As Gamification Group, we are looking for a Doctoral Researcher, in the scope of Convergence Doctoral Programme, who is a creative technologist interested in working on one or more of the following topics to pursue research within the field of  “Games & Play for Posthumans”:

-Trans-species play
-Games for cyborgs
-Games for outer space
-Playing with robotic companions
-Transurban playgrounds

Backgrounds can be diverse and be oriented toward engineering, design, or the humanities. However, in all candidates, we look for skills and aptitude for designing and making technologies, critical engagement with possible futures, as well as creative and generative thinking. Successful candidates will pursue a doctoral degree at Tampere University. Full-time doctoral studies are expected to be completed in four years.

--DESCRIPTION OF THE TOPIC--

With the rapid advances in technology, artificial intelligence, robotic companions, bodily integrated technologies, brain-machine interfaces, and space habitation technologies are now here or on the horizon. These technologies, when integrated fully on the societal level, will have a profound impact on how we live and experience the world around us. In this project, we aim to investigate these futures through an antisolutionist approach and by using games & play as a central lens. What will games & play be like in a posthuman age? What can designing games & play in a posthuman era tell us about future societies?

This project aims to answer this question and examine games & play in posthuman technofutures through utilizing antisolutionist design methods. In other words, this project will create fictional narratives, worlds and prototypes through speculative and critical design methods such as design fiction, fictional probes, and pastiche scenarios, demonstrating how games & play could be like in posthuman futures.

In the context of this project, posthuman futures refer both to transhuman futures where computers and the body of humans converge and to futures where we attain a more-than-human approach, going beyond anthropocentric thinking by taking non-human actors into account. These two approaches merge especially when we consider that the integration of synthetic technology with our organic bodies may render us trans-species, which suggests possibilities for novel ways of interaction between organic species, synthetic species and trans-species.

--TENTATIVE RESEARCH QUESTIONS--

-What will games & play be like in a posthuman age?
-What artifacts and technologies will facilitate games & play in posthuman futures?
-What can designing games & play of a posthuman era tell us about future societies?

--REQUIREMENTS--

The applicant needs to have a Master’s degree related to human-computer interaction (e.g., interaction design, industrial product design, graphic design, computer engineering, mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, psychology, or a suitable field within the humanities) and have demonstrated (during your studies towards the Master’s degree or otherwise) the competence and motivation to pursue postgraduate studies.

Successful candidates must be pursuing or will be accepted to study towards a doctoral degree in the Doctoral Programme of Humans and Technologies (DPHAT). Please visit the admissions webpage https://www.tuni.fi/en/study-with-us/programmes/doctoral-programmes for more information on eligibility requirements. Please, pay special attention to the language requirements.

The research topics require a strong interest and relevant experience in the following:

-Having skills in designing and developing working prototypes of technologies
-Experience in using design tools and techniques (sketching, drawing, visual design software such as photoshop, illustrator, brainstorming, ideation)
-Experience in maker tools (e.g., arduino, raspberry pie, different sensors, 3D-printer, prototyping tools)
-Familiarity with some of the following areas and concepts: posthumanism, transhumanism, more-than-human design, wearables, bodily technologies, brain-machine interfaces, design fiction, speculative design, critical design
-Interest or knowledge in game design
-Interest in and knowledge of science fiction, world-building and literary writing

Candidates are selected based on the level of promise that they show, and this will be evaluated on the basis of their study and research interest description, their previous success in studies, and merits in writing the doctoral thesis and / or scientific publishing, as well as their background match to the research topic.

Tampere University is a unique, multidisciplinary and boldly forward-looking, evolving community. Our values are openness, diversity, responsibility, courage, critical thinking, erudition building, and learner-centeredness. We hope that you can embrace these values and promote them in your work.

--WE OFFER--

The position will be filled for a fixed-term period of maximum four (4) years. The starting date is 1 September 2023 or as mutually agreed. A trial period of six (6) months applies to all our new employees.

The salary will be based on both the job requirements and the employee’s personal performance in accordance with the salary system of Finnish universities. According to the criteria applied to teaching and research staff, the position of a Doctoral Researcher is placed on level 2—4 of the job requirements scale. A typical baseline starting salary for Doctoral Researchers is approximately 2,500 EUR/month.

We are inviting you to be a part of a vibrant, active and truly international research community. Gamification Group is one of the leading games, play & gamification research groups and hosts more than 40 researchers from different backgrounds. We value interdisciplinarity, as it allows you to expand your research network and exposes you to new perspectives and ideas to solve complex research problems and pursue novel research findings. We are strongly committed to the highest level of scientific research and the provision of high-quality doctoral education. You will have a chance to collaborate with people from many different disciplines and backgrounds.

As a member of staff at Tampere University, you will enjoy a range of competitive benefits, such as occupational health care services, flexible work schedule, versatile research infrastructure, modern teaching facilities and a safe and inviting campus area as well as a personal fund to spend on sports and cultural activities in your free time. Please read more about working at Tampere University. You can also find more information about us and working and living Tampere by watching our video: Tampere Higher Education Community - our academic playground. 

Finland is among the most stable, free and safe countries in the world, based on prominent ratings by various agencies. Tampere is the largest inland city of Finland, and the city is counted among the major academic hubs in the Nordic countries. Tampere region is the most rapidly growing urban area in Finland and home to a vibrant knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial community. The city is an industrial powerhouse that enjoys a rich cultural scene and a reputation as a centre of Finland’s information society. Tampere is also surrounded by vivid nature with forests and lakes, providing countless opportunities for easy-to-access outdoor adventures and refreshment throughout the year.


Please submit your application through our online recruitment system (https://tuni.rekrytointi.com/paikat/?o=A_RJ&jgid=1&jid=1652&utm_source=Convergence+-+www.tuni.fi&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Convergence+Doctoral+%2308) The closing date for applications is 15 FEBRUARY 2023 (23:59 EET /UTC +2). Please write your application and all the accompanying documentation in English and attach them in PDF format.


--CONTACT--
Assistant Professor Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk, [log in to unmask]
Professor Johannes Riquet, [log in to unmask]
External co-supervisor, Tactic Games, Member of the Board Katriina Heljakka [log in to unmask]

More info on Gamification Group: https://webpages.tuni.fi/gamification/
More info on Convergence: https://www.tuni.fi/en/research/convergence-humans-and-machines#switcher-trigger-hiring!


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