Andrea Mitchell Center Postdoctoral Fellowship on "Democracy and Emergent Technologies"

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

2022-2023 Academic Year

Application Deadline: February 15, 2022

The University of Pennsylvania’s Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy and Perry World House invite applications for a one-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in any discipline whose research is pertinent to the theme of the Mitchell Center’s 2022-2023 faculty workshop series, "Democracy and Emergent Technologies." In addition to pursuing independent research, the postdoctoral fellow is expected to attend and participate in Mitchell Center events; teach one undergraduate course related to their academic interests; co-lead a research seminar for Mitchell Center undergraduate fellows; and attend other Mitchell events whenever possible. Fellows typically organize and lead a couple of small-scale events over the course of the year. The stipend will be at least $53,800 plus benefits, including health insurance.

In an effort to make sense of the civic consequences of the ongoing technological revolutions in our midst, the Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy, in partnership with Perry World House, will devote a yearlong series in 2022-23 to exploring various intersections of technology and politics. Topics will include such issues as the role of race in shaping the often disparate impacts of technology, and what this means for democracy; the potential benefits and drawbacks of smart cities for sustainability and civic engagement; the relationship of Big Tech to democratic institutions and values; recent, technologically driven trends in the democratization of finance; examination of current and anticipated technological developments surrounding warfare; the relationship of technology to the question for economic democracy; and the technological features of the security state in China, and other similar regimes, and their impact on civic life.

Global in its outlook, multifaceted in its purposes, the Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy seeks to contribute to the ongoing quest for democratic values, ideas, and institutions throughout the world. In addition to hosting speakers from the fields of academia, journalism, politics, and public policy, the Mitchell Center supports undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral research. It continues the legacy of the Penn Program for Democracy, Citizenship, and Constitutionalism, which fostered interdisciplinary scholarship from 2007 to 2017.

The Mitchell Center values interdisciplinary research, collaboration, and collegiality; is committed to promoting a culturally diverse intellectual community; and strongly encourages applications from women, minorities, and underrepresented communities.