Development Economist/Political Economist (Faculty)

ATREE seeks a motivated and committed researcher with post-doctoral (or higher) level background and experience in development economics or geography, with preferred specialization in political economy of the environment/ natural resources. The researcher must possess sound critical, analytical and communicative skills and interests. (S)he must be familiar with traditional political economic thinking on unequal development, industrial impacts on nature, and natural resource extraction.The applicant must have interests and skills to pursue theoretical and empirical work in rural and urban contexts, including forests, small farms and big plantations, coastal wetlands, pastoral landscapes, cities, peri-urban and towns. A normative sensitivity to diversity and equity is requisite. The researcher must be able to lead and participate in interdisciplinary research projects in conservation-based livelihoods, and sustainable development.

Successful candidates will

• Engage with land use change and climate change for terrestrial and riverine ecosystems in the eastern Himalayas, western and eastern Ghats, western coast, and central India. And the disproportionate well-being impacts on marginal and local farming, forest, fishing and pastoral communities, and poor urban migrants.
• Be familiar with political ecology of biodiversity conservation, including land sharing and land sparing discourses and associated practices, and discourses of degrowth and just sustainability. ATREE values place based research and local case studies and expects the applicant to show interests in making links between local impacts and global economic influences. 
• Develop a political economy of the environment research program around conservation and sustainability that has scope for interdisciplinary collaboration. Individually and collaboratively raise research grants for this.
• Design a political economy/ political ecology course or module for PhD, Masters and certificate programs.
•  Partake in ATREE’s pioneering interdisciplinary PhD and Masters programmes and its courses like sociology for conservation and sustainability; conservation issues, ethocs and concerns; climate change; and research methods \. ATREE requires its faculty to mentor PhD and Masters students.
• Communicate research through audio-visual media (podcasts, documentaries, short films, photography) and op-eds. 

Qualifications

• PhD in development studies, geography, sociology or natural resource economics. 
• Demonstrated record of publishing in peer-reviewed journals, book(s) and giving presentations at academic conferences.
• Undergraduate or Masters teaching experience.
• Interests or experience in community outreach, especially socially just and sustainable solutioning; and public communication through social media or op-eds.

Application process

Interested candidates should email their CV, names, and contact information of three references. Mails and queries should be addressed to:

The HR Manager
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment
E-mail: hr@atree.org
Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur P.O. Bangalore 560 064.
Tel: +91 (80) 2363-5555, Fax: 2353-0070