Internship: UrbanA – sustainable & just cities

 
DRIFT is looking for one or two ambitious interns who are interested in supporting our work on sustainable and just cities within the UrbanA project. The UrbanA project on Urban Arenas for Sustainable and Just Cities takes up the challenge of synthesizing and brokering the knowledge for sustainable and just cities generated by prior research and innovation projects and translate this knowledge into action.
 
DRIFT is in the lead for mapping the diversity of approaches tackling urban unsustainability and injustice. We also host the first Arena event in November. The ArenA event is a co-creative space that brings together city-makers and city-thinkers from across Europe and across disciplines to connect with one another, to reflect on the urban knowledge that research projects have already identified, and to generate promising approaches to the creation of sustainable, inclusive and thriving cities. Take a look at the project page to learn more about the project.
 
Where do you fit in?
We are looking for someone who can:

• Support with the mapping and setting up the database:  including interviews, desk-research and writing a report about the insights from our mapping
• Support in organizing the Arena event in November:  including reporting before, during and after the event, and other practical activities.

 
The internship can be combined with writing a MA-thesis.
 
The internship starts a.s.a.p. in October until end of January. The exact beginning and end date is open for discussion, but we prefer you to start as soon as possible.
 
What can you learn and get out of the UrbanA-internship at DRIFT?

• Experiencing DRIFT – office space, participating in weekly inspiring sessions
• Participation in the unique transdisciplinary and international UrbanA project
• Act as a full member of the organizational team of the exciting Arena event
• Learning mapping skills & developing a database, including software like Wiki, Google Drive, Zotero.

 
What do we need?

• An interest in the central themes of the UrbanA project: (un)sustainability, (in)justice, cities, innovative approaches.
• Organizational skills.
• Creative mind and flexible attitude.
• Familiarity with writing and research processes.
• Excellent written/spoken English.
• Someone who is based in the Netherlands.
• Availability in the week of 25-29 of November 2019 is crucial.

 
Conditions for doing an internship at DRIFT

• We only offer internships for those who are formally enrolled in a school of university within the EU, and the internship is always formal part of a study. Interns are entitled a compensation of 500 euro per month including traveling costs. Please note that your institution needs to give permission for the internship by signing the contract.
• We ask all interns to write a blog on their internship to be published on the DRIFT website. Additionally, when someone is writing his/her thesis we expect them to present their research during one of DRIFT’s knowledge sessions.

 
Interested?
Send a CV & cover letter to urbana@drift.old.tabs-spaces.nl  a.s.a.p. (ideally before October 7, 2019).
 
About DRIFT
The Dutch Research Institute for Transitions is an action research institute located at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Founded in 2004, Drift evolved from a Dutch based research institute to an internationally oriented institute with worldwide networks, projects and contributions in the field of sustainability transitions. We are a young, ambitious and interdisciplinary group of researchers, trainers and consultants that combine academia with reflexive activism. Our backgrounds range from innovation studies and environmental science, to sociology, political science, policy analysis, geography, anthropology, engineering, history, as well as economics and philosophy. Drift aims to understand, facilitate and accelerate sustainability transitions, by putting scientific theory into practice and by implementing and developing innovative governance approaches, such as Transition Management. Next to (action) research, Drift advises governments and companies within the Netherlands, Europe and non-European countries. Furthermore, Drift is actively involved in education through multiple courses, coaching trajectories, workshops, in-company trainings and creative educational experiments.