Description

Do you want to work on research about borders and the (in)visibility of refugees, supported by competent and friendly colleagues in an international environment? Do you want an employer that invests in sustainable employment and offers secure, favorable working conditions? We are looking for an experienced and highly motivated research assistant for a research project at the Department of Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology.

In the field of cultural anthropology, we conduct education and research on many of the complex contexts that characterize today’s globalized world. Within the field, we have about thirty researchers and teachers (professors, lecturers, researchers, and doctoral students). Our research focuses on humans in today’s society with a great thematic diversity, with research projects spread across all corners of the world. The activities consist largely of research and have several leading research environments, such as OUTOFSIGHT and the Forum for African Studies. The department offers teaching at the undergraduate, advanced, and doctoral levels in cultural anthropology and ethnology. More about the department and the research conducted there can be found here (https://www.uu.se/institution/kulturantropologi-och-etnologi/).

Job Responsibilities

The work will be conducted within the project “The Missing Traveller: Absent Presence at the Border.” “The Missing Traveller” is one of six research projects included in the European Research Council (ERC) project “OUTOFSIGHT: Exploring social (im)perceptibility,” and will be carried out from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2029. OUTOFSIGHT documents processes that make people more or less perceptible in society and examines the relationship between visibility and invisibility. More information about the project can be found here (http://www.outofsight.se).

The subproject “The Missing Traveller” investigates how refugees who have disappeared on their way to Europe due to current European border policies become visible through their absence. When individual migrants go missing, states often show little or no interest in searching for them, and it is usually families, friends, and activists who take on the responsibility of finding traces of the missing. Their absence creates unexpected relationships between many individuals and groups across multiple borders and countries. This subproject examines the challenges faced by families, activists, and civil society organizations, as well as their work to develop innovative methods for searching and identification. The aim is to understand these technological, material, visual, social, and political practices to analyze how new ideas about transnational and translocal kinship, identification, justice, rights, and the struggle against border violence are shaped — and how all of this evokes a visibility based on the absence of bodies and persons.

The research assistant will primarily collaborate with the researcher within the subproject and participate in discussions with other researchers in OUTOFSIGHT. The research assistant’s ability to conduct ethnographic fieldwork — the main method for collecting the project’s material — is central to the role. Job responsibilities include identifying and recruiting research participants, conducting qualitative interviews, performing participant observations, transcribing material, and identifying themes in the collected material in relation to relevant literature. The research assistant will also be responsible for certain administrative tasks. There is an opportunity for the research assistant to contribute as an author in some publications within the project, depending on available time and expertise.

Qualifications

Master’s degree in social sciences.
Documented experience in conducting qualitative interviews and ethnographic fieldwork, in the form of published reports or academic texts.
Excellent ability to communicate in English, both orally and in writing.
Excellent ability to communicate in Persian/Dari, both orally and in writing.
Good analytical skills and the ability to work independently.
Good knowledge of migration policy and border policy in Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
Good knowledge of IMER, social sciences, or other relevant subjects is an advantage.
Established networks relevant to the project’s tasks, or previous experience working with local NGOs in one or more of the following countries is an advantage: Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Greece, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden.
Previous experience as a fieldworker or research assistant within international organizations working on migration issues is an advantage.

Application

The application should include the following:

Cover letter (max 1 page): Describe why you are applying for the position, why you are suitable, and relevant experiences for the qualifications and desired merits.
Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Publications that demonstrate your research experience, including your skills in conducting interviews and your analytical ability. If the publication is co-authored, indicate your role and responsibilities.
Contact details for two referees (will only be used at the end of the recruitment process).

Conditions

The position is temporary, for 12 months. The extent is full-time 30%. Start date January 26 or by agreement. Location: Uppsala.

For inquiries about the position, please contact: Mahmoud Keshavarz ([email protected] (mailto:[email protected]))

Welcome with your application by January 23, 2026, UFV-PA 2026/23.

Uppsala University is a broad research university with a strong international position. The ultimate goal is to conduct education and research of the highest quality and relevance to make a difference in society. Our most important asset is our 7,600 employees and 53,000 students who, with curiosity and commitment, make Uppsala University one of the country’s most exciting workplaces.

Read more about our benefits and what it’s like to work at Uppsala University here (https://uu.se/om-uu/jobba-hos-oss/).

The position may be subject to security screening. A prerequisite for employment in the case of security screening is that the applicant is approved.

We kindly decline offers of recruitment and advertising assistance.

Applications are received in Uppsala University’s recruitment system.

Union representatives: Saco-S - [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]), Seko - [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]), ST (OFR/S) - [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])