The Media Change and Innovation Division (Prof. Michael Latzer), Department of Communication and Media Research (IKMZ), University of Zurich is seeking applications for a postdoctoral position. The successful applicant will work on dedicated topics that align with the division’s research program including the chilling effects of dataveillance, the religion-like digitalization of societies or content creators’ belief systems within the social media ecosystem.
The division’s research program focuses, among other things, on the societal implications of digitalization and the internet, algorithmic selection and artificial-intelligence (AI) tools in everyday life, dataveillance and privacy, governance of media change, religion-like digitalization and implicit everyday religion, cyborgization, digital inequalities, and digital well-being (see https://mediachange.ch/publications/ for the division’s recent publications).
Your responsibilities
- Devise and conduct original theoretical and empirical research in areas that align with the division’s research program
- Contribute to the projects The Chilling Effects of Dataveillance and/or The Religion-Like Digitalization of Societies and/or Content Creators’ Belief Systems within the Social Media Ecosystem
- (Co)author academic publications
- Participate in academic exchange (e.g., conferences, departmental talks) and support outreach activities that target the public
- Contribute to teaching and student supervision aligned with the division’s teaching priorities, mentor PhD students in the division
- Attain further academic qualifications (e.g., colloquia, research seminars, or summer/winter schools)
Your profile
- PhD degree in communication or a related discipline
- Experience with and/or interest in conducting interdisciplinary research on what digitalization and the internet mean for privacy, autonomy, well-being, reality construction, social order, and democracy
- Excellent abilities to apply quantitative and/or qualitative methods
- Excellent time management, ability to take initiative, and independent work attitude under the guidance of the division chair
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Proficiency in English