For EU Horizon project “Using AI to Support Regulators and Policy Makers (AI4POL)” we are looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher to work, in a team, on “Artificial Intelligence in Autocratic Countries.” The goal of the project is to produce both fundamental research on the political economy of AI-development in autocratic countries (esp. China and Russia) and applicable advice for European policy makers.

The AI4POL project is led by the Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC), an interdisciplinary research center with members both from the Tilburg School of Economics and Management (TiSEM) and Tilburg Law School (TLS). AI4POL’s work package (WP) “Artificial Intelligence in Autocratic Countries” is anchored at TiSEM’s Department of Economics, of which you will become a member. It will be expected that you also join TILEC and participate in its main activities.
Next to your daily collaboration with the WP leader and other TILEC researchers, this work package comprises inputs from and collaboration with data scientists, computer scientists, ethicists, and survey researchers (who are based in Lithuania, Germany, and the Netherlands). Openness towards an interdisciplinary, international environment is therefore a must. The working language is English, both in the AI4POL project, the WP, and at Tilburg University.
The position itself carries a lot of independence and potential to do research and carry out the required work in ways you deem best (in coordination with the WP leader and subject to the promised deliverables). In particular, we will analyze the political economy and institutional environment in which AI-research and related technology innovation is conducted in key autocratic countries, such as China and Russia. At a later stage, we will theoretically develop and empirically identify relevant data sources that serve as input into an index which quantifies specific risks related to AI in those countries, for Europe. This research will both be academically pathbreaking (with corresponding publication potential in academic journals) and be politically relevant (as we have direct access to key European regulators and policy makers, via AI4POL’s Advisory Board).
0.8 FTE of the position will be funded by the project and are purely for research and very little project administration. If you opt for a full-time position, the remaining 0.2 FTE will be funded by the Department of Economics, which comes with responsibilities in thesis supervision and/or teaching (details will be determined in consultation with the department head).

You have finished a PhD and can fully commit your time to this new project (there would be little time to finalize your PhD dissertation chapters). You are a social scientist with empirical skills and experience in working with data (econometrics, statistics, and/or data science). The specific discipline of your PhD does not matter but political scientists, economists, economic geographers, or area specialists of China and/or Russia (or a related autocratic country and governance institutions) may have an advantage. Importantly, you have knowledge and interest in (i) politics, international relations, or political economy and also in (ii) digital industries, technology innovation, or AI-development. Specific knowledge of the countries, institutions, and languages of China or Russia is a plus but not mandatory.

Whereas this position is open to scholars from various backgrounds, it is important that you are interested in affecting not only knowledge creation but also real-world policies with your work. You are an independent thinker and a team player, open-minded, and respect different methodologies being used by colleagues from diverse academic disciplines. Being able to organize oneself and others, thinking along and taking over responsibility for processes, as well as communicating proactively and clearly is a plus.

Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment: 

• A position based on 0,8 FTE (32 hours per week) or 1 FTE (40 hours per week). 
• A salary of minimum €4.492 and maximum €6.148 gross per month for full-time employment, based on UFO profile Researcher 3 and salary scale 11. Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system based on relevant education and work experience. 
• This is a vacancy is for a temporary position in accordance with Article 2.3 paragraph 5 under b of the Collective Labor Agreement of Dutch Universities. You will be given a temporary contract for the duration of 36 months/3 years. 
• Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%. 
• Over 8 weeks of vacation leave. 
• The opportunity to work partly on campus and partly from home. 
• Reimbursement for sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transportation. 
• A monthly internet fee of €25.
• An Options Model in which you exchange benefits for things such as additional leave, more pension, a bicycle or personal training at our Sports Center. 
• A pension with ABP; the most sustainable Dutch pension fund.
• Training in personal development, career development, leadership, education, and research or a language course at our Language Center. 
• A work culture in which we embrace differences, everyone is welcome and given equal opportunities. 
• A vibrant campus in green surroundings that is easily accessible by public transport. 

For more information, see our website and the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities. 

Tilburg University

Tilburg University is an academic, inclusive, and engaged community. Together with nearly 3,000 employees, we are committed to broad prosperity, sustainably, and inclusion. For current and future generations. We develop and share knowledge for the requirements of people and our society. This is how we contribute to solving complex social issues and help society move forward.

We educate our 19,500 students of 110 nationalities to become responsible leaders with knowledge, skills, and character. With our education and research for broad prosperity, we exceedingly focus on themes such as mental and preventive care, an inclusive labor market, the energy transition, and digitalization.

Tilburg School of Economics and Management
Tilburg School of Economics and Management (TiSEM) is the university largest faculty.  TiSEM offers well reputed academic research and education. Its research belongs to the European top. The education programs, of which the majority are offered completely in English, are on the international map with the AACSB accreditation awarded in 2002. Employees and students form an ambitious international community.
Tilburg School of Economics and Management

The Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC), founded in 2003, supports and stimulates academic research on the governance of economic activity, aiming to be a global leader in this field. Gathering more than 40 legal scholars and economists at Tilburg University and with over 50 extramural fellows, TILEC fosters academically path breaking and practically relevant research. The center is a leading law & economics research center in Europe with an excellent reputation both in the academic and in the policy worlds, globally. TILEC members meet once a week to discuss the latest research both with external seminar speakers and internal researchers, the latest relevant academic papers or legal cases. For more information, click here. 

The Economics Department at Tilburg University is one of the largest and most successful economics departments in Europe. Our faculty members are internationally recognized for their research and committed to providing high-quality education programs for students. The department is organized into several research institutes and projects, TILEC being one of them. The department hosts a weekly seminar program with invited speakers from top international schools and a weekly internal workshop program that allows our faculty and PhD students to present their research to the department. For more information, click here. 

Would you like to know more before applying? Feel free to contact Jens Prüfer at 0031.13.466.3250 or j.prufer@tilburguniversity.edu.

We cordially invite you to apply before 6 October 2024; this can only be done online. Address your cover letter to Prof. Jens Prüfer and attach your CV. In your cover letter, explain what attracts you to the position and how your background and interests can contribute to making the project a success. We are aware that it will be hard to fit all characteristics of the “perfect” profile. Please tell us how you would approach the gaps in your knowledge/skills.

In order to make a good selection, we also ask you to provide the following documents: 

• An up-to-date CV reporting your academic and professional activities and scholarly output
• An official copy of your highest university degree (and, if your PhD is not finished, yet, expected date of completion)
• Transcript of academic records/grades list for your PhD/(Research) Master’s degree
• Your job market paper/one or two research papers
• Arrange for at least two reference letters to be submitted on your behalf, ideally by the application deadline. At the very latest, letters must be available when interviews take place.