Postdoctor in Political Science: Transitional Justice, Victimhood, and Survey Experiments (BIG PEACE

Reference number PAR 2026/745 The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 58 000 students and 6800 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future. The Department of Political Science is an international academic environment that welcomes students, researchers and staff from all over the world. Our research covers topics such as political institutions, elections, public opinion and democracy, international and European politics, environmental politics, corruption and political ideas. The Department of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg is ranked as the best in Sweden and one of the top 10-15 in Europe in its subject area, according to the global Shanghai ranking of academic subjects for 2024. We organize a large number of research seminars and workshops each year in the various research areas of the department. We offer education at all levels in both Swedish and English. In total, around 1,400 people study with us, and we have around 170 employees. For more information about the Department, visit our website [www.pol.gu.se](http://www.pol.gu.se/). **Description of the project:** The Department of Political Science invites applications for a post-doctoral fellow, to conduct research within “Bridging Injustice Gaps: Peace Enhancement in the Aftermath of Conflict Engagement” (BIG PEACE), funded by The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation with additional funding from the University of Gothenburg . This is a 2-year position, 100% of full-time, with possibility for a third year extension if mutually agreed upon. The BIG PEACE research program aims to understand the extent to which transitional justice can foster reconciliation. This project examines justice from the perspectives of those most affected—victims, former combatants, and local communities. This focus also brings attention to how victimhood is recognized in conflict-affected societies, and whether the logic of victimhood recognition shifts as we move from individual perceptions to collective, politically contested claims at meta-levels. It also questions the assumption that state-led justice is always the best approach, recognizing that in many war-torn societies, religious and tribal leaders play a crucial role in resolving disputes. This study will take a data-driven approach, gathering insights through in-depth interviews, large-n surveys, and experiments in multiple conflict-affected countries. It will explore key questions: What does justice mean to different people? Who counts as a victim of civil war, and who decides? Who do conflict affected stakeholders trust to deliver justice? And how do perceptions of justice shape peace and stability? Bringing victimhood recognition into these questions extends the study of injustice gaps to whose suffering is recognized in the first place and how such recognition may differ across individuals and groups. By identifying patterns across cultures and conflicts, BIG PEACE seeks to provide practical recommendations for policymakers and peacebuilders. The goal is to move beyond one-size-fits-all solutions and develop a more inclusive, grassroots approach to justice—one that truly addresses the needs of war-torn societies and helps prevent future violence. The postdoctoral fellow will join a collaborative research environment at the Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg. BIG PEACE provides opportunities for international publication, methodological development, comparative and cross-country fieldwork, and collaboration within and beyond the project team, including opportunities for co-authorship. At the same time, the position provides substantial scope for developing an independent research profile at the intersection of political violence, transitional justice, ethnic politics, public opinion, and peace and conflict research. A more detailed project description is available upon request. ## **Subject area** Political science ## **Subject area description** Political Science is the study of politics. _Keywords: Post-Conflict reconciliation, Survey methods, Injustice, Victimhood, Experimental design and analysis, Large n-Data, transitional justice, political violence, causal inference._ ## **Duties** The employment as a postdoctoral fellow aims to give the employee an early opportunity to develop their independence as a researcher after completing their doctoral degree and to create the conditions for further qualifications. The person employed as a postdoctoral fellow must mainly conduct research. Teaching can be included in the work duties, but to a maximum of one-fifth of the working time. The postdoctoral fellow will be employed at the Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, and is expected to engage in close collaborative research with Kristen Kao and other members of the BIG PEACE project team. Much of the work will involve designing, programming, running, and analyzing large-N surveys and survey experiments, making strong survey research skills essential to the position. The postdoctoral fellow will be expected to develop and implement original survey and experimental designs, applying causal inference in the analysis of project data. The work will also involve contributing to data collection and fieldwork across conflict-affected countries included in the project. Thus, prior fieldwork experience or knowledge of foreign languages is a merit. Duties also include helping to organize and attending one or two international workshops or conferences; traveling to present the project’s research to international scholarly, policymaker, and development practitioner audiences; as well as contributing to and leading high-quality manuscripts based on the project data for publication in int