Student Fellows

About the position

The Department for Study Administration will employ two students in part-time positions to work alongside academic staff at the University of Oslo to develop educational offerings for the University alliance Circle U.

About Circle U. 

Circle U. is a research-intensive and interdisciplinary alliance working to provide outstanding education, research and innovation to contribute to more sustainable, democratic and healthier societies. The following Universities are member of the alliance: Aarhus Universitet (Denmark), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Germany), King’s College London (United Kingdom), Università di Pisa (Italy), Universität Wien (Austria), Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium), Université Paris Cité (France), Universitetet i Oslo (Norway) and Univerzitet u Beogradu (Serbia). 

About Student Fellows:

As a Student Fellow, you are hired as a project assistant in a 20% position and become part of Circle U. team at the University of Oslo. In this role as student fellow, you will collaborate with a researcher who will act as your supervisor. It is expected that you work independently on the tasks you agree upon. Working hours will be determined in consultation with your supervisor, and there is room for flexible working hours.

Work tasks

The Democracy Hub in the University alliance Circle U. is planning to develop an interdisciplinary module, which will require significant coordination and research across three knowledge hubs: Democracy, Global Health, and Climate. To support the successful development of this module and other key activities, UiO will recruit two student fellows. Both fellows will contribute equally to research and administrative tasks, ensuring balanced support for the Democracy Hub’s ongoing activities, including the development of the module and other projects.

The module, titled What Works?, will explore successful interventions and policies aimed at improving the wellbeing of marginalized communities and promoting human development and fair distribution of resources. Despite persistent global challenges related to poverty, ill-health and the climate crisis, there have been numerous efforts that have yielded positive results. The module will showcase empirical research on improvements in areas such as agricultural production, life expectancy, literacy rates, child mortality, pollution control, environmental protection, and the reduction of infectious diseases across the world. 

Given its interdisciplinary nature, the module will draw on insights from the Democracy, Global Health, and Climate hubs. Thus, developing this module will require extensive coordination to align the interests and research agendas of all three hubs.

Job description Student Fellow 1: 

• Research & Literature Review: Fellows work together to conduct a comprehensive review of relevant academic literature on global development, poverty reduction, and successful case studies from various regions.
• Syllabus & Module Development: Assist in developing the module syllabus by incorporating diverse research perspectives and case studies from the Democracy, Global Health, and Climate hubs.
• Event & Workshop Organization: Help plan and facilitate workshops and meetings for hub members to collaborate on the module’s development and research initiatives.
• Cross-Hub Collaboration: Coordinate efforts between the three hubs, ensuring seamless communication and collaboration in integrating research findings into the module.

Job description Student Fellow 2: 

• Research & Literature Review: Fellows work together to conduct a comprehensive review of relevant academic literature on global development, poverty reduction, and successful case studies from various regions.
• Module Organization: Support the structural and logistical aspects of module development, ensuring alignment with academic standards and interdisciplinary objectives.
• Event & Program Planning: Provide logistical and organizational support for Democracy Hub events, including conferences, workshops, and the Democracy Hub’s summer school program.
• Grant Support: If successful in securing seed funding, the fellow will also assist in those projects, including conducting research and providing logistical support: 
  • Application 1: Cross-hub collaboration on What Works. 
  • Application 2: Democracy, War, and Development.
  • Application 3: Confronting Poverty: Uniting Disciplines for Global Impact.

Both student fellows positions will be guided by key members of the Democracy Hub, particularly those based at the University of Oslo. Professors Banik, Jungblut, and Reinertsen will take a lead role in providing academic supervision and mentorship. Additionally, the fellows will work closely with Democracy Hub Coordinator Bella Reid, who will oversee their day-to-day tasks and offer support with project coordination.

Regular follow-up meetings will be scheduled to ensure fellows receive clear guidance, feedback, and assistance as needed. This will help ensure the successful completion of their assigned tasks and the overall effectiveness of their contributions to the Hub’s objectives.

Qualification requirements

We are looking for a candidate who:

• Is a student at the University of Oslo.
• Is cooperative and able to work independently.
• Communicates well in both written and spoken Norwegian and English.
• Is interested in interdisciplinary research and education related to Democracy.
• Is interested in connecting education and research.
• Has a specific interest in or qualifications relevant to the project.

Is interested in Higher education and University alliances.

We offer

• A professionally stimulating working environment.
• A vibrant international academic environment.
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities. 
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with favorable mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in position as consultant/position code 1065, in salary range NOK 418 500 per year in 20% position over a 12 months period. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.

How to apply

The application must include:

• A cover letter (statement of motivation) clearly indicating which student fellow position you are applying for. It is possible to apply for both positions, but this must be indicated in the applications.
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work)
• copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only)
• evt. documentation of english proficiency
• list of reference persons: 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)

The application (evt.) with attachments must be delivered in our recruiting system.

Formal regulations

Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition.Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

Contact information

Seniorrådgiver Øystein Moen - mail: oystein.moen@admin.uio.no