants on this project. One based in Africa will focus on AFRINIC. A second based in Asia-Pacific will focus on APNIC. A third based in Latin America-Caribbean will focus on LACNIC.

Job tasks include:

  *   To help consolidate the final research design of the study.
  *   To help design and implement the mixed-methods survey questionnaire.
  *   To conduct survey interviews online (via Microsoft Teams/Skype/Zoom etc.) and in person at conferences of the RIRs.
  *   To contribute to analysing the interview data.
  *   To co-author academic publications and policy papers.

Essential qualifications for the job include:

  *   You hold a Master’s degree in a relevant field. We particularly encourage PhD candidates and other early-career academic researchers to apply.
  *   You have a good command of English. The researcher working on AFRINIC must also have a good command of French. The researcher working on LACNIC must also have a good command of Spanish (and ideally Portuguese as well).
  *   You are normally resident in the region of the RIR that you will be working on, though you might be temporarily living overseas, say, for studies. Applicants from low-income and lower-middle-income countries are especially welcome.
  *   You are able to travel internationally to two conferences held by the RIRs in order to conduct interviews (in 2022 and/or 2023).

Additional desirable qualifications for the job include:

  *   You have experience researching Internet governance and knowledge of the RIRs.
  *   You have experience with academic field research, ideally also survey methods.
  *   You have strong oral and written communication skills.
  *   You are a team player with enthusiasm to work on an international research team.

The positions will be held part-time from 1st February 2022 (or as soon as possible thereafter) until 31st August 2024. Remuneration is by consultancy fee of around €25,000, paid in instalments.

Are you interested in working with us? Please send your CV and a cover letter detailing your interest in and qualifications for the position to hortense.jongen at gu.se<mailto:hortense.jongen at gu.se> by December 1 , 2021. Interviews will be held via Skype or Zoom on December 10, 2021.