Doctoral Research Fellowship in History of Intellectual Property of Sub-Saharan Africa

Social Sciences/Economics

Doctoral Research Fellowship in History of Intellectual Property of Sub-Saharan Africa

Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History

Job description

A Doctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1017) in History is available at the Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History (IAKH), University of Oslo. The position is associated with the Research Group “History of Capitalism”, with a focus on the history of intellectual property in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Research projects are expected to address one or more of the following questions:

  • The history of the place of Sub-Saharan African countries in the international arenas for the internationalization of intellectual property (e.g. BIRPI, WIPO, ALAI, ARIPO and OAPI).
  • The history of customary rights, traditional knowledge and norms in sub-Saharan African countries. This can be linked to an examination of the work of the relevant international organizations, such as the history of the UNESCO, for example.
  • The history of counterfeiting and piracy of knowledge, trademarks, and products in Sub-Saharan Africa. This work may focus on one, or several categories of products (for example: pharmaceuticals, luxury goods, works of art, etc.)

More about the position

The applicants are expected to choose one or more sub-Saharan countries as the focus of their project. The cases of DR Congo and South Africa are of particular interest, but other cases or combinations of cases will also be considered.

The applicants should have sufficient background knowledge of intellectual property law to be able to carry out the study. They are also expected to have the necessary language skills, including academic knowledge of English, and sufficient knowledge of French to read the relevant sources fluently.

Applicants are asked to clearly state in their project proposal (3 to 5 pages) why they have chosen a particular approach and case study as well as the location of the sources they intend to use.

The History of Capitalism group offers a unique environment for studying the history of intellectual property with two ERC projects currently hosted the in the Group, Before Copyright and Creative IPR.

The successful candidate is expected to interact with the rich milieu of colleagues working on related topics at the Institute.

The person appointed will be affiliated with the Faculty’s organized research training. The academic work is to result in a doctoral thesis that will be defended at the Faculty with a view to obtaining the degree of PhD. The successful candidate is expected to join the existing research milieu or network and contribute to its development. Read more about the doctoral degree.

The start date for the position will be in the autumn semester 2024. The appointment is for a duration of 3 years. All PhD Candidates who submit their doctoral dissertation for assessment with a written recommendation from their supervisor within 3 years or 3 ½ years after the start of their PhD position, will be offered, respectively, a 12 or 6 month Completion Grant

Qualification requirements

  • A Master’s degree or equivalent in history, law, economics, or any other relevant discipline. The Master’s degree must have been obtained and the final evaluation must be available by the application deadline.
  • Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
  • Excellent reading knowledge of the source languages relevant for the project.
  • Personal suitability and motivation for the position.

To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Oslo, applicants must, as a minimum, have completed a five-year graduation course (Master’s degree or equivalent), including a Master’s thesis of at least 30 ECTS. In special cases, the Faculty may grant admission on the basis of a one-year Master course following an assessment of the study programme’s scope and quality.

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on:

  • The project’s scientific merit, research-related relevance and innovation
  • The applicant’s estimated academic and personal ability to complete the project within the time frame
  • The applicant’s ability to complete research training
  • Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities

Applicants who have recently graduated with excellent results may be given preference

We offer

How to apply

The application must include

  • Application letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and motivation for the position
  • Curriculum Vitae (with a list of education, positions, teaching experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activities, including a complete list of publications)
  • Transcript of records of your Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Applicants with education from a foreign university must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system
  • Documentation of Language requirements (if applicable)
  • Project description, including a detailed progress plan for the project (3 – 5 pages, maximum 14,000 characters. See Template for project descriptions)

Please note that all documents must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Educational certificates, master theses and the like are not to be submitted with the application, but applicants may be asked to submit such information or works later.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, jobbnorge.no.

Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview

Formal regulations

See also regulations as well as guidelines for the application assessment process and appointments to research fellowships.

Following the Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) § 25, Chapter 2, demographic information about the applicant may be used in the public list of applicants even if the applicant opts out from the entry in the public application list.

The University of Oslo has an Acquisition of Rights Agreement for the purpose of securing rights to intellectual property created by its employees, including research results.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

For questions regarding the position:

Associate Professor Kristin Ranestad

Professor Veronique Pouillard

Associate Professor Marius Buning

For questions regarding how to apply:

HR Senior Adviser Hilde Kristine Sletner

About the University of Oslo 

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution, with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities, UiO is an important contributor to society.

The Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History (IAKH) is comprised of three disciplines which in different ways study the past. The department has internationally oriented archaeologists, the only conservation program in Norway and the biggest group of historians in Scandinavia. The department has close to 100 employees, including non-permanent research fellows. The study programs span archaeology from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages, object and paintings conservation, and history from Antiquity to the present age.

Deadline: 2024-02-29 at 23:59
Unit: Social Sciences/Economics

Read the job description at the university homepage or apply.