Postdoctoral Fellow in Historical Political Economy

International Center for the Study of Institutions and Development (ICSID) in Moscow, Russia

The Higher School of Economics (HSE) International Center for the Study of Institutions and Development (ICSID) in Moscow, Russia, invites applications for postdoctoral research positions in the field of historical political economywith a preferred (though not required) focus on Russia and other post-Communist countries.

A burgeoning body of literature uses evidence from the past to test institutional economics and political science theories. Russia, with its rich history, profound variation in institutional environments across time and space, ethnolinguistic and religious diversity is still underexplored within this literature despite the strong potential it offers for making an important contribution. Our Center is currently looking for an ambitious researcher ready to contribute to the exploratory effort on the long-term determinants of political and economic development of Russia and other Post-Soviet states using state-of-the-art statistical techniques. We would also welcome promising topics dealing with other spatial or temporal contexts.

Current projects undertaken by the Center’s fellows in the field of economic history concentrate mostly on long-term consequences of both extractive and inclusive institutions, like serfdom, Alexander II’s liberal reforms of the mid-XIX century, Soviet-era political persecutions and development efforts. Available datasets include digitalized Russian census publications and statistical yearbooks since the late XIX century covering topics like demographics, human capital, agriculture, manufacturing and services, together with contemporary social surveys. We are particularly interested in applications by candidates willing to integrate datasets from external sources, like RIStat Russian historical statistics database, Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey, World Values Survey, and Life in Transition Survey with the datasets compiled within the Center. A successful candidate is free to join the already existing projects or pursue a new research agenda of mutual interest.

Requirements

The general requirements for the postdoctoral fellowship positions are the following:

●     a Ph.D. in economics, political science, public policy, economic geography, sociology, or history (awarded during last 5 years but before the start of the program);

●     a strong background in the fields of economic history and quantitative political economy;

●     strong quantitative skills, ability to carry out research using Stata/R/Python or similar software to meet standards of academic journals;

●     peer-reviewed publications, working papers or a job market paper in the field will be a strong advantage;

●     knowledge of GIS software and/or programming skills will be a valuable asset;

●     ability to work in a team;

●     ability to understand and communicate in Russian is not a requirement but will be a plus;

●      fluent English is an obligatory condition as research and other activities are conducted in English

●     submission of at least one working paper per year to one of the HSE working papers series

●     full-time research with at least two presentations of results during the year.

The position involves:

-       working in a research group with Dr. Denis Ivanov;

-       collaboration with the international team of ICSID researchers and taking part in ICSID projects;

-       pursuing independent research for which the candidate could spend up to 50% of the time;

-       publishing papers in peer-reviewed academic journals in economics, political science, regional studies, public policy, history, sociology;

-       participation in the organization of the ICSID events and other contributions to the Lab’s development.

Conditions

Appointments are normally made for one year (since September 2024). Postdoctoral fellows have an opportunity to renew the contract (no more than two times).

HSE University offers postdoctoral fellows a competitive salary, the standard medical insurance plan, a working space equipped with a computer and free Internet access at the University.

The Center offers access to its unique databases on socio-economic indicators of the Russian regions, political elites and historical roots of institutions in Russia. ICSID also provides all necessary support for research such as up-to-date analytical software, funding for attendance at international conferences and research assistantship. Moreover, the HSE library provides access to a large collection of academic journals.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted online. Please provide a CV, a statement of research interest and a recent research paper submitted via an online application form. At least two letters of recommendation should be sent directly to the International Faculty Recruitment Office at fellowship@hse.ru before the application deadline. Please note that direct applications to thehiring center may not be reviewed.

Read more about the application process here.

The deadline for the applications is January 31, 2024.

Apply now

For more information:

-       about Postdoctoral Fellowship -Frequently Asked Questions

-       about HSE university –official web-site

-       about the International Center for the Study of Institutions and Development (ICSID) in Moscow, Russia – official website of the Centre or contact Valeriya Kotelnikova, a manager of the center, directly via vkotelnikova@hse.ru

-       about international specialists' life in Moscow -International Faculty Support page

If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact the International Faculty Recruitment Office at fellowship@hse.ru