[ecrea] Job Posting: 2 PhD positions at USI, Lugano, Switzerland

2 fully funded Ph.D. student positions at the Institute for 
Communication Technologies, Faculty of Communication Sciences at USI 
Università della Svizzera italiana

Starting in September 2018


The Institute for Communication Technologies invites applications for 
two fully funded Ph.D. positions in Communication Sciences for 
conducting research in the project entitled “Visualisierte Beziehungen – 
Funktionen und Problemfelder. Eine repertoire-orientierte Untersuchung 
visueller und bildbezogener Kommunikation in Paar- und 
Freundschaftsdyaden in der Schweiz“. ["Visualized relationships – 
functions and problems. A repertoire-oriented investigation of visual 
and image-related communication among couples and friends in 
Switzerland"]. The project description in German and English language 
can be found here 
https://search.usi.ch/en/projects/1029/visualized-relationships-functions-and-problems

**The Project**

The project is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) for 
a duration of 39 months, starting on September 1, 2018.

The research project will investigate the role of visual communication 
in close social relationships in Switzerland. Therefore, the 
communication repertoires and routines of couples and close friends will 
be studied with an in-depth qualitative approach that combines verbal 
interviews with visual methods. Visual communication will be examined in 
relation to non-visual practices of online and face-to-face 
communication. Two key research objectives are: (1) to explore the role 
and importance of visual and image-related practices in the 
communication repertoires scrutinizing both, social functions and 
potentially problematic uses, and (2) to explore which rules and norms 
of visual everyday communication are established within these relationships.

**The Ph.D. Position**

The doctoral students will be enrolled in the Ph.D. program in 
Communication Sciences. The doctoral students will work under the 
scientific supervision of the project leader prof. Dr. Katharina 
Lobinger. The successful candidates will be offered the possibility to 
work in a dynamic research team and in a multidisciplinary and 
international scientific environment.

Candidates’ profile

Ideal candidates should satisfy the following requirements:

- A Master’s degree in Media and Communication or in closely related 
fields, finished prior to appointment

- Expertise in qualitative research methods in the social sciences 
(especially qualitative interviews, content analysis), preferably also 
with knowledge of relevant methodological software, such as NVivo

- Interest in visual communication and online communication and their 
uses in everyday life

- Good skills in oral and written English (official language of the 
Ph.D. program)

- Good oral and writing skills in one (but preferably in two) national 
Swiss languages (German, French, Italian, Romansh)

- Ability to work independently and to plan and direct own work

- Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate in teams

- High motivation for research tasks


Admission to the Ph.D. program is highly competitive. Admission 
decisions are based on the candidate’s background, interests, attitude 
and potential for academic achievement. Successful enrolment in the 
Ph.D. program and the position as doctoral researcher are not compatible 
with a further professional activity.

The successful candidates will work as research assistants at the 
Institute of Communication Technologies, and will have the possibility 
to interact with an international network of collaborators. Workplace is 
USI Università della Svizzera italiana, located in Lugano, Switzerland.

Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) is a young and lively 
university, a hub of opportunity open to the world where students are 
offered a quality interdisciplinary education in which they can be fully 
engaged and take center stage, and where our researchers can count on 
having the space to freely pursue their initiative.
Established in 1996, USI is in constant evolution, always taking on new 
challenges while remaining true to its three guiding principles: 
quality, openness and responsibility.

The Institute for Communication Technologies (ITC) studies the mutual 
interactions between information technologies and human communication 
processes. The positions will be situated in the institute’s area of 
research that is dedicated to networked photography, online 
communication, digital (visual) culture, ethics for the digital age, and 
creative and visual research methods.


**The Application**

Applications should contain (1) a letter in which the applicants 
describe their research interests and the motivation to apply, (2) a CV, 
(3) copies of relevant diplomas, certificates as well as the full 
transcript of records that prove the candidates’ eligibility for 
doctoral studies in Communication Sciences, and (4) the names of two 
academic references that can be contacted for further information.

Please send your application or requests for further information to 
Katharina Lobinger 
((katharina.lobinger /at/ usi.ch)<mailto:(katharina.lobinger /at/ usi.ch)>) with the 
subject “Ph.D. SNF”.

Applications received before June 15, 2018, will be given priority.

USI strives to be an equal opportunity and family friendly employer and 
is further responsive to the needs of dual career couples. We guarantee 
that the selection process will give equal opportunities to female and 
male researchers

Further information:
Project description: 
https://search.usi.ch/en/projects/1029/visualized-relationships-functions-and-problems
Ph.D. program in Communication Sciences: 
http://www.com.usi.ch/en/presentazione-studiare/dottorato-com.htm





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