PhD Position for the ERC-funded project TRACES (Terrorism, Race and Embodied Security) full-time, 4 years

The University of Lucerne is a modern, personal and dynamic human sciences university at the heart of Switzerland and Europe. In keeping with our guiding principle 'Moving Human Sciences', we focus on people and their institutions with our six faculties and two academies. Our aim is to develop the University of Lucerne into a pioneering, internationally visible centre for research and teaching in the human sciences.

The Faculty of Behavioural Sciences and Psychology conducts innovative research that strengthens professional care in Switzerland and helps position Lucerne as an international centre for research in the human sciences. It currently offers Bachelor's and postgraduate programmes, with a Master's programme set to launch in 2027. The faculty also runs a state-of-the-art practical training clinic and behavioural science laboratories.

The Zug Institute for Blockchain Research (ZI ), a joint initiative of the University of Lucerne and the Canton of Zug, explores blockchain technology exclusively through a humanities lens. Rather than focusing on standard technical or business applications, we investigate the profound political, economic, legal, and societal implications of this emerging technology. Our mission is to assess how blockchain could reshape social institutions, influence democratic processes, and fundamentally redefine the relationship between individuals and the state.

The research project is led by Prof. Dr. Ahmed Ajil and focuses on counter terrorism policies and practices in Switzerland, Germany and Belgium. It consists of the following three parts:
First: analysis of criminal and administrative case law and soft preventive measures (PVE) adopting a quantitative and qualitative approach.
Second: analysis of power dynamics and social categories produced through these instruments and confronting these insights with the views of practitioners in the three countries (semi-structured interviews).
Third: analysis of the impacts of counter terrorism measures using ethnographic interviews with directly affected individuals, focus groups with activists and civil society, as well as courtroom ethnography.

• Quantitative and qualitative analysis of criminal and administrative law documents in Switzerland, Germany and Belgium
• Support with semi-structured interviews and ethnographic research
• Conduct courtroom ethnography and focus groups
• Writing and Publishing PhD Dissertation
• Participating in collaborative sessions of the research project team

• Master in the social sciences, ideally related to security studies, criminology, anthropology or sociology
• Interest in topics related to counter terrorism and the prevention of violent extremism and radicalisation
• Autonomy in conducting field research and writing
• Ability to work in an international research team
• Linguistic proficiency in English, German and/or French, basic knowledge of Arabic is an asset
• Flexibility to travel abroad between Belgium, Germany and Switzerland

• 4-year employment at conditions of the University of Lucerne
• Workplace at the University of Lucerne and the Zug Institute of Blockchain Research (with possibility to work remotely)
• Possibility of contributing to ground-breaking research in the social sciences with international relevance

For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Ahmed Ajil, , ahmed.ajil.

The application
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