Geert Lovink on Mon, 7 Aug 2006 12:03:39 +0200 (CEST)


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[Nettime-nl] PhDs in Twente


The Department of Philosophy of the University of
Twente in the Netherlands is looking for

Two Ph.D. Students (M/F, fulltime)

Two PhD students for the international research project:

Evaluating the Cultural Quality of New Media
Towards a Philosophy of Human-Media Relations.

Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

The two PhD positions are part of a prestigious
and exciting international research project in
philosophy named "Evaluating the Cultural Quality
of New Media". This five-year project, which will
include five researchers and will involve
collaboration with leading international scholars
and research centres, has as its aim to develop a
framework for better normative analyses of new
media and new media culture, especially in
relation to their contribution to the quality of
life ("the good life"4) and the quality of
society. Project leader is Dr. Philip Brey. Two
postdocs have already been appointed to the
project: dr. A. Briggle, PhD, University of
Colorado and dr. E. Spence, PhD, Sydney
University.  The project will be part of a new
international Centre of Excellence in Ethics and
Technology of the departments of philosophy of
Twente University, Delft University of Technology
and Eindhoven University of Technology.

Applications are accepted for three different projects:

Ph.D Project 1 - The Quality of Virtual Environments and Tools

This subproject aims to perform a philosophical
analysis of the implications of the ever
increasing virtualization for the quality of life
and of society. Virtualization is defined as the
digital production of interactive structures,
whether graphical or symbolic, that mirror things
and events in the physical world. What are the
implications of this process for moral and social
identity, embodiment, and conceptions of reality,
and how can these implications be normatively evaluated?

Ph.D. Project 2: The Quality of Computer-Mediated Social Relations

This subproject focuses on computer-mediated
social relations and practices in friendships,
love relationships, and community life.
Increasingly, the social world is held together
by electronic networks. More and more,
communication, social relationships, and
community formation take place over such
networks. The aim of the project is to perform a
philosophical analysis of the implications of
this trend for the quality of life and of society.

Ph.D. Project 3: Societal Appraisals of the Cultural Quality of New Media

This subproject will perform a study of
appraisals of new media that are made by
representatives of major ideologies or
worldviews, with the aim of assessing how they
relate to conceptions of the good life and the
good society held by these ideologies.  It will
study liberal, communitarian, conservative,
religious and postmaterialist evaluations of new
media, and will try to assess which ideologies
see themselves as winners and losers in the
development of a new media culture.  It will also
provide critiques of current ideological stances on new media.

Only the two best candidates out of all
applicants will be offered a position.  Selection
will only be based on the quality of the
candidate, and not on his or her preference for a
particular project, except that the two PhD
appointments will be for different projects.  You
may apply for more than one project if you wish.

Profile

For all three projects: a Master's degree or
equivalent degree in philosophy. Consideration
will also be given to candidates with a
multidisciplinary Master's degree on a topic
relevant to the project and some background in
philosophy, and to exceptional candidates with
only a bachelor's degree in philosophy.
Demonstrable interest in philosophical issues
relating to information technology and new media.
Good analytical skills. Good communication skills
in English, in writing as well as orally.
Creativity, open-mindedness, and an ability to develop new ideas.

Offer

A four-year full-time Ph.D. position starting
November 1, 2006. The gross salary is Euro 1.933,-
in the first year going up to 2.472,- in the
fourth year (Euro 25.552,- and 32.677,- per annum,
respectively, including vacation pay). Each Ph.D.
position comes with a budget of up to 8,000,-
for travel and conference attendance.

Information and application

A description of the overall project, the three
subprojects and a FAQ can be retrieved from
<http://www.ceptes.nl/vici>http://www.ceptes.nl/vici.
Applicants are advised to read these texts
carefully before applying. For questions not
answered on the website you can contact the
project leader, dr. Philip Brey (e-mail:
<mailto:p.a.e.brey@utwente.nl>p.a.e.brey@utwente.nl).

Your application should contain the following
documents: a letter of application which explains
your interest in the position and explains your
qualifications (this letter should contain some
suggestions on how you would want to approach the
project you apply for); a curriculum vitae which
includes the name and e-mail address/telephone
number of one of your professors, preferably the
supervisor of your master's thesis; a copy of
your master's thesis; copies of publications, if
any; an academic transcript that contains a list
of subjects taken and grades received (this may
be an unofficial version or scanned copy; we can
request the original later). Optionally, you can
also include letters of recommendation from your professors.

Your application can be sent by e-mail
(preferred) or by normal post to dr. ir. J.F.C.
Verberne (e-mail:
<mailto:pz-gw@gw.utwente.nl>pz-gw@gw.utwente.nl),
managing director of the Faculty of Behavioural
Sciences, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500
AE Enschede, the Netherlands. Please mention the
vacancy number: 06/072-1 (project 1), 06/072-2
(project 2), or 06/072-3 (project 3).  Your
application should be in by October 2, 2006. Job
interviews will be held between October 9 and 13.


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